Author: Vincent Osuwo

The 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, has criticised the Nigerian government following the international seizure of three jets belonging to the Presidential fleet. Describing the incident as an international disgrace, Obi, in a statement via X on Thursday, condemned the federal government’s handling of the situation, highlighting the broader implications of the event. “The trending international news on the seizure of three jets belonging to Nigeria’s presidential fleet is yet another of many embarrassing things exposing our failed leadership and our attitude to the rule of law even in a democracy,” Obi said. He said that…

At least two people were reportedly killed while seven others were injured during a renewed clash between the Ndeji and Lema communities in Lafiagi Emirate in the Edu Local Government Area of Kwara State. The two communities wedged between Gbugbu and Lafiagi, headquarters of the Edu Local Government Council, are frequently at odds over property disputes. However, police stated that they are on top of the matter and that two individuals have been apprehended in connection with the event. According to local sources who talked with the media on Thursday, the situation started with a long-standing land dispute between the…

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) announced on Thursday that the country has registered 39 confirmed cases of mpox and zero deaths across 33 states and the Federal Capital Territory since the beginning of 2024. Dr. Jide Idris, Director General of the NCDC, said this during a news conference in Abuja. He also stated that as of August 11, 2024, the country had reported 5,951 suspected cases and 176 deaths throughout 36 states and the FCT. On Tuesday, the Africa Centre for Disease Control declared a public health emergency because of the continent’s expanding mpox outbreak. There…

John Enoh, the Minister of Sports Development, has announced plans to conduct a thorough investigation into Nigeria’s performance at the 2024 Paris Olympics. He said this during a live broadcast of Channels TV on Thursday. Enoh stated that he would soon receive a report on the situation, expressing regret that Team Nigeria had returned from the Olympics without a medal. He blamed the loss on a lack of desire, despite the fact that all Nigerian athletes who competed in the games were well compensated. He mentioned that over N8 billion was spent on the Paris Olympics, with some athletes receiving…

The Presidency on Thursday described as fruadulent the efforts by a Chinese company, Zhongshan Fucheng Industrial Investment Co. Limited, to take over some jets on Nigeria’s Presidential Air Fleet. According to a statement signed by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, “The Federal Government is not under any contractual obligation with the company. “The case in which Zhongshan is trying to use every unorthodox means to strip our offshore assets is between the company and the Ogun State Government.” In the statement from the presidency jtitled ‘Chinese company’s fraudulent attempt to strip Nigeria’s…

Aviation workers across Nigeria plan to organise a nationwide protest on August 21, 2024, in response to the Federal Government’s continuing withdrawal of 50% of key aviation agencies’ internally produced revenue. The unions made the news in a letter headed “Save Aviation From Collapse” and distributed to journalists on Thursday, August 14, 2024. The affected agencies are the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, Nigerian Airspace Management Agency, Nigerian Meteorological Agency, Nigerian College of Aviation Technology, and Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau. The letter stated, “All workers of the NCAA, FAAN, NAMA, NiMet, NCAT, and NSIB, joined by…

The Kano State Police Command has detained two suspects in connection with the theft of the Bachirawa Police Station sign in the state’s Ungogo Local Government Area.  SP Abdullahi Kiyawa, a spokeswoman for the state police command, announced this on Facebook on Wednesday, adding that the suspects were apprehended with the assistance of nearby neighbours. His message written in Hausa, translated to English, read, “The person who stole Bachirawa Police Station (sign post) and the person who collected it are working hand-in-hand. Residents of the neighbourhood have brought up a new sign post. “We are grateful to the people of…

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has cried out against the huge power bills paid by universities in the country, estimated at N275bn annually, following the recent increase in electricity tariffs. Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, the National President of ASUU, has advocated for per-unit billing after the university’s power cost increased by 300 percent, reaching N21.480 billion monthly. In April 2024, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) announced a 300 percent increase in the electricity tariff paid by Band A users, from N68/KWh to N225/KWh. Band A includes universities, which provide clients with at least 20 hours of electricity per…

The Executive Chairman of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria, (NAHCON) Jalal Arabi, and the commission’s secretary, Abdullahi Kontagora, are currently in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over the alleged mismanagement of the N90bn 2024 Hajj subsidy. In a document sighted by our correspondent on Wednesday, the anti-graft agency said, “A total of SR314,098 was recovered,” from the NAHCON chairman and other ranking officials. The EFCC stated that its investigation revealed that from the N90bn Hajj subsidy, Arabi fraudulently overpaid himself and others the necessary operational cost. The 2024 Hajj operations costs for the Chairman/CEO,…

The Finnish government has informed Nigeria that the judicial proceedings against Simon Ekpa, a controversial member of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra, will be completed shortly. Elina Valtonen, Finland’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, gave this promise at a news event in Abuja on Tuesday. Ekpa, who lives in Finland, leads the IPOB faction known as Autopilot, which has been advocating for the establishment of an independent state of Biafra, which would include Nigeria’s South East and parts of the South-South regions. He is also accused of playing a significant role in inciting violence in Nigeria, particularly through the implementation…