Author: Vincent Osuwo

Sarkin Gobie, the traditional ruler of Gatawa District, Sabom Birni Local Government Area, one of the troubled districts in the Eastern Senatorial Zone of Sokoto State, was kidnapped on Sunday by suspected gunmen.  When contacted on Monday, Assistant Superintendent of Police Ahmed Rufai, spokesman for the Sokoto State Police Command, acknowledged the traditional ruler’s kidnapping but did not provide any specifics about how it occurred. Rufai stated that the command had not yet been provided with information of the kidnapping but that the traditional ruler was abducted together with others. “Yes, a traditional ruler in the state was reportedly kidnapped…

No fewer than four police officers at a stop-and-search checkpoint were killed by gunmen on Monday evening along the Owerri-Onitsha road in Imo State. According to an eyewitness who claimed to be a resident of Irete in the Owerri West Local Government Area of the state, he said that fear couldn’t allow him and others to ascertain how many civilians were also shot. He said, “The gunmen stormed one of the popular hotels where the police checkpoint was mounted at Irete around 6:30 pm and shot at the four policemen on stop-and-search duty, including a Point of Sale operator. “They…

SP Benjamin Hundeyin, the Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, has denounced the damage of the MTN office in the FESTAC region of the state on Monday.  A group of disgruntled MTN subscribers, outraged by the recent barring of phone numbers owing to noncompliance with the NIN-SIM linking requirement, came to the streets and vandalised the office fence. In response to a viral video of the vandalism, Hundeyin said, “This should not be the way to go!” “Meanwhile, the DPO Festac and his men responded immediately; they got the report. They succeeded in restoring normalcy and are still on ground…

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has directed telecoms companies to immediately restore any blocked phone lines caused by the non-linkage of national identification numbers (NIN) to SIM cards.  Reuben Muoka, Director of Media and Public Affairs, issued a statement on Monday announcing this decision. The telecom sector regulator noted that this decision was issued in reaction to the widespread inconvenience caused by the bottlenecks, with a focus on consumer convenience. Over the weekend, several telecom subscribers were unable to access their phone lines because they failed to verify their NINs with their SIM cards, causing their numbers to be blocked…

With protests set for August 1, 2024, Nigerians, mainly youths, have lamented the hardship in the country since President Bola Tinubu was sworn in on May 20, 2023. Aggrieved over the hyperinflation, insecurity, and alleged wrong economic policies implemented by the Tinubu administration, youths have vowed to protest nationwide, demanding change. Despite several quarters urging the youths and intending protesters to shelve their grievances and give the Tinubu-led federal government more time, the youths have remained undaunted in their resolve to protest. Protest organisers dare Wike, say ‘Eagles Square is public property’ Clamouring with the hashtag #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria, the youths are…

President Bola Tinubu signed the new Minimum Wage Bill into law on Monday. Tinubu assented the new law at 2 pm at the Council Chamber of the Presidential Villa, Abuja. The signing was witnessed by the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, and Deputy Senate President, Barau Jibrin, among others. The National Minimum Wage Amendment Act, which introduces a new N70,000 national minimum wage, has been passed into law by the Senate. The Senate on Tuesday speedily passed the National Minimum Wage Act 2019 (Amendment Bill). This followed the presentation and adoption of a report on the bill by the…

The organisers of the upcoming hunger protest in Abuja have informed the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, that there is nothing that will prevent them from accessing Eagle Square.  Remember that the Take It Back Movement had written to the minister asking for the use of Eagle Square for its August 1 protest, as well as the provision of security and utilities for the length of the protest. On Friday, the group’s Director of Mobilisation, Damilare Adenola, signed a petition stating that the minister must “ensure the provision of a 24-hour power supply, toilet facilities, water, and…

MTN offices nationwide have been swarmed by angry customers whose SIMs were blocked despite having completed NIN registration and linkage. In the early hours of Monday, Nigerians flooded MTN offices across the country to demand the unblocking of their mobile lines. Several videos and pictures making the rounds on social media showed aggrieved customers queuing at the offices of the telecommunications giant. MTN offices at Festac, Ikeja, Lagos State, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, Osogbo, Osun State, Warri, Delta State, among others, have been “besieged” by aggrieved customers. This follows after telecommunications companies in Nigeria started the last phase of disconnecting…

Former South African President Jacob Zuma has been removed from the African National Congress (ANC), the party he formerly led, for advocating for a rival party in the general election on May 29, according to local media.  The ANC’s disciplinary committee found him guilty of “prejudicing the integrity” of the party by joining uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK) and has given him three weeks to appeal, according to a leaked ANC document. The ANC has not officially verified his expulsion, and MK claims Mr. Zuma was not aware of the decision made by a “kangaroo court.”. Zuma, 82, was an ANC…

Prof. Tahir Mamman, Minister of Education, encouraged Nigerian university students on Monday to remain on campus during the scheduled nationwide protests to avoid risking their lives.  The minister announced this in a letter to university vice chancellors, which was sent by the interim executive secretary of the National Universities Commission, Chris Maiyaki. Certain activists have arranged a countrywide protest scheduled for August 1-10, 2024. The planned demonstration has gained support on social media with hashtags including ‘#EndBadGovernance,’ ‘#TinubuMustGo,’ and ‘#Revolution2024.’ The presidency and police authorities have urged youths to abandon the plot. “The Honourable Minister of Education has directed that…