Ododo vows to prevent youth restiveness in Kogi

Kogi State governor, Ahmed Usman Ododo, has said that his administration will resist any attempt to derail the prevailing peace and security of lives and property in the state.

The Special Adviser on Media to the Governor, Ismaila Isah, disclosed this in a statement on Friday.

The governor, the statement said, made the declaration at an interactive session with youth and student leaders at the Government House in Lokoja.

According to the statement, Governor Ododo ordered the immediate payment of bursaries to all students of Kogi State origin in higher institutions across the country.

Tinubu appoints Emomotimi Agama as SEC DG

President Bola Tinubu has appointed Emomotimi Agama as the director general of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

 

Ajuri Ngelale, special adviser to the president on media and publicity, disclosed this in a statement on Friday.

 

Agama will take over from Lamido Yuguda.

 

According to Ngelale, Tinubu also appointed Lairiga Katuka as SEC’s board chairman.

We won’t give detractors opportunity to see our party in factions– PDP governors

 The governors forum of the People Democratic Party (PDP) says detractors of the party want to see it in factions.

 

Speaking at the 98th National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of the party on Thursday, in Abuja, Bala Mohammed, chairman of the forum, said the PDP will ensure it makes Nigerians proud and bring good governance in all ramifications.

 

He said detractors of the party will not be given the opportunity to destroy it.

 

“We recognise that all eyes are on the PDP, especially we the governors and we are poised to bringing fear-mechanism so that we will bring good governance which will oppose what is happening in the APC,” Mohammed said.

 

‘Bad, incompetent and fatal’ — how judge dismissed EFCC’s evidence against Adoke

 

Inyang Ekwo, a judge of the federal high court in Abuja, says the evidence brought by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) against Mohammed Bello Adoke, former attorney-general of the federation, was defective and cannot be relied upon by any “reasonable court”.

 

Ekwo, on Friday, upheld the “no case” submission by Adoke on charges of money laundering.

 

The EFCC had charged Adoke and Aliyu Abubakar, a property developer, in 2017 alleging money laundering to the tune of N300 million.

 

Although there is no mention of the OPL 245 transaction in this case, the same particulars were also charged by the EFCC before Abubakar Kutigi, judge of the FCT high court in 2020.

He needs your prayers – Sydney Talker gives update on singer, Khaid’s health

Music executive and content creator, Sydney Talke, has hinted at the deteriorating health of his signee, Khaid.

 

Recall that Khaid was recently hospitalised due to alleged internal bleeding.

 

Sydney called for prayers for the young talented rapper and singer on Friday.

 

According to him, Khaid needs prayers in his current condition.

 

ECOWAS earmarks $25m in 2024 to fight terrorism in Nigeria, others

The Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, has allocated 25 million dollars in 2024 to fight terrorism in Nigeria, Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso.

 

ECOWAS Commissioner, Human Development and Social Affairs, Prof. Fatou Sarr, made this disclosure during a news conference at the commission’s headquarters, on Friday in Abuja.

 

Sarr said that four million dollars of the amount was dedicated to humanitarian action to curb the devastating consequences of terrorism, and mitigate the fallout of natural disasters in the sub-region.

 

She explained that humanitarian actions were critical because of the multiple crises and displacements within the community, adding that such actions never stop even where the target country is under sanctions.

 

18 people killed as gunmen attack Plateau community

 

Renewed gunmen attacks in Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau state on Friday have claimed about 18 lives.

 

The gunmen attacked the Tilengpan community in Mangu Local Government area of the state, killing 12 people, with an additional six persons murdered in four Bokkos communities, along with a university student last night.

 

Confirming the incident, the Chairman of Mangu local government area, Monday Kassam, said the gunmen launched deadly attacks on four communities.

 

Kassam said the gunmen invaded the communities, including the off-campus hostel of the Students of Plateau State University, shooting sporadically into the air to announce their arrival.

 

Tinubu deliberately appointed Northerners in key positions — Ribadu

 

The National Security Adviser, Malam Nuhu Ribadu said President Bola Tinubu deliberately appointed northerners into key positions.

 

Ribadu stated this while delivering lecture on “Navigating The Maze: Addressing Multi-Dimensional Insecurity Challenges In Northern Nigeria” as part of the activities marking the 38,39,40 and 41st combined convocation of Usmanu Danfordiyo University, Sokoto.

 

He said the President picked northerners to take charge of strategic places because he wanted problems in the region squarely addressed.

 

The NSA lamented that the North was facing myriad of challenges, ranging from insecurity and out-of-school children, among others.

Why Ganduje can’t be removed from office like Oshiomhole – APC

 The National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress, Felix Morka, has said it would be wrong for anybody to liken the current travail of their National Chairman, Dr Abdullahi Ganduje, to the political intrigues that led to the removal of the Adams Oshiomhole-led National Working Committee from the party secretariat.

 

The statement was made by the National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress, Felix Morka while responding to questions surrounding Ganduje’s suspension on Arise TV on Thursday.

 

Oshiomhole, a former national chairman of the party, and members of the then NWC were elected into office for four years (2018 – 2022) at a national convention in Abuja.

 

But the leadership of the party was dissolved two years into their tenure, an action that a former acting chairman of the APC, Ntufam Eta, claimed was taken to derail the presidential ambition of Bola Tinubu (now president).

2024 UTME kicks off nationwide with minimal glitches

After several months of preparations, the Joint Admission and Matriculations Board (JAMB) kicked off the 2024 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examinations (UTME) on Friday, in over 700 centres across the country.

While there were some reported instances of internet glitches, the JAMB authorities have assured that no candidate will be marginalised on account of the minor challenges.

However, the Registrar of JAMB, Prof. Ishaq Oloyode, while fielding questions from newsmen after monitoring the examination in Kogo-Bwari, Abuja, criticised some corporate organisations and individuals who hastily award scholarships to supposed best-performing candidates or highest scorers, regretting that such practice was undermining the functions of the examination body.

Recall that controversies arose after the conduct of the 2023 examination, where Mmesoma claimed to be the top scorer which had earned her scholarship worth N3 million from Innocent Chukwuma, Chairman of Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing.

Premier League: Why Cole Palmer left Man City, Guardiola reveals

Manchester City boss, Pep Guardiola has taken responsibility for Cole Palmer’s departure from the club last summer.

Manchester City cashed in on the midfielder for £42.5 million.

The 21-year-old has gone on to score 20 Premier League goals for Chelsea in his first season at Stamford Bridge.

And now the former Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss has provided a major reason for Palmer’s departure.

Ahead of Chelsea’s clash with Manchester City, Pep Guardiola spoke about Palmer, who scored four goals against Everton on Monday.

Army releases Delta monarch declared wanted over Okuama killings

The army has released Clement Ikolo, a traditional ruler in Delta state, who was arrested over the murder of 17 officers in Okuama community.

 

Ikolo was released on Friday during a briefing by Onyema Nwachukwu, director, army public relations, at the Army Headquarters in Abuja.

 

The army personnel were killed on March 14 during a peacekeeping operation in the community.

 

The Defence Headquarters had declared Ikolo among eight persons wanted in connection to the murder.

 

Insecurity: Nigeria has become laughing stock across the world – T Y Danjuma

 A former Chief of Defense Staff, General Theophilus Y. Danjuma, rtd., says Nigeria’s security challenges has made the country a laughing stock across the world.

 

Making the observation on Friday at the annual Nwonyo Fishing and Cultural Festival in Ibi Local Government Area of Taraba State, Danjuma urged the Nigerian authorities to, as a matter of urgency, redeem the battered image of the country by addressing the security challenges bedevilling the nation.

 

Danjuma was of the view that no person, especially foreigners, would be willing to come to the country to invest or visit tourist sites when their security is not guaranteed.

 

“No person or group of persons will want to come to our state or country if we continue to kill and butcher ourselves,” he said.

 

Criminal Trial: Trump makes special demands from judge before entering court

Former President Trump has demanded that the judge in his hush money payments case remove a gag order that prevents him from speaking publicly about witnesses in the trial.

Trump said his constitutional rights were being stripped away by the judge and that he could not respond to “lies” told about him in the press during his trial.

“I am not allowed to speak,” Trump said in brief remarks before he entered the Manhattan courthouse on Friday.

“The gag order has to come off. People are allowed to speak about me, and I have a gag order just to show you how much more unfair it is. And the conflict has to end with the judge. The judge has a conflict. The worst I’ve ever seen,” Trump said.

Declaring Yahaya Bello wanted unnecessary – Atiku's ex-aide, Bwala slams EFCC

 A former spokesman to the defunct Atiku-Okowa Presidential Campaign Council, Daniel Bwala, has faulted the decision of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to declare ex-Kogi State governor, Yahaya Bello wanted.

 

Bwala said EFCC had all the instruments at its disposal to arrest Bello, hence declaring him wanted was not necessary.

 

He wondered why EFCC could not treat Bello the same way it did to former Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha.

 

EFCC had declared Bello wanted over an alleged case of money laundering to the tune of N80.2 billion.