Author: Ishaku Yohanna

Court sentences Ondo cleric to life imprisonment over missing child

Ishaku Yohanna

Justice Olusegun Odusola of the Ondo State High Court, Akure, on Tuesday, sentenced a cleric, Prophet Babatunde Alfa to life imprisonment over the disappearance of a one-year-old boy, Gold Kolawole, from his church. The prophet was convicted alongside five other workers of his church, the Sotitobire Praising Chapel. The quintet were – Omodara Olayinka, Margaret Oyebola, Grace Ogunjobi, Egunjobi Motunrayo and Esther Kayode. The convicts were arraigned on a two-count charge of conspiracy and aiding and abetting kidnapping. Justice Odusola said the defendants were convicted based on the circumstantial evidence…

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Nigeria is wrongly structured – Northern Elders Forum

Ishaku Yohanna

The Northern Elders Forum (NEF) has said that Nigeria must be restructured to battle the fundamental issues in the country. Speaking on Tuesday morning while featuring on Channels Television programme, Sunrise Daily, NEF spokesperson, Dr Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, insisted that the country must be restructured to address fundamental issues that ought to have been addressed since Nigeria gained independence. He noted, “The two basic functions of the state are to secure citizens and provide for their welfare. Now, the Nigerian state is failing in both camps. So, restructuring for us means addressing…

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Ondo Poll: Akeredolu, Jegede, Ajayi, others sign peace pact

Ishaku Yohanna

The candidates made the pledge at the signing of a peace accord organised by the National Peace Committee (NPC) in collaboration with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). The event took place at the International Cultural and Event Centre, the Dome in Akure, the state capital. Addressing the contestants, the chairman of NPC and former Head of State, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar (rtd), who spoke via Zoom, advised all stakeholders to demonstrate commitment to the spirit of the accord. The former head of state, who urged the candidates to use the…

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Zazzau Emirate faces imminent split, as El-Rufai sets to rejig traditional institution

Ishaku Yohanna

The Zazzau Emirate in Kaduna state may be divided into 3 for easy administration, sources say. The Governor on Tuesday during the presentation of the 2021 budget before the state House of Assembly said that his administration was working on the chieftaincy and traditional council bill which will be forwarded to the House. “We shall be approaching the House with more bills to further strengthen governance in the state.” He said the chieftaincy and Traditional Council “will entrench the reform of the chieftaincy system, specify composition and classification of emirates…

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2021 Budget: Buhari writes N’Assembly, to present Appropriation Bill Thursday

Ishaku Yohanna

President Muhammadu Buhari will on Thursday present the 2021 Appropriation Bill to a joint session of the National Assembly. President of the Senate, Dr Ahmad Lawan, made this known at the resumption of Senate plenary on Tuesday when he read a letter to that effect from the president. The letter read in part: “May I crave the kind indulgence of the Distinguished Senate to grant me the slot of 11:00hrs on Thursday, 8th October, 2020, to formally present the 2021 Appropriation bill to the Joint Session of the National Assembly.…

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Bandits kill customs officer, nine others in Katsina

Ishaku Yohanna

An officer of the Nigeria Customs Service and at least 9 other persons have been killed as suspected bandits launched fresh attacks on Tsauwa village in Batsari and Dan Arau villages of Jibiya Area Councils of Katsina State. The late Customs officer was killed by the bandits at one of the checkpoints at Dan Arau village along Katsina/Jibiya highway who made away with his AK 47 rifle. Confirming the 2 incidents, the Police Spokesman, Gambo Isah said, the attack that led to the death of the Customs Officer happened on…

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Internet users in Nigeria hit 149.8 million in August – NCC

Ishaku Yohanna

Active internet subscribers of mobile services, fixed wire and Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) increased by 1.8 per cent to 149.8 million in August 2020 from 147.1 million in the previous month, the latest monthly industry statistics from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) shows. According to the industry statistics report, the mobile active internet subscribers increased to 149.3 million in August from 146.7 million in July. Internet subscription through fixed wire and VoIP also increased to 433,267 within the same month under review. The report indicated that mobile subscribers for…

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COVID-19: More people returning to agriculture than other businesses – NBS

Ishaku Yohanna

The agriculture sector showed the highest increase in people returning to work in July and August, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has said. The NBS disclosed this in its fourth COVID-19 impact monitoring report. Details of the impact monitoring report said the increase is mostly due to the harvesting season. “Despite the fact that many non-farm family businesses have reopened since the start of the crisis, some of these businesses closed again between July and August,” it said. The NBS said as of August, about 35 per cent of…

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ISWAP frees five abducted Borno officials

Ishaku Yohanna

The Islamic State West African Province (ISWAP) faction of Boko Haram has freed five officials of a Borno State government ministry who were abducted while travelling between Maiduguri and Monguno last month.  The officials who work with the state ministry for reconstruction, rehabilitation and resettlement (RRR) had appeared in a video days ago, pleading with the state government to come to their aid.  Premium Times reported that the Borno officials regained their freedom after Ms. Ummul-Kalthum Abdurrahman, the chief executive officer of Kalthum Foundation for Peace (KFP) intervened.  A source also told the publication…

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Troops kill bandits along Abuja-Kaduna road – DHQ

Ishaku Yohanna

Troops of Operation Thunder Strike have killed two bandits along Abuja-Kaduna Expressway and have recovered weapons from them. This was disclosed on Monday via a statement issued by the Coordinator of Defence Media Operations, Major General John Enenche. According to him, the troops recorded tremendous successes against armed bandits on October 4, adding that the operation is in continuation of aggressive clearance operation to stamp out banditry and other sundry crimes in the country.  “Troops deployed at Rijana acting on credible intelligence on the movement of some suspected bandits towards…

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