LATEST NEWS: Israel releases 26 Palestinian prisoners

Israeli authorities have freed a group of 26 Palestinian prisoners as part of a US-brokered agreement to resume direct peace talks. The prisoners were greeted by cheering crowds on their return to the West Bank and Gaza. Israel approved the releases on Saturday, but they were delayed to allow victims' families to appeal. The prisoners committed murder or attempted murder before the 1993 Oslo accords and have served 19 to 28 years. They make up the third tranche of a total of

LATEST NEWS: Huge fire after US oil train derails in North Dakota

Wagons from a mile-long train carrying crude oil have burst into flames as they derailed after a collision in the US state of North Dakota. A plume of thick black smoke could be seen many miles away and explosions were heard. No injuries were reported, but officials are urging people from the nearby town of Casselton - some 2,300 people - to evacuate as a precaution. An investigation into the incident has been launched. A spokeswoman for the North Dakota Department of Emergency Services said the last 50 wagons of the train had been uncoupled, but another 56 remained at risk. The derailment, after a

LATEST NEWS: South Sudan rebels attack key town

An Anti-government rebels in South Sudan have attacked the key town of Bor. A UN spokesman said the fighting began at daybreak, not far from the town's UN compound. A South Sudanese army spokesman confirmed a "big fight" had happened. Tuesday is the deadline given by regional leaders for President Salva Kiir to hold talks with his former deputy, Riek Machar, who is accused of mounting a coup that sparked the violence. But analysts say there seems to be little chance of the

LATEST NEWS: Army kills 63 terrorists in Borno, Lake Chad area.

Nigeria Defence headquarters disclosed, yesterday, that the Special Force of the Nigerian Army killed 56 Boko Haram terrorists that have been making life unbearable for citizens living in the North-East of Nigeria, while seven other terrorists were killed in the Lake Chad islands. According to a statement by Major-General Chris Olukolade, Director of Defence Information, the operations were carried out at Alafa in Borno State and the Lake Chad islands, respectively. It said: “Nigerian security forces have launched ground and air operations on terrorists’ locations in the forest at Alafa, about 21 kilometers from Bama, Borno State. “Over 56 terrorists died in the ensuing intensive fight over the

LATEST NEWS: Fuel scarcity looms as oil workers insist on strike

Fuel scarcity looms as the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, and Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, PENSASSAN, yesterday insisted on going on strike tomorrow to protest the proposed sale of the nation’s four refineries by the Federal Government next year. Already, most petrol stations in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, remained shut to customers in anticipation of the strike. The two unions had on December 17, 2013, threatened to go on nationwide strike from this week if the Federal Government did not withdraw its plan to privatise the refineries. Newsmen observed that some filling stations were locked up, though they had

LATEST NEWS: China abolishes one-child policy

China Saturday formally adopted a reform of its one-child policy to allow couples to have two children if either parent is an only child, state media reported. The measure was passed by the country’s top legislature, the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress (NPC), the Xinhua news agency said.

LATEST NEWS: Banker in police net for stealing N50m from customer

Thirty one-year-old staffer of a new generation bank, Adeola Olokojobi, has been arrested by the Special Fraud Unit in Lagos, for allegedly stealing more than N50 million from a customer’s account. Olokojobi, who is also the account officer to the customer, was said to have transferred the said sum in various installments into a different account, where it will be withdrawn. The Police Public Relations Officer at the SFU, Ngozi Isintume, said customer who alerted the police, became suspicious of Olokojobi activities, when he was not forthcoming with his account balance. According to her; “the bank’s internal investigation into the account showed a forged instruction by the account officer in April 2013 transferring the sum of N15million to an unknown customer account. Also, the bank discovered other various fraudulent withdrawals made by the account officer from other customers’ accounts in his care through fake transfer instructions amounting to over N50million.” Isintume added that he confessed to fraudulent withdrawals amounting to N50,640,748.00 from the account of the customer by transferring funds into the accounts of customers with forged signature and subsequently withdrew same. “The funds were used to finance his political campaign, proposed pure water company and purchase of an uncompleted building at Sango-Ota, Ogun State”.

LATEST NEWS: UCH doctors give management 4-day ultimatum over unpaid allowances

HARD times await thousands of patients at the University College Hospital, UCH, Ibadan as medical and dental consultants in the teaching hospital are set for industrial dispute over their unpaid three months allowances. Already, they have given a four-day ultimatum to the management to settle the unpaid wages after the expiration of the earlier one on December 19, 2013. While calling for immediate and prompt action from the management of the hospital to avoid unnecessary suffering of the patients, the consultants under the auspices of the Medical and Dental Consultants’ Association who have not gone on strike on local issues for the past 56 years, said they had not participated in any previous strikes in the health sector because of the importance of their services. According to the medical association which spoke through its chairman, Prof. Juwon Tunde Arotiba said once they go on strike, there would be total paralysis of medical services which could be very dangerous for the patients. Prof. Arotiba who was flanked by the Acting Secretary, Dr. Victor Makanjuola further said, “the consultants are at the pinnacle of health care delivery in every part of the world including Nigeria. While some degrees of clinical services can be rendered when other groups in the hospital are on strike, a strike by the medical and dental consultants will lead to total paralysis of all forms of clinical duties as we are the primary people directly responsible for the overall care of the patients”. Reacting to the issue of non payment of the allowances, the Chief Medical Director, UCH, Prof. Temitope Alonge after appealing to the consultants that the error did not emanate from the management but from Abuja said, “the management feels very upset about the attitude put forward by the elite in the medical circle, MDCAN after having series of meetings to resolve the issues.’’

LATEST NEWS: Police recover rifles of slain officers in Abia

ABIA State Police Command has recovered the two AK 47 riffles belonging to two inspectors attached to the command who were killed two weeks ago by armed robbers. The slain inspectors, Jimmy John and Kingsley, were killed along Enugu-Port Harcourt expressway when they were attacked by armed robbers while escorting a Pool magnet moving money from Aba. The command also said it recovered one military riffle in the same bush where the two Police AK 47 rifles were recovered. According to the Abia State Police Commissioner, Mohammed Tilli Abubakar, the rifles were recovered in a bush at Umuawa Alaocha Ohuhu in Umuahia. However, no arrest has so far been made as he said that the hoodlums who hid the weapons in the bush fled. Abubakar also announced that his men arrested criminals who specialize in snatching car, especially Toyota Camry brand. “Following a tip-off that two men operating on a motorcycle suspected to be hoodlums were sighted in a bush at Umuawa Alaocha Ohuhu in Umuahia, Police operatives were dispatched to the area. “Three AK 47 rifles and one Military riffle concealed in a big bag and buried in the ground were recovered. “Examination of the riffles revealed that two of the AK 47 riffles were those taken from Inspectors Jimmy John and Kingsley Etuk shot dead on December 7, 2013, along Aba-Enugu express road by hoodlums. Efforts are still intensified to track down the fleeing hoodlums,” the CP said.

Latest news;Navy destroyed 1,556 illegal oil refineries, nabbed 1,646 suspects in 2013 —CNS

Chief of Naval Staff, CNS, Vice-Admiral Dele Ezeoba, yesterday said the Nigerian Navy destroyed 1,556 illegal oil refineries and arrested 1,646 suspects in 2013.
Ezeoba disclosed this at the launch of the Chief of Naval Staff Strategic Guidance, SG, 02 in Abuja, yesterday.
File photo: Illegal refineries being destroyed.
He said: ’’The Nigerian Navy destroyed 1,556 illegal oil refineries, 103 barges, 69,606 auxiliary equipment and 1,443 large wooden boats.’Between October 2012 and September 2013, more than 1,646 suspects were arrested and handed over to either the Nigeria Police Force,

Yuletide: Massive withdrawals hit Abuja banks

Less than 24 hours to the Christmas, most banks in the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, yesterday, witnessed massive withdrawal of monies by customers to celebrate the yuletide seasons, as last minute shopping put commercial banks in the FCT under intense pressure to meet cash obligations.
Customers besieged banking halls as early as 8a.m. Even Automated Tell Machines, ATMs, were not spared in the withdrawal, as customers queued to make transactions.
When news correspondents visited some branches of Zenith Bank, United Bank for Africa, Guaranty Trust Bank and First Bank, Ecobank and

Latest News: FG targets $2bn private investment in road sector

The Federal Government is aiming at generating a whopping $2billion from the private sector into the road sector between now and the next two years.
Works Minister, Mike Onolememen, an architect, said the present administration would generate the money in the light of the various road sector reforms it has embarked upon, who spoke at the commissioning of the Ministry’s Sky Walk Bridge in Abuja, said he had put in motion the mechanisms that would trigger the needed private sector involvement in roads construction.
“Minister of Works, Mike Onolememenher said the record of the Ministry’s PPP is also an unenviable one. For the first time, we are able to put in motion mechanisms that will ensure that the ministry within the next two years is able to raise about $2 billion approximately from private sector fund to

LATEST NEWS; Ogun Assembly passes N210.2bn 2014 budget

State House of Assembly, yesterday, passed the 2014 Appropriation Law with the sum of N210.2billion as the total budget of the state for next year.
This is a marginal increase of N81million from the proposed budget of N210.21billion contained in the 2014 appropriation presented to the House by Governor Ibikunle Amosun on November 19.
Passing the budget, the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Suraj Ishola Adekunbi, who directed that a clean copy of the bill be sent to Amosun for his assent, said the passage of the budget was a Christmas gift for the people of the state and pledged more rewarding service in advancing the development of the state.

LATEST NEWS: The Nigerian Army accepts responsibility for Apo Killings

Three months after gunmen besieged an uncompleted building at Apo district of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, and killed eight squatters on allegation that they were members of the Boko Haram sect, the Nigerian Army, yesterday, claimed responsibility.
Testifying before an investigative panel set up by the Governing Council of the National Human Rights Commission, NHRC, yesterday, the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Azubuike Ihejirika, said the soldiers acted in self-defence after they were shot at.
Ihejrika, who was represented at the hearing by the

LATEST NEWS: Unilorin Lecturers to teach from homes by 2014 – Registrar

The Registrar of the University of Ilorin, Mr Emmanuel Obafemi, has said that the institution would, from January 2014, be fully digitalised.
Speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Ilorin, Obafemi said that the development would make it possible for lecturers to be able to send assignments to their students via the Internet.
“As from Jan. 2014, University of Ilorin lecturers would be able to send assignments to their students through the Internet from the comfort of their homes,’’ adding that students would also be able to respond respond via the same channel.
He said that the school had ordered for 25,000 pieces of

Super Falcons coach submits 30-man list for the qualifying match against sierra leone

Super Falcons chief coach, Edwin Okon has submitted a 30 man list to the Nigeria Football Federation preparatory to the resumption of camp for the African Women Championship (AWC) qualifying match against Sierra Leone. Nigeria will host their West African opponents on February 14 at the National Stadium in Abuja and will head to Freetown, Sierra Leone a fortnight later for the reverse fixture. The winners of the encounter will be a game away from qualifying for the 2014 continental football fiesta holding in Namibia which doubles as qualifiers for the 2015 Fifa Women’s World Cup in Canada. The top three finishers at the Namibia 2014 AWC will automatically qualify to represent Africa in Canada. Okon, who initially opted to bring in 45 players to camp in preparation for the crucial AWC tie, said he had to key into the programme of the football house by scaling down the number of invited players. Aggregate winners of the two-legged tie are most likely to confront the winners of the tie between Rwanda and Kenya in May and June for a final spot in the 2014 Namibia AWC football event.

Enyeama wins French award for being the best player for the month of November.

Nigeria and Lille goalkeeper, Vincent Enyeama has again been honoured in France as he was adjudged as the best player in Ligue 1 for the month of November. The Super Eagles goalkeeper beat Zlatan Ibrahimovic to the award after racking up 59 percent of the votes cast, compared to the Swede’s 32 percent and Florian Thauvin of Olympique Marseille’s distant 9 percent. Vincent Enyeama has enjoyed an impressive run of form this season that has seen him concede in only four of his club’s 18 league games this season. The former Enyimba and Akwa Starlets man was between the posts for Lille when they faced Paris-Saint Germain at the Parc des Princes on Sunday

15,000 Muslim brotherhood in 90 km trek to Zaria

Katsina State – Dozens of members of Muslim Brotherhood Movement from Zamfara, Kebbi, Sokoto and parts of Katsina State on Saturday began a 90-kilometre trek to Zaria, Kaduna State. Malam Qassim Sanda, the leader of the group, told newsmen at take-off point in Funtua, Katsina State that the exercise was to commemorate the martyrdom of the grand child of Prophet Muhammad. The grandchild, Imam Hussaini ibn Asayyid-Ali, was killed in Karbala in the present day Iraq. Sanda explained that the exercise was a symbolic representation of unity of Muslim faithful to further draw the attention to Islamic history. According to him, no fewer than 15,000 people are participating in the exercise. He said members from the neighbouring communities in Niger Republic were also participating. Sanda said adequate arrangements had been made for feeding, health care and relaxation. He said similar trekking commenced in the last two days from other parts of the country. The leader said their destination was Zaria where lectures and other activities, to be led by their General Leader, Sheikh Ibrahim El-Zakzaky, would be conducted. Another group from Katsina metropolis and neighbouring Niger Republic communities also commenced the journey on Saturday from Malumfashi town, in the same Katsina State.

Emenike named among top 100 world footballers

This post was published on the British newspaper Guardian electronic edition. A list of the top 100 footballers in the world for the year ended 2013. Ranked in the 97th position is Super Eagles and Fenerbahce striker Emmanuel Emenike, who scored four goals for Nigeria at the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations. “Emenike staked an early claim as one of Africa’s most influential players when his exploits propelled Nigeria towards a long overdue success in the Cup of Nations. IMPERIAL … Emenike is congratulated by team mates after scoring. “Emenike was prolific, consistent and finished as the competition’s top scorer. “It is the determination and pace of his runs that make the difference to Nigeria’s counter-attacking strength – Emenike’s team-mates figure that if the pass is half decent, he should find it. “Brazil 2014 could be a useful shop window for the Fenerbahce striker,”said the editors of Guardian. This season, Emmanuel Emenike has netted 6 goals in 14 Super Lig matches for his Fernerbahce side

Cristiano Ronaldo Launches his Own Social Network: Viva Ronaldo

               Not long after the Sweden’s world class football striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic changed his relationship with media when he launched his own app, “ Zlatan Unplugged“. Instead of just talking directly to journalists, a lot of quotes in articles today are from statements in his app. And now another football icon, Cristiano Ronaldo, ups the ante by launching

EXCLUSIVE: Paul Walker's lookalike brother is asked to step in for the tragic star to film final scenes on Fast & Furious 7

Paul Walker's younger, lookalike brother has been asked to step in for him to film the final scenes for Fast & The Furious 7, it emerged yesterday. The 40-year-old star was on a break from filming at the time of his death in a shocking car crash two weeks ago. Cremation: The remains of Paul Walker, pictured, were cremated Thursday ahead of a small ceremony on Saturday today And in a poignant tribute to the star, MailOnline can reveal Cody Walker, 25, who has worked as a movie stuntman, is set to take his place in the latest installment of the hit franchise. Following Paul's

Sokoto earmarks N1bn for construction of World Muslim League office

The Sokoto State Government says it has earmarked N1billon for the construction of African Zonal office of World Muslim League and the Hisbah office in Sokoto in 2014. Alhaji Bello Abubakar, the Permanent Secretary, state Ministry of Religious Affairs, made this known on Friday when officials of the ministry appeared before the state House of Assembly Committee on Religious Affairs. The officials were in the House to defend the ministry’s budget for 2014. He told the House that the ministry had implemented over 90 per cent of the 2013 budget, adding that the state “will give more emphasis on these...