Fresh News

Rafael Benitez is confident he can drag Newcastle back from the brink of relegation and turn them into a top Premier league side, believing his new side are a "sleeping giant". The 55-year-old Spaniard took over at St James Park following the sacking of Steve McClaren last week. On Sunday, the Magpies entertain Sunderland who are also currently inside the relegation zone. And the former Liverpool, Chelsea and Real Madrid manager is convinced his latest club are capable of climbing the table. Newcastle v Sunderland Georginio Wijnaldum to Score and Newcastle to Win in 90 Mins 5/1 Man City v Man Utd "I decided to come because I knew how big this clubs was: The fans, the stadium, everything. You can see that it's a sleeping giant," Benitez said. "Then you think maybe with your experience and talking with everyone at the club, I can see that if we stay up, we can achieve things because the potential is here." As for Sunday...

The Resident Electoral Commissioner in Rivers state, Aniedi Ikoiwak has confirmed the cancellation of election in four local government areas. While addressing newsmen at the INEC Secretariat, Ikoiwak said youths who were allegedly sponsored by some politicians refused to allow INEC officials move elections materials from the RAC centres. He pointed out that there is also the problem of violence in the affected LGAs. The REC, who debunked reports that fake election materials are in circulation as alleged by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, said the commission is certain about the authenticity of materials deployed for the elections. His words, “Actually we deployed our electoral materials since Thursday and today we have had the experience that most of our materials were not allowed to move from the RAC centres and even when we tried to deploy to the RACs, we were accosted. “In the overall, we are hearing reports that elections held. We had a situation where elect...

The General Officer Commanding (GOC) 1 Division, Nigeria Army, Major Gen. Adeniyi Oyebade, on Friday said no fewer than 35 armed bandits have been killed in the last two months in the North West. Oyebade, who disclosed this at a news briefing in Kaduna, said 38 of the bandits had been arrested by soldiers and handed over to the police for prosecution. According to him, 6, 009 animals were recovered during the operation code named `Sharan Daji’, while 49 bandits’ camps were destroyed. The GOC explained that the operation was targeted at cattle rustlers,and armed bandits terrorising communities in Sokoto, Kano, Kaduna,,Kebbi, Zamfara, Katsina and Kaduna, as well as Niger States. “In Niger, the 31 Artillery Brigade which covers the axis are deployed as a blocking force to intercept escaping cattle rustlers and bandits while also conducting fighting patrol around Pandogahri-Kusherki, Gidigori and Pandogari-Mai Kujeri roads which serves as escape routes for the bandits. ...

Barely 24 hours after their arraignment before an Ebute Meta Chief Magistrates’ Court sitting in Lagos state and subsequent remand, three of the six suspects who who allegedly took part in the kidnap of the girls of Babington Macaulay Junior Seminary School, BMJS, in Ikorodu area of the state have revealed how they planned and carried out the operation. It would be recalled that the three SS2 students: Timilehin Olosa, Tofunmi Popoolaniyan and Deborah Akinayo, ages 14-15, were abducted on March 1, 2015 by a 10-man gang of hoodlums who were said to have entered the school compound through a hole in the school’s fence. Also, the accused persons, Geofrey Owei, 28, Segun James, 29, Gift Pius, 30, Fred Omoni, 32, Seun Akanji, 33 and Emmanuel Arigidi, 37, were yesterday, charged with five-count bordering on conspiracy, kidnap, being armed with offensive weapons and robbery, offences which contravened Sections 269(1), 295 (2) and 409 and of the Criminal Law of Lagos State,...

Following the five-year jail term slammed on her by Justice Deborah Oluwayemi of a Lagos High Court for reckless driving that cost a life, Ibinabo Fiberesima of the Actors Guild of Nigeria says she has learnt not to trust anyone and revealed how she had pleaded with the deceased’s family since the incident. The embattled Nollywood actress was sentenced for the death of one Dr Giwa Suraj who she killed in an auto accident along Lekki-Epe Expressway, Lagos. Ibinabo recently told Vanguard that she has come to accept her fate, disclosing that, “I am always praying for the family of the accident victim, Dr. Giwa Suraj. “I almost committed suicide the first time I was jailed. Since the incident happened, I have learnt how not to trust anybody any more. I put my trust now in the Lord and this is better explained in the new song I recorded. The music captures my story. Check the Daily Post newspaper for the full story.

Unconfirmed reports have it that the police on Saturday arrested the Secretary to the Rivers state Government, Kenneth Kobani, during the state and national assembly rerun elections in the state. It was gathered that Kenneth Kobani was arrested along with six other youths allegedly wearing fake military and Police uniforms. Kobani was said to have been apprehended with the youths at Gokana Local government area, the stronghold and home-town of Senator Magnus Abe who is also contesting the re-run election. Check the Daily Post newspaper for the full story.

The Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike has declared that the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, was not prepared for the re-run elections in the state, noting that the challenges that greeted the elections would have been avoided if the commission had prepared for the re-run elections. He regretted that some areas in the state do not have result sheets, which could lead to violence as the people suspect foul play. Speaking after he voted at Ward 9 Unit 7 in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area on Saturday, the Governor said that information available to him indicate that INEC failed to take necessary measures to ensure credible polls. Check the Daily Post newspaper for the full story.

The Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai, says the Army will adjust deployment of troops as part of measures to end the killings in Agatu communities in Benue. Buratai, who said this during his visit to a military tactical operational base, near Otukpo in Benue, expressed confidence that the mayhem would be contained. According to him, all logistics and other requirements have been provided for the operation. “The crisis here is unfortunate, the farmers and herdsmen fighting must not be condoned. I have heard from the commander about the existence of criminal elements who engage in cattle rustling. “We have observed the deployment of troops on ground, we are adjusting our troops deployment to take care of the flashpoints and likely areas where the criminals are hiding,’’ he said. Buratai said measures had been adopted to ensure that the clashes did not repeat and the people return to their settlements. Check the Daily Post newspaper for the full stor...

The Nigeria Copyright Commission, NCC, on Saturday impounded illegal broadcast and transmission devices valued at about N3.5 million in Enugu during a raid by the Anti-Transmission Piracy of the commission. The Director of Enforcement of the NCC, Mr Augustine Amodu, who made this known to newsmen, disclosed that the seizure was made at Obiagu Road, Achara Layout and Ogui area of the city. Amodu said, “There has been complaints by Multichoice Company of illegal transmission of its signals to homes by some persons in which three power houses belonging to the illegal operators were destroyed. “The perpetrators bought decoders from Multichoice and transmitted it to neighbours through house-to-house wiring and collected a fee ranging from N2, 000 to N3, 000 monthly, making Mutichoice that owns the business to run at a loss. “NCC came down to Enugu to help curb this ugly menace of illegality which is very unfortunate. “The Commission disconnected illegal connection of Mul...

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has described as untrue allegations that its officers distributed fake election materials in some polling units in Saturday’s parliamentary re-run elections in Rivers. The commission’s Director of Voter Education and Publicity, Mr Oluwole Osaze-Uzzi, made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday in Abuja. He was reacting to reports from Kana Local Government Area of the state that some youths alleged that INEC officials were distributing fake materials, and prevented them from conducting the poll. The same issue was said to have been by some political parties’ agents at Unit 17 of Ward 16 in Obio/Akpor, who disrupted voting. Osaze-Uzzi said that the materials sent to polling units were customised with serial numbers and barcode, adding that there was no way it could be changed. “The election materials handled by our accredited electoral officials are not fake; the party agents followed them...

The police in Zamfara on Saturday confirmed that nine persons were killed at Fanteka Village in Daraga District of Maru Local Government Area when unknown gunmen attacked the community. Confirming the attack to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Gusau, Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Sanusi Amiru, said the incident was a reprisal attack by the gunmen on Thursday. According to the police spokesman, six of those killed were members of the community, while the other three were members of the gang gunned down by the villagers. He said that a team of armed policemen have been able to restore peace to the affected area, while a combined team of security men were on the trail of the gunmen. He, however, warned that the law prohibiting illegal possession of firearms was still in place and advised people against taking laws into their hands. Check the Daily Post newspaper for the full story.

Ekiti State Governor, Mr Ayodele Fayose has raised the alarm over the fate of democracy in Nigeria, saying, “the open display of contempt for free, fair and transparent election by the All Progressives Congress (APC) government of President Mohammadu Buhari as being witnessed in Rivers State presently was capable of setting Nigeria on the path of anarchy.” The governor, who described as worrisome reports of discovery of fake Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Result Sheets in some of the Local Government Areas, security agencies supported siege harassment, intimidation and even killings of Peoples Democratic Party members, said; “Rivers State is 100 percent PDP, and any attempt to subvert the will of the people will be counter-productive.” In a statement on Saturday, by his Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka, the governor, said; “Obviously, INEC under President Buhari has destroyed that legacy of free, fair and transparent electi...

Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal urged his players to put the disappointment of Europa League elimination by Liverpool behind them by defeating Manchester City in this weekend’s derby. United were knocked out of the Europa League in the last 16 after a 1-1 draw at home to their arch-rivals on Thursday condemned them to a 3-1 aggregate defeat. Their exit cut off one potential avenue to Champions League football next season and with United four points behind City, who occupy the fourth and final qualifying berth in the Premier League, Van Gaal knows that defeat at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday could be fatal. “We have to beat Manchester City because that is the other chance to qualify ourselves for the Champions League,” he told his post-match press conference at Old Trafford. With the FA Cup now the only competition United can win, Van Gaal was asked if failure to overcome Liverpool had increased the pressure on both him and his team. “The pressure was also today,” the embattle...

As tributes pour in for late minister at valedictory court session LOKOJA—Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State yesterday said the state government would immortalise the late Minister of State for Labour and Employment, James Ocholi (SAN). The state of Ocholi's car after the accident along Kaduna-Abuja road on Sunday. Inset: Ocholi The state of Ocholi’s car after the accident along Kaduna-Abuja road on Sunday. Inset: Ocholi The governor, who made the declaration at the State High Court premises during the Valedictory court session organised in honour of the late minister, also promised to take adequate care of the four remaining children of the late minister. Apart from Bello, the class of 1986 of the Nigerian Law School also pledged to assist the remaining members of the family of the former minister. The governor said the death of the Ocholis was shocking and had left the entire people of the state in mourning. He said: “The outpouring of grief across the length and breadth ...

THE appeal filed by embattled actress Ibinabo Fiberesima challenging the judgement of a Lagos State High Court, that sentenced her to five years imprisonment over the death of one Dr. Giwa Suraj, was yesterday dismissed by the Court of Appeal in Lagos, sitting at Igbosere. Fiberesima was sentenced to five years imprisonment by Justice Deborah Oluwayemi over reckless driving that caused the death of one Dr. Giwa Suraj who was a staff of one of Lagos State’s hospitals, in an auto accident along the Lekki-Epe Expressway, Lagos. Dissatisfied, the actress filed an amended appeal through her lawyer, Nnaemeka Amaechina urging the court to set aside the five year sentence and restore the decision of the Magistrate Court. Ibinabo Ibinabo Delivering judgement yesterday, the appellate court dismissed the appeal and affirmed the decision of the Lagos High Court. In a unanimous decision delivered by Justice Jamilu Yammama Tukur the court held that the trial Magistrate Court lacked the discretion t...

Experts blame societal ills on faulty parenting The impropriety of the love story or rather infatuation between Yunusa Dahiru, 25-year-old Muslim tricycle operator from Kano, and Ese Oruru, 14-year-old Christian student in Bayelsa has brought to the fore the role of parents in building society. Why would a youngster elope with (or abduct) a minor lover from Bayelsa to faraway Kano to be married? Why would the minor agree to elope (or be abducted)? What role did the parents of these lovebirds play in their behaviour? The young girl is a minor and could have been lured especially going by the unfolding circumstances which are questioning proper parenting on both sides. Could Yunusa have abducted a 14-year-old girl if he went through proper parenting? And why did Ese’s mother ask of Yunusa immediately her daughter went missing? Did she know of any illicit move and still failed to talk sense into her daughter and rebuke Yunusa? Sociologists have since proved that the human society is...

….says charge was in bad-faith, against public interest   …..as FG seeks dismissal of motion The Federal Government, on Friday, opposed a fresh application by Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, challenging the powers of the Attorney General of the Federation to prosecute him over the allegation that he falsely declared his assets. Saraki, in the application he filed ‎through his consortium of lawyers led by a former AGF, Chief Kanu Agabi, SAN, asked the Justice Danladi Umar-led Code of Conduct Tribunal, CCT, panel, to hands-off the 13-count charge the federal government entered against him. He argued that the charge against him was brought in bad-faith and not in public interest. Saraki ‎maintained that the AGF did not fulfil all the condition precedents capable of conferring jurisdiction on the tribunal to try him. He therefore applied for the charge to be quashed, as well as an order discharging him. Bukola Saraki in Court: Senate President Bukola Saraki at Code of Con...

CALL it phenomenal and you may not be faulted as it comes as a story of travails, vision and triumphs. Powered by the desire of a young lady, Mrs. Oluwamayo Ojumah to translate 16-year old personal misfortunes into success stories, the narrative is hardly possible in the Nigerian society where the virtue of perseverance has lost its practical meaning. Ojumah’s experience is such that motivational speakers and writers would find handy in buttressing their ‘’better yourselves” topics. Imagine spending 16 years in pursuit of a university degree at four different universities within and outside Nigeria, only to be gravely challenged at defining moments. Critical were these trying stages that the average Nigerian youth would have given up but the Oyo State born Ojumah audaciously turned every particular obstacle into an opportunity in her attempts at becoming a medical doctor. Even though her relentlessness in the face of setbacks begot more hurdles, she remained steadfast for nearly two ...

*Says Nigeria grossly under-policed   *Asks police commands to increase community policing   With the debate over the need for state police still raging, Inspector General of Police, Mr. Solomon Arase has lamented the inadequate number of police to provide adequate security for the country, and urged the various state Police Commands to embark on and strengthen community policing in their respective states to curb criminality in the country. This call is coming in the wake of increase in incidents of insecurity in the country, and brings to the fore the frequent debate over the level of adequacy and competence of the Nigeria Police to stand up to their statutory responsibilities and confront these challenges. The never-ending evil activities the country is presently embroiled under Boko Haram, the increasing rate of kidnapping and armed robbery, alarming social vices among other criminal activities all appear to overwhelm the nation’s security agencies, including the N...