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Popular Islamic cleric, Sheik Abubakar Gumi, has said there are about 100,000 armed bandits in the North-West alone. Gumi said the bandits kidnapping school pupils were disappointed that he negotiated with them without the involvement of the Federal Government. The cleric insisted that until the government engaged with the herdsmen, no school could be safe. He stated these during an interview with The PUNCH on efforts to rescue the kidnapped pupils of Tegina Islamic School, Niger State. The bandits had demanded N200m from the victims’ parents, which was later reduced to N150m. Gumi said despite efforts to get the pupils…

UAE Makes U-Turn, Reinstates Ban On Nigerian Flights Barely 48 hours after announcing resumption of flights to Nigeria, Emirates, the UAE flag carrier, has again announced indefinite suspension of flights to Nigeria. The UAE authorities had initially fixed Wednesday, June 23, 2021, for resumption of flights to Nigeria. But in a statement on its website on Monday, the airline said, “In line with government directives, passenger flights to and from Nigeria (Lagos and Abuja) are suspended with effect from 21 June 2021 until further notice.” Daily Trust reports that the airline had on Saturday announced resumption of flights, which were…

HAPPY FATHERS’ DAY TO ALL REAL MEN. The CEO/Editor of OHAFIA-TV News, Comr Amos Kalu, has admonished all men to live upto their responsibilities as fathers because running away from those responsibilities, no matter how small they seem will not bring the needed solutions. He wrote: “In my journey as a father, I have learnt that being a father is not about how many kids you produced, neither is being a father about how much money you have made to substitute your role in the family. That you made enough money before marrying does not make you a better father…

The Igbo National Movement, INM, has in strong terms, rebuked the Governors of the South East region for their communique over the weekend condemning the activities of Igbo youths. Reading the communique after their stakeholders Forum meeting, the Chairman of the South East Governors Forum, Engr. Dave Umahi said they’re not in support of the youths in their clamour for secession. But in a press statement jointly signed by Anthony Olisa Okolo Esq, the President-Worldwide; Nze Ugo-Akpe Onwuka, Vice President; Onyemuche Mbachu, Secretary; Chief Peter Agba Kalu, the National Coordinator (Nigeria); Okoro Chinedum Benedict, Assistant Coordinator; and Barr. Eze Eluchie,…

A legal luminary and Abia born philanthropist, Mr. Etigwe Uwa, SAN has today empowered 25 persons with MTN Lumos mobile electricity solar system as he received an Award as the "Ambassador of Christ" from the Men's Christian Association (MCA), of the Presbyterian Church of Nigeria, Ehere Model Parish Aba, Abia State, in recognition of his selfless service to God and humanity. The award was presented to the legal luminary by the Minister in-Charge of Ehere Model Parish, Very Rev. Israel Iduma Chukwu during the grand finale of 2021 Father's Day celebration at the church auditorium. The Minister thanked Mr. Uwa…

Peace Corps bill to be passed soon – Doguwa A bill for an Act to establish the Nigerian Peace Corps currently before the House of Representatives is to be passed soon, House Majority Leader, Alhaji Alhassan Doguwa, has said. A statement by the Public Relations Officer of the Peace Corps, Mrs Millicent Umoru-Osakwuaoguwa, said that Doguwa gave the assurance during the reconstitution of the State Commands of the outfit for Jigawa, Kano and Katsina, held in Kano on Thursday. It quoted Doguwa as pledging continous support for the Peace Corps of Nigeria and its resolve to engage youths within the…

Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State has asked President Muhammadu Buhari to be more effective in securing the lives and property of Nigerians. Commenting on the widespread insecurity in the country, Wike accused Buhari of attempting to shift his constitutional powers of securing lives and property to governors. The governor spoke at the commissioning of the 21-kilometre Odufor-Akpoku-Umuoye Road in Etche Local Government Area of the State on Tuesday. Wike said the All Progressives Congress-led federal government has no idea of how to tackle the troubling security issues and make the country safe for Nigerians. He enjoined the federal government…

  Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, has claimed that the Federal Government has repaid up to $150m out of the $2bn loan borrowed from China to construct rails. Amaechi stated this while answering questions on Channels Television’s ‘Politics Today’ programme on Wednesday. The minister noted that the President Muhammadu Buhari administration only borrowed for the Kaduna-Abuja and the Lagos-Ibadan railways. When asked how much of the Chinese loans obtained that the Federal Government has repaid, Amaechi said, “The right ministry to respond to that question is the Ministry of Finance; they borrow and they repay but I think the last…

N25.7bn fraud: Ex-Bank PHB MD sentenced to 6 years imprisonment There was a tense atmosphere in an Ikeja High Court on Wednesday night as Francis Atuche, a former Managing Director of Bank PHB, begged Justice Lateefa Okunnu not to send him to prison following his conviction for defrauding the bank of N25.7 billion. Mr Atuche and Ugo Anyanwu, a former Chief Financial Officer of the bank, were both found guilty of 22 of the 27 counts of conspiracy and stealing charge proffered against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, in 2011. The News Agency of Nigeria reports…

Appeal Court upholds election of Governor Akeredolu, dismisses Jegede’s appeal The Court of Appeal sitting ìn Akure has upheld the election of Governor Rotimi Akeredolu and his Deputy, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, in the Ondo October 10, 2020, governorship election. According to Justice Theresa Ngolika Orji-Abadua, who delivered the judgement via Zoom, the court ruled that the case filed by Jegede lacked merit. Akeredolu was declared winner of the 2020 gubernatorial election by the INEC State Returning Officer and returned as Governor for his second term. He polled 292,830 votes to defeat his closest rival, Mr. Eyitayo Jegede of the Peoples Democratic…