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Ailing Nollywood actor, Victor Olaotan, died on Thursday after a prolonged illness. The 69-year-old actor, who is best known for his role as Fred Ade-Williams in the popular TV series, Tinsel, was bedridden for five years after he was involved in a ghastly accident. The actor was driving to a movie set in 2016 when the accident took place around Apple Junction, in Festac, Lagos. He had, until recently, been battling for his life in a Turkish hospital for almost three years. His widow, Julia Olaotan, broke the news of his death on Friday morning. Mrs Olaotan said she is…

The 136 abducted pupils of Salihu Tanko Islamiyya School, Tegina in Rafi Local Government Area of Niger State, have been released. They were released on Thursday night in Birnin Gwari LGA of Kaduna State after 86 days in captivity. Birnin Gwari shares boundary with Rafi local government area of Niger State where the children were abducted. PREMIUM TIMES reported how the bandits abducted the pupils on May 30. A resident, Kasimu Barangana, who earlier delivered some part of the ransom to the bandits in the forest, was among the people who received the freed pupils at Doka village in Birnin…

The Presidency on Wednesday came hard on Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom over his ceaseless diatribe on President Muhammadu Buhari’s handling of national security. Presidential spokesman Garba Shehu accused the governor of promoting sectarianism and ethnicity to cover up his political shortcomings. The chastisement came on a day a group cautioned the governor to discontinue with his criticisms of the Buhari-led administration. According to the Presidency, Ortom, with his utterances, has been inciting ethnic and religious hatred in his state, thereby stirring up a Rwandan-like crisis. In a statement, Shehu, who is the Senior Special Assistant to the President on…

Mallam Garba Shehu, presidential spokesperson, says the recent attack on the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) might be a ploy to embarrass the President Muhammadu Buhari administration. THE WHISPERER  had reported that bandits attacked the NDA in the early hours of Tuesday, which resulted in the death of two officers. The development has raised concerns on the rising insecurity in the country. Reacting to the development on Wednesday, Shehu, in an interview on Channels Television, said the presidency expects the military to thoroughly investigate and disclose what happened. The presidential spokesperson, who described the incident as “sad and unfortunate”, noted that…

Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Etigwe Uwa has lamented the demise of two prominent Abia women, Lady Victoria Aguiyi-Ironsi and Chief Mrs. Adanma Okpara. The late Lady Victoria Aguiyi-Ironsi was the wife of late Major General Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi, who between January-July 1966 served as the first Military Head of State and Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces of Nigeria, while Chief Mrs. Adanma Okpara was the wife of the late Chief Dr. Michael Okpara, who served between 1959 - 1966 as the Premier of the defunct Eastern Region. In his condolence message, Uwa expressed grief over the death of the two…

Despite multiple reports of his death, the abducted Major Christopher Datong is still alive. Major Datong — not ‘Stephen Dantong’ as initially reported — was abducted in the wee hours of Tuesday morning when assailants reported to be ‘bandits’ gained access to the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) in Afaka, Kaduna State, killing two officers and abducting him. Multiple platforms had reported that his body was found, but FIJ’s findings confirmed that up till 10pm on Tuesday — hours after the supposed death was reported — both his family and the NDA got proof of life from his captors. His abductors…

The Global President, One Love Foundation, Chief Patriot Patrick Osagie Eholor has called on Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State to take bold steps to tackle the challenges confronting the state, which include economic instability, insecurity, and other burning issues, instead of trying to intimate Edolites with 'Compulsory Covid-19 Vaccination'. Eholor stated this in a chat with journalists while reacting to the fresh restrictions slammed by Governor Obaseki. Speaking at the flag-off ceremony of the second phase of the coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccination exercise held at the Government House, Benin City, Obaseki said,”Beginning from the second week of September 2021, large…

Sunday Abiodun Olukoya, retired Rear Admiral and former Military Governor of Ondo State is dead. Olukoya gave up the ghost on Tuesday after battling with an illness. Before Ondo and Ekiti were split, Olukoya was the Governor of the combined States between 1989 and 1992. He was Ondo helmsman from September 1990 to January 1992 during the General Ibrahim Babangida regime. Olukoya succeeded Retired Commodore Olabode George and handed over to Chief Bamidele Olomilua. The family will announce funeral arrangements. Olukoya died hours after Olabiyi Durojaiye, former Chairman of Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) died. Durojaiye was the Senator for Ogun…

Hon. Ismaila Abdulmummuni Kamba, speaker of the Kebbi State House of Assembly and his deputy, Muhammadu Buhari Aliyu, have been impeached. Twenty out of the 24 members of the assembly endorsed the impeachment. Muhammad Abubakar Lolo, member representing Bagudo West, has been sworn in as the new speaker while the new deputy speaker is Mohammaed Usman Zuru, member representing Zuru constituency. The lawmakers reportedly sat at a secret location after breaking into the speaker’s office to seize the mace. After the sitting, they proceeded to the floor of the house where the Clark, Ahmed Usman Bunza, announced Lolo as the…

The gunmen who abducted Major Stephen Dantong from the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), Afaka, Kaduna, on Tuesday have demanded a ransom of N200 million from military authorities. The gunmen invaded the Afaka barracks of the academy around 1am, killing two soldiers identified as Lieutenant Commodore Wulah and Flight Lieutenant Okoronwo. One of the officers who was injured in the attack is currently being treated at a hospital within the barracks. According to FIJ, the bandits subsequently contacted the defence academy to initiate negotiation on the payment of ransom to secure the release of Datong. The gunmen reportedly operated for hours…