News

One person has been reported dead and 21 others mostly women and children abducted in Batsari Local Government Area of Katsina State. The armed bandits arrived in Batsari town at about 10:20 pm on Tuesday shooting sporadically and eventually abducted 21 persons. Batsari is one of the Frontline Local Government Areas in Katsina State sharing borders with the dreaded Rugu forest where activities of armed bandits are persistently on the increase since the resurgence of banditry, cattle rustling, and kidnapping for ransom in the state. The eyewitness explained that the hoodlums after rustling dozens of cattle, properties, and mobile phones…

Two offices of the Independent National Electoral Commission in Ebonyi State have been set ablaze by unidentified hoodlums. The offices are located in Ebonyi and Ezza North Local Government Areas of the state. No casualties were recorded but there were extensive damages to the building and facilities. The incident is happening a few hours before a meeting scheduled for Wednesday(today) between INEC and heads of security agencies over the attacks on the Commission’s offices. The latest attack brings the number of offices of the Commission that have been torched to 23. The breakdown of the incidents showed that the most…

Spokesperson of House of Representatives, Hon. Benjamin Kalu has clarified that the move by the House to legalise the use of Indian hemp in the country is not to encourage smoking among the populace but for industrial and pharmaceutical reasons, as well as for the purpose of boosting production of over 50 products. Describing Indian hemp as one of the products needed across the world, the Bende federal constituency representative said if legalised, the agricultural produce can help in production paper, textiles, biodegradable plastics, beverages, personal care products, fuel among others. Speaking on Tuesday on a radio programme, Ben Kalu…

Hundreds of air passengers including Emir of Kano, Alhaji Aminu Ado Bayero, Tuesday escaped flight mishap when a plane conveying the passengers developed fault few minutes after taken off. The Max Air aircraft departed Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, at about 2pm Tuesday for Abuja, when the unfortunate incident occurred. The THE WHISPERER learnt that the aircraft earlier scheduled for 1 pm was delayed for few hours before taken off, perhaps to enable the airliner fix a supposed technical issue. A palace source on entourage of the Emir of Kano, who confirmed the narrow escape, told The Guardian on telephone…

The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) has threatened a nationwide shutdown over the faceoff between the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Kaduna State government. Labour had declared a five-day warning strike over some policies of Governor Nasir El-Rufai, especially the sacking of 4,000 workers. In a statement, the National President of the NUPENG, Williams Akporeha, said the union which is one of the 46 bodies affiliated with the NLC, is observing the Kaduna situation closely. He said if the attacks on protesters continue, NUPENG would withdraw its services nationwide. “The Leadership of the Union is…

The Nigeria Immigration Service has ordered the suspension of processing of new passport applications in all passport offices nationwide. The directive, which took effect on May 17, was disclosed in a statement signed by the Deputy Comptroller General, AB Yarima. The statement described the suspension as a necessary step to ease the preparation for the commencement of a new passport regime. “This directive, which comes into effect from today, May 17, 2021, has become necessary to allow enough time to clear all backlog of applications sequel to the commencement of the new passport regime on June 1, 2021,” said the…

President Muhammadu Buhari, on Tuesday, urged the Senate to approve a new external loan of N2,343,387,942,848.00, about $6.183billion, for the Federal Government to finance the 2021 budget deficit. Senate President Ahmad Lawan read Mr Buhari’s letter of request on the floor of the Senate at plenary. Details later…

Twenty-three governors have keyed into the call for restructuring, following yesterday’s decision by governors elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Six PDP governors from the North, have joined the clamour by the 17 governors from the South who also canvassed a national dialogue and decentralisation of police at last week’s Asaba meeting. The PDP governors are Aminu Tambuwal (Sokoto), Dairus Ishaku (Taraba), Samuel Ortom (Benue), Ahmadu Fintiri (Adamawa), Balla Mohammed (Bauchi) and Bello Mattawale (Zamfara). At different fora, Governors Nasir El-Rufai (Kaduna), Abdullahi Ganduje (Kano), Bello Masari (Katsina) and Babagana Zulum (Borno) had reiterated their clamour…

Comrade Ayuba Wabba, President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), has been declared wanted, according to Malam Nasir El-Rufai, governor of Kaduna State. Wabba was last seen publicly in Kaduna where he led members of NLC on a protest against policies of El-Rufai’s administration. NLC had led members of affiliate unions on a protest that crippled economic activities in Kaduna. Banks, hospital, train station, airport were shut while the state was plunged into darkness as electricity workers also joined the mass action. In a tweet on Tuesday, the Kaduna governor said NLC leaders had been declared wanted for economic sabotage…

Abia State Governor, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu, met with members of his cabinet in Aba on Monday to deliberate on additional measures needed to ensure protection of lives and property in the state following recent attacks on police stations by yet to be identified hoodlums. Briefing newsmen after the meeting which was attended by the Deputy Governor, Rt Hon Ude Oko Chukwu, and other members of the state executive council, the Commissioner for Information, Chief John Okiyi Kalu, stated that the state government was set to organize a security roundtable involving key stakeholders in the state to review the prevailing situation…