Ogun State has 30, the highest number, out of the 187 returnees evacuated from South Africa last week. Imo came second with 28 citizens.
This came out from the profiling of the returnees, escaping from xenophobic attacks in South Africa.
The profile showed that the first batch of the 187 returnees are from 16 states of the federation.
Chairman of the Nigerian Diaspora Commission, (NIDCOM) Abike Dabiri-Erewa, disclosed this at a press conference in Abuja yesterday.
She appealed to state governments to support the returnees. Already, letters of appeal have been sent to the states to solicit for their interventions, Dabiri-Erewa said.
Ekiti State Governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi has returned Christ School, Ado- Ekiti to its original owner-the Anglican Communion, in fulfillment of its promise to return all mission schools to their original owners.
Handing over of Christ’s School is expected to provide a template for subsequent release of other schools whose owners have indicated interest in having them back.
The was witnessed by the Bishop of Anglican Communion, Ekiti Diocese, Rt. Revd. Christopher Omotunde, some leaders of the church and representatives of the alumni association of the 86 years old school at the governor’s office.
In Fayemi’s view, the return of mission schools would help in building a future generation of values-driven and morally sound individuals as well as assist in lightening government’s financial burden, especially at a time when government’s purse is lean.
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He says his government is committed to engaging positively with missions that desire to take over their schools, expressed optimism that the returned school would assist the present administration in achieving “its policy thrust of reclaiming our land and restoring our values as Ekitis”.
“What we are witnessing today is a culmination of a process which began during our first term in office to return schools belonging to Mission bodies to their original owners, and I am delighted that the final consummation of the release of Christ’s School has been achieved. Ours will not be the first time such a consummation will take place between governments and missionary bodies, other states like Anambra, Lagos and Enugu had done similarly in the past,” he says
Aglican Diocese clergy, Rt. Revd Christopher Omotunde, says initiative is in right direction.
“You initiated the idea of returning mission schools to their original owners during your first term in office. We are happy that you are here today fulfilling that promise with the return of Christ’s School to the Anglican Church,” he adds.
An angry man has allegedly stabbed his employer’s friend to death with a dagger in Lagos.
For engaging in such cruel act, Seun Shoyele, the suspect, has appeared in court on Monday and has been remanded at an Ikoyi Prison.
Shoyele is facing charges bordering on conspiracy and murder at an Ebute Meta Magistrates’ Court.
Magistrate A.O. Agbona, refuses to take Shoyele’s plea and orders his remand in prison.
Police’s prosecutor, Kehinde Olatunde, told the court that the defendant and three others, still at large, committed the offences on September 3 at 8 p.m. on Adegbuyi St., Olanukan, Ishawo, a Lagos suburb.
Giving an explanation how the act was executed, he says the defendant and one other, were summoned by a third friend to kill the deceased, Mr Olanrewaju Adetola, 40.
“The deceased had scolded one of the alleged culprits, who is still at large; this got him angry and in a bid to revenge, mobilised the defendant and one other, who had gone to the deceased’s house to stab him with a dagger on his chest,“ he says.
The offences contravene Sections 223 and 233 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.
The magistrate remanded the defendant in prison pending a legal advice from the state’s Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) and adjourns the matter until October 17 for advice.
BudgIT founder, Oluseun Onigbinde, whose appointment as technical adviser to the Minister of Budget, has generated some furore, has quit, barely days after he took the job.
In a statement, titled, AN UPDATE ON MY RECENT APPOINTMENT, Onigbinde, a critic of the Buhari administration, said he has resigned the appointment.
His resignation followed the same pattern like Dr. Festus Adedayo’s another Buhari critic, who was initially appointed as special adviser to Senate President Ahmad Lawan.
“I am very grateful to the Honourable Minister, Prince Clem Ikanade Agba, for believing in my expertise and I also thank everyone who sent his or her congratulations to me in the short period. I have also been humbled by the faith and belief that numerous persons have expressed in me”, Onigbinde said. Read his full statement below...
Friends,
Kindly recall that I sent out a note recently on my interest to seek new experiences and that I would be working as a Technical Adviser to the Minister of State for Budget and National Planning for a short period.
It is clear that recent media reports about my appointment have created a complex narrative, which I believe would engender an atmosphere of mistrust, as I planned to proceed.
Upon further reflections on the furore that has been generated by my new role as the Technical Adviser to the
Minister of State for Budget and National Planning, I humbly resign the appointment.
I am very grateful to the Honourable Minister, Prince Clem Ikanade Agba, for believing in my expertise and I also thank everyone who sent his or her congratulations to me in the short period. I have also been humbled by the faith and belief that numerous persons have expressed in me.
My sincere interest is to see a Nigeria that grows and optimises resources for the benefits of all Nigerians.
My loyalty to the good cause of our nation, Nigeria compelled me to accept the call to provide technical skills and this experience has more than strengthened it.
I also want to wish the Nigerian Government, led by President Muhammadu Buhari, well. I will always be of help to the federal government in my capacity as the Director of BudgIT, a critical fiscal transparency group, as I have been to several agencies. I would also work to ensure that BudgIT continues to build civic awareness on the right of every Nigerian to know how public resources are managed.
Dangote Tomato plant in Kano has been shut again, six months after it resumed operations from an almost three-year shut down.
Reports said the 1,200-ton-a-day tomato-processing factory closed down because it was unable to get its required feed stock from farmers, who switched to other crops at the beginning of the rainy season in May.
The plant was idle for more than two years until March this year over a supply disruption partly caused by a price dispute with farmers. Even after the disagreement was resolved, the factory was unable to ramp up production beyond 20% of its capacity due to inadequate supply of tomatoes, as most of the farmers lacked the needed credit to expand production.
The company is losing at least 30 million naira every month with employees idle, according to the managing director of Dangote Farms, Abdulkareem Kaita.
The plant is counting on the government’s restriction of food imports to sustain operations. When Aliko Dangote decided to set up the plant, it was with the clear goal of supplanting imports of tomato paste mostly from China.
A Cameroonian refugee simply identified as Claudia, 20, has allegedly sold her nine-month-old baby for N70,000.
Claudia lives at the Adagom refugee camp in Cross River State and had sold her baby on August 25 to a stranger, who had visited from Calabar.
She claimed she sold her child because of hunger.
It was reported that Claudia had sold her baby in connivance with a barber simply identified as Victor.
One of the refugees at the camp said, “When the police came, (Claudia) said she sold the child because of hardship; that there is no food or anything to feed the child.
“That was just before they paid us for July. Then, everywhere was dry. A lot of us have been selling our things and using them to settle debt.”
A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Chief Chika Onyemenam has been kidnapped by unknown gunmen in Asaba, Delta State.
Confirming the Unfortunate Incident, The Asaba branch of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, issued a statement calling on Security agencies to intervene and rescue Chief Onyemenam urgently.
The statement read;
“The Nigerian Bar Association, Asaba Branch is deeply saddened by the abduction of CHIKE ONYEMENAM, SAN on Saturday 14th September 2019”
“This is one case too many. The Branch condemns in its entirety kidnap of its member and calls on all the security agencies to immediately swing into action to ensure his safe and early rescue or release from the hands of his lawless and evil abductors.”
“We call on the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to rejig and restructure the nation’s security architecture and infrastructure to ensure its effectiveness in addressing the activities of criminals in our society.”
“This ugly trend of incessant abduction of persons, especially Legal Practitioners must stop and these heartless criminals brought to justice. And if they cannot be brought to justice, justice should be brought to them.”
“We cannot continue this way or allow this ugly state of affairs to continue unabated.”
“We therefore also call on the Governor of Delta State, Inspector General of Police and Commissioner of Police, Delta State to immediately rise up to the occasion and do all within their means to ensure the safety of lives and properties in Asaba in particular and Delta State in general.”
“We pray God for the safe and early release of our revered Bar leader from the hands of his abductors. God save us all.”
One of the casualties of the Benue Links fatal accident that occurred yesterday September 15th, was a young beautiful Nigerian doctor, Patience Tsavnande.
She was among the passengers in the 18-seater commercial bus that clashed with a trailer in Angwan chiyawa, along Akwanga-Lafia road yesterday.
Only one woman survived the accident. May her soul rest in peace.
Comedian Bovi has reacted as his wife, Kris slayed one of his shirts. According to Bovi he is still wearing the shirt and he actually thought it was a thief when she stepped in, lol.
An Army Corporal, Awotayo Femi attached to 707 Special Force Brigade in Makurdi, Benue state and six others are said to be cooling their feet in detention now after they allegedly killed a Police Inspector, Christopher Achong in Bekwarra local government area of Cross River state on Friday.
Police sources say Mr. Achong was on patrol duty at the Anyikang axis of the Ogoja – Katsina Ala highway when at about 9:45 AM, his team stopped a commercial vehicle for search.
The bus, a Ford Galaxy was said to be conveying passengers to Calabar and following a heated argument which degenerated to a physical confrontation, Inspector Achong was said to have been fatally injured and died at the General Hospital in Bekwarra.
The passengers and driver were later arrested and alongside the bus, transferred to the State command at Diamond hill in Calabar where sources say they are been questioned.
The debt may have been paid but it looks like 50 Cent's feud with Lala Kent and her fiancé, Randall Emmett, has been reignited.
The rapper went off on the "Vanderpump Rules" star on Instagram Friday after she claimed on "WWHL" she has proof she "dinged" Fifty's ego following their public social media beef, which became known as the Fofty Feud.
Sharing multiple posts to his profile, the "Power" star slammed Lala and her relationship with Emmett -- hitting everything from the reality star's sobriety to how the couple got together. Fifty even insulted both Lala and her man's appearance.
Fifty opened his offensive by posting a photo of a news story presenting Lala's claim from "WWHL."
"What's wrong with this hoe," he captioned the screenshot. "now don't say she didn't ask for it when I start tripping."
The "In Da Club" rapper even took a shot at Kent's battle with alcoholism. (back in May, Lala confessed to Andy Cohen at last season's "Vanderpump Rules" reunion that she was drunk for "four days straight" while on a trip to Disney World with Emmett and his two daughters.)
"oh this bitch be drunk 4 days straight," he captioned a pic of an old report. "She must just be on some drunk hoe, I don't remember type shit."
Fifty continued to criticize Lala's sobriety by writing a fake conversation between him and Emmett.
Captioning a photo, below, of Lala and Emmett in bed, Fifty wrote, "Randell: I'm sorry Fofty this bitch is drunk and high. I told her put that damn phone down she don't listen. 50:Shut the fuck up Randell."
The rapper-turned-entrepreneur then went for Randall directly, highlighting a rather unflattering photo of the movie producer with a red circle.
"The f--k is wrong with your neck buck O," he captioned the pic.
For his next post, Fifty brought back up some old drama from the feud and poked fun at how Emmett and Lala first got together.
Sharing a Bravo interview where Lala recited her first meeting with Emmett, Fifty wrote, "No caption needed,LOL"
Fifty then took a jab at Lala's appearance from the interview. In the clip, Kent was sporting a very curly-haired look, which the "Candy Shop" singer juxtaposed with a funky wig of his own.
"This bitch rocking the Pimpin curly drip LOL," he captioned the pic, which also included a "WTF" at the top.
Fifty ended his posts with the OG clip that ignited the feud in the first place. In a scene from "Vanderpump Rules," Lala recalled to co-star Stassi Schroeder about how she met Randall and immediately landed an acting role in one of his films, adding that he got her Range Rover the day after she let him "hit it."
"Then he falls in LOVE with the hoe, and they live drunk and high happily ever after," Fifty wrote alongside the video.
Not unlike when the beef first began, Randall's ex-wife, actress Ambyr Childers, chimed in on Fifty's disses of her ex and Lala.
"Oh boy...here we go again!" Childers wrote. "I need a glass of wine for this one."
The entire Umuka community in Okposi, Ohaozara Local Government Area of Ebonyi State has been in mourning mood since August 19, this year, when news broke out that a man, Eric Ifeanyi Okoro, aged 28, hacked his aunt, a hunched primary school teacher, Benisa Okoro, to death in her sleep.
Benisa’s absence would be felt more as schools reopen this week, by pupils of the community primary school in the area, where she was said to have been a kind of mother to all the children with her uncommon love and care to them.
The slain lady said to be about 52 years old had returned from a church programme tagged: ‘Night of Cry’ service, on August 18, but met her nephew, Ifeanyi absent at home. She was said to have quickly prepared dinner for the young man before going to bed for a night rest.
While she slept off, Ifeanyi, popularly known as ‘Yahoo Boy’, returned home in the wee hours, ate the food kept for him by his victim and took his jack-knife and stabbed her severally on the chest till she died in the pool of her blood.
According to a reliable family source, the suspect allegedly phoned his father, Mr Alfred Ogbonnaya Okoro in Owo, Ondo State and reportedly informed him that he had snuffed life out of “Auntie Benisa, and it remains one person for me to hit the gold, get rich quick and become self-actualized”.
The father in his disbelief ignored the information and went about his normal business the following day, being Sunday.
“He had thought that his son might have made the phone call under the influence of alcohol or hard drug”, the family source said.
But the lid was blown off when the next morning, ‘Yahoo Boy’ as he is fondly called, went to the Okposi General Hospital morgue and called an ambulance van to carry the corpse of his aunt who died in his own hands to the mortuary.
On arrival with the ambulance at his father’s compound, the van driver, Mr Ogbonnaya Okoro Ogudu had reportedly shuddered on seeing the corpse enmeshed in thick clot of blood and declined to convey Benisa’s body to the mortuary.
He instead pondered in bewilderment; asking the young man: “Who did this to your Auntie Eric? What happened to her? He then shouted on top of his voice alerting the entire neighbourhood who then rushed to the scene.
The first callers at the scene were jolted by the horrible sight, and spontaneously, they made distress call to leaders of the community who were in in a meeting at the community playground that fateful morning.
Immediately, the community leaders adjourned their meeting and rushed to the home of Alfred Ogbonnaya Okoro to have first-hand information of the distress call.
Police Public Relations Officer of Ebonyi State command; Loveth Odah, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), who confirmed the incident said that the matter was being investigated and that the suspect will soon be charged to court.
Rain maker crooner, Majek Fashek is not dead. Rumours again went round over the weekend that the singer has passed on. In a fresh video, yesterday Sunday, September, 15th, his manager,
Uzoma Day Omenka, made a fresh video in front of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital and assured his fans and lovers that the singer is still very much alive and even getting better.
He however emphasized that they still need money saying some people have donated, but the funds isn't enough.
He also distanced himself from those raising money online saying he knows nothing about it and any donation should be made through him. Watch the video HERE.
In a fresh application filed before the Federal High Court in Abuja, Mr Omoyele Sowore, Convener of #RevolutionNow protest, who is being held by the Department of State Services, has asked for bail in liberal terms.
Sowore filed the fresh application on Friday after his failed bid to have the court hear his earlier one challenging the detention order issued against him by Justice Taiwo Taiwo on July 8, 2019.
The affidavit he filed in support of the application stated in part, “That the applicant (Sowore) herein has never been charged with any criminal offence whatsoever.
“That the Nigeria police also conducted investigation on the matter and made its findings public.
“That the persons who participated in the protests of August 5, 2019, were charged with the offence of unlawful assembly at the Magistrates’ Court in Ebute Meta, Lagos State, Osogbo in Osun State and Calabar(Cross River).
“That on August 9, 2019, the applicant filed an application to set aside, discharge and/or vacate the said ex parte order permitting his detention for 45 days.”
The security agency had accused Sowore, the SaharaReporters publisher and presidential candidate of the African Action Congress in the last February 2019 poll, of planning to topple the President Muhammadu Buhari government, through the protest.
Sowore denied the coup allegations insisting that he only mobilised Nigerians to protest against bad governance and other vices.
A Magistrates’ Court in Owerri has summoned former governor of Imo state, Senator Rochas Okorocha, to appear before it on October 8 to explain why he should not be convicted for alleged incitement.
Imo state government, according to Daily Trust had dragged Okorocha to court over accusation that the former governor had consistently been fomenting trouble and inciting his supporters to disobey the government of the day.
In the suit, with reference no: OW/MISC.79/2019, filed at the Owerri district of the Magistrate Court, the Imo State Attorney General on behalf of the state government alleged that Okorocha had been in the habit of making seditious and inciting statements against the government even on air using his Radio station (Reach FM), which is widely listened to in Owerri and beyond.
The Attorney General also alleged that Okorocha, as an elected senator, spends more time in Owerri, Imo state, cavorting with his retinue of well-armed thugs and urchins referred to as ‘Ohaji Boys’ whom he employed to cause trouble.
The state government also alleged that an aide to Governor Emeka Ihedioha was beaten to a pulp while on a legitimate assignment of serving a court processes at Okorocha’s Spibat residence.
Tanzanian Prime Minister, Kassim Majaliwa, on Sunday suspended seven public officials in Morogoro region over embezzlement of 1.3 billion Tanzanian shillings ($567,000), a statement said.
The statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office in the capital Dodoma said Majaliwa has ordered the seven public officials to refund the money in three days’ time before he concludes his official visit to Morogoro region.
The suspended public officials were from Kilombero district council and Ifakara town council, said the statement.
“The whole of Morogoro region is facing misuse of public funds.
“Government revenue is being collected but it ends up in people’s private pockets.
“This is unacceptable,’’ the premier said.
According to the 2016/2019 report of the Controller Auditor General, Ifakara town council collected 2.7 billion shillings during that period but only 1.9 billion shillings was deposited in a bank, said Majaliwa.
He said investigations revealed that most of the money, unaccounted for, were deposited in personal bank accounts of the suspended public officials.
Aisha Umar Ado, daughter of a former governorship aspirant in Adamawa state, Dr. Umar Ardo, was kidnapped by gunmen in Abuja on Saturday night. But she was freed on Sunday, her father has announced.
According to a close family member, Amir Mustapha the politician paid in bitcoins to get his daughter freed. Amir made the claim on Monday on Facebook.
“So kidnappers now accept ransoms in bitcoins?? This is alarmingly worrying. Yesterday, Dr Umar Ardo’s daughter, Aisha was kidnapped in Maitama, Abuja(sic) and he had to pay $15,000 in bitcoins just for her to be released. This country is heading for the rocks. God protect us all”, Mustapha, a lawyer wrote.
Dr. Ardo, a member of the PDP and cousin to Atiku Abubakar has not confirmed the ransom and whether it was paid with bitcoins.
His 24 year-old daughter fondly called Ummi, was kidnapped as she came out of Blinkers Supermarket in Asokoro Abuja on Saturday night.
Her father on Sunday night disclosed her freedom.
“I’m glad to inform all and sundry that my daughter, Ai’sha, has been released by her abductors. I collected her somewhere around Gwarimpa where they dumped her by the roadside. She is safe and sound. I thank you and all Nigerians for the support given to me during these trying hours. I appreciate that it”, he said.
Two Nigerians, Abdulwaheed Alayande and Emmanuel Okon made the cut among 20 finalists to contend for the $25,000 Anzisha Prize for young African Entrepreneurs.
Over 500 budding African entrepreneurs applied for the award, across Africa. The winner will be announced at the ninth Anzisha Prize Forum on 22 October in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Alayande is the founder of TREP LABS, an enterprise offering a product called REALDRIP, which is an infusion meter that makes blood transfusion and drip treatment simpler and safer. Okon founded Vmedkit – a health company that focuses on alleviating mental illnesses using virtual reality technology.
The Anzisha Prize, an African Leadership Academy and Mastercard Foundation partnership, is dedicated to identifying, supporting and celebrating young African entrepreneurs between the ages of 15-22 on the continent whose ideas, ventures and businesses harness the power to redefine and reimagine Africa’s growth trajectory.
