General Overseer, Redeemed Christian Church of God, RCCG, Pastor Enoch Adeboye on Friday night said terrorism would soon be a thing of the past in Nigeria.
Speaking at the February edition of the Holy Ghost Service, Adeboye said apart from Nigeria, all other nations of the world would soon be free from terrorism.
According to him, any form of crisis that has a beginning must surly come to an end.
”In Job 1:6-13, the beginning of the crisis in the life of Job started. In Job 42:10, God turned the captivity of Job and returned to him double.
“I don’t know the kind of crisis you have, in the Name that is above every other name every crisis in your life will end tonight.
“This gives me hope for my nation Nigeria because terrorism has a beginning, it will come to an end. 1 Samuel 17:1-51, the Bible tells us that Goliath terrorised the Nation of Israel for forty days but one day the terror that started with one man ended when the man lost his head,” Adeboye stated.
Adeboye added: “I can say with all confidence that sooner than later, terrorism will be forgotten in Nigeria. In all other nations of the world where there are terrorist, l want you to have hope, it had a beginning, it will end.
“2 Kings 6:1-33, 7:1-20 tells us that no matter how long a siege may last, it will have an end. In the Name that is above every other name, every evil force that is laying a siege in your family will be put to an end tonight. Every force that won’t let you move forward shall be defeated. Every force laying a siege in our nation shall be disappointed.”
Some suspected Fulani herdsmen have reportedly killed a farmer, Mr Dayo Ibiye, on his farm at Ajowa Akoko in the Akoko North West Local Government Area of Ondo State on Friday.
The deceased was said to be a cousin of the Senior Special Assistant to Governor Rotimi Akeredolu on New Media, Mr Gani Muhammed-Ajowa.
Mohammed-Ajowa, who confirmed the incident, said the herdsmen and his cousin were involved in an altercation on Thursday when the herders grazed on his farm in the area.
He said Ibiye had warned them not to graze on his farm but the herders ignored him claiming that the farm and crops on it belonged to everyone.
The governor's aide stated, "The herdsmen came back today (Friday) and attacked him with different weapons but when they realised that they couldn't overpower him, they strangled him to death."
Mohammed-Ajowa added, "We have reported the matter to the Oke Agbe Police Division."
When contacted, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Mr Tee-Leo Ikoro, confirmed the incident, saying the investigation had commenced on the matter.
The World Health Organisation-led COVAX global initiative has failed to shortlist Nigeria for the Pfizer vaccines following its inability to meet the standard requirement of storing the vaccines at the required -70 degrees Celsius.
The Nigerian government had stated that it was expected to receive 100,000 doses through the COVAX initiative, which was set up to ensure rapid and equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines for all countries, regardless of income level.
Speaking at a virtual press conference which Saturday PUNCH attended, the Director, WHO, African Region, Dr Matshidiso Moeti, said only four African countries were shortlisted for the Pfizer vaccine out of the 13 that applied.
Moeti said WHO could not risk the Pfizer vaccines being wasted.
She said, "Around 320,000 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine have been allocated to four African countries – Cape Verde, Rwanda, South Africa and Tunisia. This vaccine has received WHO Emergency Use Listing but requires countries to store and distribute doses at minus 70 degrees Celsius.
"To access an initial limited Pfizer vaccine volume, countries were invited to submit proposals. Thirteen African countries submitted proposals and were evaluated by a multi-agency committee based on current mortality rates, new cases and trends, and the capacity to handle the vaccine's ultra-cold chain needs.
"This announcement allows countries to fine-tune their planning for COVID-19 immunisation campaigns. We urge African nations to ramp up readiness and finalise their national vaccine deployment plans. Regulatory processes, cold chain systems and distribution plans need to be in place to ensure vaccines are safely expedited from entry ports to delivery. We can't afford to waste a single dose."
The Director-General of the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research, Prof Babatunde Salako, had told this newspaper that there was not enough space at the moment to store the Pfizer vaccines at that temperature.
But the Executive Director of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr Faisal Shuaib, had described the report as fake, saying Nigeria could store the vaccines and had taken journalists on a tour of its facility in Abuja.
Saturday Punch reports that Nigeria was expected to be on the list of African countries to receive the first set of Pfizer vaccines because of its infection rate, which is now the sixth-highest on the continent.
Only South Africa, Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt and Ethiopia have higher infection rates than Nigeria. But Morocco and Egypt have already independently obtained vaccines and begun distribution. In contrast, South Africa, which has the highest burden of the disease in Africa, has already procured one million doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, produced in India but has yet to begin distribution.
However, Nigeria has received no COVID-19 vaccine even as its rate of infection has continued to surge.
Unlike the other vaccines on the market, the BioNTech/Pfizer vaccine, which has the highest WHO rating, is expected to be stored at 70 degrees Celsius which Nigeria could not meet.
However, the WHO regional director said countries that failed to make the Pfizer list could get the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine later in the month, although the health organisation has not yet endorsed it.
This newspaper learnt that the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine does not need to be stored in a cold facility.
The Special Task Force, Operation Safe Haven (OPSH), has arrested Mahmud Mohmmed and Nuhu Ochofo, for impersonating as a soldier and personnel of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC), respectively in Jos.
Maj.-Gen. Chukwuemeka Okonkwo, the Commander of the task force, paraded the suspects on Friday in Jos.
According to him, the suspects, who use their fake identity to commit crimes in the state, were jointly arrested around Rayfield community of Jos South Local Government Area of Plateau.
Okonkwo said the fake soldier was arrested wearing full military uniform, while the other was caught with fake identity card of the NSCDC.
The Commander also paraded 18 other suspected criminals who were arrested for armed robbery, gun running and local militia group linked to recent attacks in some parts of the state.
He explained that the suspects were arrested at Bida-Bidi, Agwan Rimi, Zololo junction, Rayfield and Dung communities in Jos North and Jos South Local Government Areas of the state.
He said the arrests were part of the mandate of the going Operation Accord II, aimed at curbing all forms of criminalities in the North Central region and other parts of the country.
“This series of arrests are in line with the directive to operation accord II which is meant to deny criminals freedom of action as well as clear criminal and militia hideouts.
“Some of these suspects are gun runners, armed robbers, members of militia groups and some were arrested over impersonation.
“This to ensure the safety of lives and property of citizens and let me assure the law-abiding Plateau citizens that we will continue to work towards their safety,” he said.
Okonkwo called on residents of the state to provide useful and timely information to security agencies when they suspect criminal movements of persons in their vicinity.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the suspects were arrested with locally-made pistols and Ak-47 rifle.
Nigeria’s former Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala has reacted to United States’ support for her candidacy for the World Trade Organisation’s job.
The US on Friday backed the Nigerian for the Director General position at WTO after it blocked her from being appointed in October 2020.
Following Yoo Myung-hee’s withdrawal from the race on Friday, that made Okonjo-Iweala the sole candidate for the job.
A statement from the Office of the US Trade Representative on Friday said “The United States takes note of today’s decision by the Republic of Korea’s Trade Minister Yoo Myung-hee to withdraw her candidacy for Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO).”
The statement said the The Biden-Harris Administration was pleased to express its strong support for the candidacy of Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala as the next Director-General of the WTO.
It added that Dr. Okonjo-Iweala brings a wealth of knowledge in economics and international diplomacy from her 25 years with the World Bank and two terms as Nigerian Finance Minister.
“She is widely respected for her effective leadership and has proven experience managing a large international organization with a diverse membership,” the statement said.
Reacting to this on her twitter handle, Okonjo-Iweala said she was grateful for the expression of support from the US today for her for the DG position at the WTO.
“Grateful for the expression of support from the US today for DG WTO. Congratulations to Madam Yoo of Rep. Korea for a hard fought campaign.
”Thank You President Muhammadu Buhari Buhari & all Nigerians for your unflinching support. Thank you friends. Love to my family. Glory to God,” she tweeted.
Grateful for the expression of support from the US today for DG @WTO. Congratulations to Madam Yoo of Rep. Korea for a hard fought campaign.Thank You President Muhammadu Buhari @MBuhari &all Nigerians for your unflinching support.Thank you friends. Love to my family.Glory to God.
Actress and producer, Jumoke Odetola, tells Tofarati Ige about her current projects and other issues
Read the excerpt
In the movie industry, women seem to be more successful. Why do you think that is so?
It is not actually what people think it is. On a lighter note though, it is indeed women that run the world. A man could put on an outfit that costs over N1m yet look simple
. But, a woman could spend N100,000 on an outfit and look so glamorous. That men don’t post certain things online does not mean they are not doing well. I know a lot of men in the industry that are doing very well but they are not putting it out there.
When I got to know the worth of some of my male colleagues, I was quite shocked. But women tend to be louder. We talk more about things and love to show off.
What are some of the changes you would like to see in the Yoruba movie industry?
I would want to see a wider acceptance of Yoruba movies. I think people who make Yoruba movies should even be celebrated more because they are projecting our language and culture. I would also want to see a situation where our works get global recognition. Our movies are a way for people to know more about Yoruba tradition and culture.
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has recorded 1,624 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the total number of infections in the country to 137,654.
The NCDC disclosed this on its official Twitter handle on Friday.
“On the 5th of February 2021, 1624 new confirmed cases and 9 deaths were recorded in Nigeria.
Till date, 137654 cases have been confirmed, 111639 cases have been discharged and 1641 deaths have been recorded in 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
“The 1624 new cases are reported from 23 states- Lagos (535), Plateau (183), Osun (98), Akwa Ibom (85), FCT (83), Ondo (77), Nasarawa (72), Edo (69), Oyo (63), Rivers (52), Taraba (48), Ogun (44), Borno(31), Kwara (31), Ekiti (30), Benue (25), Kano (21), Niger (21), Kaduna (18), Abia (15), Delta (10), Bayelsa (7) and Zamfara (6).
:Our discharges today include 831 community recoveries in Lagos State and 85 in Kaduna State managed in line with guidelines,” the NCDC said.
The Federal Government has lifted the ban it earlier placed on Emirates Airlines.
This is coming after the United Arab Emirates granted the carrier permission to withdraw the Rapid Antigen Testing done prior to the departure of Emirates flights from Nigeria, according to a letter by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority.
Due to the development, the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 directed the immediate lifting of the suspension placed on the operations of Emirates Airlines in Nigeria.
The letter signed by the Director-General of NCAA, Capt. Musa Nuhu expected the airline to comply with the directives by the PTF on COVID-19 and other protocols of the Federal Government of Nigeria.
“Emirates Airlines will be duly informed of ongoing enforcement actions by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority with regards to the established non-compliances to PTF directives and protocols as enumerated in our letter of February 4, 2021,” the letter read.
A butcher in the Ilasamaja area of Lagos State, Tunji Adeniran, has been arrested for alleged defilement of his two stepdaughters, Ope and Ola (pseudonyms), aged 10 and 14 respectively.
Adeniran, 40, had reportedly been molesting the girls, who are in Primary 5, for a long time until recently when Ola opened up to her class teacher.
City Round learnt that the teacher had during a class last week advised the pupils not to allow anyone touch their private parts when Ola suddenly burst into tears.
After the class, she was said to have taken the teacher into her confidence, narrating how Adeniran had allegedly serially abused her and her younger sister.
It was gathered that the state Ministry of Youth and Social Development intervened in the case and Adeniran was arrested on Tuesday.
A social worker with the ministry, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told Punch correspondent that the girls had been taken for tests and placed in a shelter in Idi Araba.
The official said, “The result of defilement will be out soon. It was discovered that they have been infected and they were given drugs. According to the girls’ mother, her older daughter had once reported to her that the suspect was having s.e.x with her. She said she also reported her husband to his family but he denied it.
“The woman however said she was not aware her husband was molesting her second daughter. The older girl said the man had been s.e.xually harassing her for about four years. When the woman was further interrogated, she said she was tired of the marriage because the suspect demands sex every day and she could not cope with him anymore.’’
The spokesperson for the police in the state, CSP Muyiwa Adejobi, confirmed Adeniran’s arrest, adding that he would be taken to court on Monday.
The General Overseer of the Omega Fire Ministries International, Apostle Johnson Suleman, has sued a former Pastor at his church, Mike Davids, to the tune of N5bn for libel.
This was revealed by Apostle Suleman’s legal team in a statement on Friday.
The statement was in response to how Pastor Davids had sued Suleman for N2bn for allegedly interfering in his marriage to Pastor Faith Edeko who now heads the Utako branch of Omega Fire Ministries in Abuja.
Pastor Davids had alleged that his estranged wife confessed to sleeping with Apostle Suleman in the presence of their young daughter at a hotel, adding that his wife was hypnotised by Suleman.
Davids had also written a petition to the Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, alleging threat to life, a matter which is now under investigation.
However, in a statement by his legal team led by Osa Director, it was stated that a libel suit was being instituted against Davids.
“Apostle Suleman, through his legal team led by Osa Director Esq, For: Osa Director And Co, is launching a 5bn suit at the Lagos State High Court, Ikeja, against Pastor Davids for ‘conspiracy to blackmail and defamation of character,” the statement read.
He said the IG, in a suit with Number: FHC/ABJ/CS/115/2021, had approached the Federal High Court in Abuja, seeking to arrest Pastor Davids over petition of alleged blackmail, defamation and threat to Apostle Suleman.
The statement said Pastor Davids was expelled from the ministry in 2018 for acts inimical to the body of Christ and had for the past six years been attempting to blackmail Apostle Suleman.
The statement further read, “It has come to our knowledge that one Mike Davids has purportedly filed a lawsuit against our client, Apostle Johnson Suleman and seeking N2bn as damages for alleged interference in his marriage which has since been dissolved a few years ago.
“We are yet to be served with any court process. However, our client has refrained from joining issues with the said Mike Davids as his utterances are mere hallucinations of a man on the fringes of lunacy and desperation to survive.
“For the record, Mike Davids was a pastor in our client’s church but expelled since 2018 for acts inimical to the body of Christ. He has for the past six years been attempting to blackmail Apostle Suleman.”
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, has continued to put the heat on drug traffickers with the latest arrest of a businessman at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.
And another man was arrested at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos, with over three kilograms of cocaine.
NDLEA said Adeleke Kazeem Biola was arrested at the Lagos Airport with 1.5 kilograms of cocaine on Wednesday, during the outward clearance of passengers on Emirate airline to Dubai.
A Lagos-based businessman, Onu Oluchukwu Friday, was caught with 1.527 kilograms of the illicit drug at the Abuja airport. According to the Commander, MMIA Command of the NDLEA, Mr. Ahmadu Garba, the suspect, Adeleke was intercepted at the departure hall of the Lagos airport with the hard drug neatly concealed in a false bottom of his travel bag.
He acknowledged that the series of arrests in the past three weeks follows the offensive action approach deployed by his command in line with the directive by the new Chairman/Chief Executive of the agency, Gen. Mohammed Buba Marwa (Rtd).
The Commander, Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Command of the NDLEA, Mr. Kabir Sani Tsakuwa, explained how a plumbing materials dealer, Onu Oluchukwu Friday, was arrested at the departure lounge of the Abuja airport on Thursday, January 28. He said “during outward clearance of Ethiopian Airline ET 910 en route Abuja-Addis Ababa -New Delhi, India, the 39 years old suspect, a native of Umuaku-Isiochi village in Abia State was intercepted at the boarding gate screening and referred for scanning.
“The passenger proved positive for ingestion. He excreted 83 wraps of substances, which proved positive for cocaine and weighed 1.527kg.
“The suspect who claimed he is into plumbing material business in Lagos came into Abuja for the purpose of trafficking drugs said he would have been paid N1,500,000 on delivery to one Chibuzo Nmadu, a Nigerian based in India.” He said his Command remains committed to the mission of the new leadership of the agency to disrupt the supply chain and reduce the demand for illicit drugs in Nigeria.
The Chairman of the anti-drug agency, Marwa, sent his commendation to the commanders of the Lagos and Abuja airports commands and their teams for their vigilance.
He urged them to intensify efforts so that the mission to rid the country of the scourge of illicit drugs can be collectively achieved, the NDLEA statement added.
Chrissy Teigen has revealed that her late son Jack's due date falls this week. The cookbook author was just 20 weeks along when she lost the pregnancy on Sept. 30 after being diagnosed with a partial placental abruption, which bed rest, hospitalization and blood transfusions failed to heal.
Teigen, who has two other children with husband John Legend, admitted to her Twitter followers that the looming due date has left her feeling "off." She added that she's due to undergo a surgical procedure on Thursday to treat her endometriosis, and has been experiencing period pangs that feel like "baby kicks."
"My little Jack would have been born this week so I'm a bit off," the 35-year-old star tweeted on Wednesday. "I truly feel kicks in my belly, but it's not phantom. I have surgery for endometriosis tomorrow ... but the period feeling this month is exactly like baby kicks. Sigh."
my little jack would have been born this week so I'm a bit off. I truly feel kicks in my belly, but it's not phantom. I have surgery for endometriosis tomorrow...but the period feeling this month is exactly like baby kicks. sigh.
She went on to share a video of her stomach trembling, writing, "I'll pretend it's him [Jack] saying hi."
The poignant post struck a chord with many of Teigen's followers, several of whom shared their own experiences with confronting a once-anticipated due date following a painful pregnancy loss.
"Thank you for being so transparent about your pain," read a comment from a fellow grieving mother. It’s a s****y community to be a part of, but it is a community."
Abia Government on Thursday placed a ban on public gatherings as part of efforts to tackle the rising cases of coronavirus in the state.
Mr Chris Ezem, Chairman of Abia COVID-19 Inter-ministerial Committee, announced this at a stakeholders meeting in Umuahia.
He said that the ban was necessitated by the need to tackle the disease as the second wave of COVID-19 takes its toll on Nigeria.
Ezem who is also the Secretary to the State Government, said that government would implement the measures it applied during the first wave to curtail the spread of the pandemic.
He disclosed that non-compliance to the directive issued by the government could lead to a total lockdown.
As the kick-off date of the Lagos State’s Bus Reform Initiative approaches, commercial bus (popularly known as Danfo) drivers in the state have expressed mixed feelings over the project.
While some of the drivers agreed to buy into the initiative, others kicked vehemently against it.
“Removing yellow buses is not reasonable,” said a driver at Ikeja Bus Stop who identified himself as Barckly.
“Although, the plan to bring in 5,000 buses to Lagos is a good one but the idea of banishing yellow buses is not commendable.
“Government should allow the new buses and yellow buses work, we all know that these new buses cannot go into the interior of Lagos to pull people out, which yellow buses do. If we also look at timing, these government buses cannot start working as early as 3 am which is the (time) people start leaving for work.”
An efficient transportation system that would move the over 21 million people in Lagos has remained a huge challenge for successive administrations.
Last year, Akinwunmi Ambode, the Lagos State governor, announced a Bus Reform Initiative, a three-year plan aimed at introducing over 5,000 air-conditioned buses to replace the Danfo buses.
Mr Ambode said the Danfo buses, which are mostly old and rickety, are no longer befitting for the state’s mega city status.
Brooklyn Beckham is excited for what the future holds.
The eldest son of Victoria and David popped the question to model Nicola Peltz, 26, in July last year, with the pair spending every minute of every day together since.
And the 21-year-old couldn't help but gush over what's to come as he took to his Instagram Story to share what he wants to be when the pair tie the knot.
Hosting a mini Q&A with fans, one curious follower asked Brooklyn what he wants to be when he grows up.
"An amazing dad and husband," he wrote alongside a heart emoji.
Brooklyn and Nicola announced their engagement back in July by posing up for a romantic picture, taken by Harper.
Former housemate of Big Brother Naija 2020, Tochuckwu Okechukwu -Tochi has disclosed what she did to a former girlfriend after valentine’s day celebration.
The reality TV star, in a recent post via his Twitter account, revealed that a lady he once dated gifted him a pair of boxers as Valentine’s Day present.
He wrote on Twitter;
''Funny story way back a girl gave me a pair of boxers for valentine the day i wore it was the day we broke up 😂😂 Amaka if you are reading this u are mad 😠''
A Federal High Court, sitting in Lagos, has upheld the Lagos State government’s right to restrict commercial motorcycles (Okada) and tricycles (Keke Marwa) within six local government areas and nine Local Council Development areas, LCDAs, in the state.
Justice Mohammed Liman agreed with the arguments of Lagos State Attorney-General, Moyosore Onigbanjo, SAN, that the restriction of motorcycles and tricycles on major roads in the state is in line with the provisions of the Transport Sector Reform Law, 2018.
The judge dismissed for want of merit, a fundamental rights suit filed by a lawyer, Olukoya Ogungbeje, challenging Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s executive order authorising the restrictions.
While delivering judgment in a Suit no. FHC/L/CS/173/2020 between Olukoya Ogungbeje V Lagos State Government & 7 Ors, the court said it assumed jurisdiction in the case on the premise that both the Federal High Court and State High Court exercise concurrent jurisdiction over fundamental human rights cases.
“The restriction of motorcycles, tricycles within six Local Government Areas and nine Local Council Development Areas in the State is not an infringement of Fundamental Human Rights,” Justice Liman held.
He said that Ogungbeje, who admitted being a car owner and not a motorcycle or tricycle operator, could not complain of his right in any form being infringed on by the executive order.
Justice Liman, dismissed the applicant’s originating summons for lacking in merit.
Reality tv star, Kiddwaya has said he doesn’t need Instagram to make an impact in society.
According to him, Instagram has got nothing on him since they put his account under shadowban, making it hard for his fans and business partners to reach him. In a now-deleted tweet, he blamed a group of unidentified people who reported his again.
In a tweet he made yesterday, the billionaire son has asked his followers to forget the photo-sharing app since it is not the only medium he can use to make an impact in society. According to him, his presence will be felt with or without being on the app.
