Author: TheScrutinyNG

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Tuesday grilled the Chairman of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), Malam Jalal Arabi, over alleged mismanagement of 2024 Hajj exercise fund. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Arabi was at the office of the anti-graft agency to answer questions on how the commission spent the N90 billion subsidy for the exercise. NAN learnt that there were petitions against the chairman and the commission’s management over alleged fund mismanagement, especially during the 2024 hajj exercise. An authoritative source from the commission said Arabi was at the anti-graft agency to…

Libya repatriated Tuesday 369 irregular migrants to their home countries Nigeria and Mali, including more than one hundred women and children, an official told AFP. Mohammed Baredaa, head of the Libyan interior ministry organisation tasked with halting irregular migration, said two repatriation flights took place transporting 204 Nigerians and 165 Malians. Nine babies, 18 minors, and 108 women were among the Nigerian irregular migrants, said Baredaa. He said that the flights were carried out “in coordination with the International Organization for Migration (IOM)”. The UN agency provides free return flights to migrants and helps reintegrate them into their home countries…

Landslides in India triggered by pounding monsoon rains have killed at least 45 people with at least 250 others rescued from a landscape transformed by mud and debris, officials said Tuesday. The southern coastal state of Kerala has been battered by torrential downpours, with blocked roads into the disaster area at Wayanad district complicating relief efforts. District official D.R. Meghasree told reporters that 45 people were dead and another 116 were in hospital for treatment. “My thoughts are with all those who have lost their loved ones and prayers with those injured,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a post…

A coal mine collapsed near Vietnam’s Ha Long Bay after heavy rain killing five people, state media reported Tuesday. The accident happened Monday at a mine operated by the Hon Gai Coal Company, a unit of Vietnam’s state coal miner Vinacomin, VNExpress news site said. Early Tuesday morning a rescue team pulled out the bodies of the miners, who were aged between 23 and 47 years old. According to disaster authorities, heavy rainfall was reported in Ha Long City, in northern Quang Ninh province, at the time of the accident. The torrential rains caused landslides, and several homes were flooded.…

The Labour Party’s (LP) presidential candidate for 2023, Peter Obi, has expressed his support on Sunday for the nationwide protest scheduled for August. Obi, the former Anambra State Governor, said the Nigerian Constitution allows room for protest as it is the right of citizens. He, however, warned against violence, saying such demonstrations should be done within the confines of the law. Obi identified hunger, and hopelessness among the youths as the sponsors of the protest, calling on the Nigerian authorities to engage and give a listing listening ear to the protesters. “In Nigerian Constitution, protest is allowed,” Obi told Channels…

Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, held an emergency meeting with tactical commanders of the Nigeria Police Force to stress the importance of professionalism and adherence to the rule of law in managing public demonstrations. This was disclosed in a statement by the Force Public Relations Officer of Force Headquarters, Olumuyiwa Adejobi on Saturday, July 28. The statement reads: “In light of recent intelligence reports on the upcoming planned protests in the country, the Inspector General of Police, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, today 27th July 2024, held an emergency meeting with tactical commanders of the Nigeria Police Force to…

By Lanre Issa-Onilu  The proponents of violent protests are not relenting. They have fixed August 1 to August 10 as the days of rage. They are insisting that the house must be burnt down in anger. Like W. B. Yeats’ wrote in his poem, The Second Coming, “the falcon no longer hears the falconer.” In this case, the champions of violence are not willing to listen to wise counsel. There’s a loss of order and guidance as the forces of chaos and destruction no longer heed the call of reason. To what end are many Nigerians asking? The desire to…

Dangote Petroleum Refinery has firmly rejected recent reports alleging that the plant has been reselling crude oil due to operational difficulties. The claims, published on Friday, suggested that the refinery faced technical issues that led to the resale of crude oil sourced from both the United States and Nigeria. The report also mentioned that the refinery purportedly offered various crude grades, including US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) Midland and Nigerian Escravos and Forcados crudes, and implied that such practices, though rare, have occurred before. In response, Anthony Chiejina, Chief Branding and Communication Officer for Dangote Group, labeled these allegations as…

The Israeli military issued new evacuation orders for residents of southern Gaza’s Khan Yunis City on Saturday, after retrieving the bodies of five Israelis and warning of new operations. The United Nations said more than 180,000 Palestinians have already fled fierce fighting in Khan Yunis since the military began an operation in the area last Monday. The evacuation orders and “intensified hostilities” have “significantly destabilised aid operations”, the UN said, reporting “dire water, hygiene and sanitation conditions” in the Palestinian territory. After Israel warned its forces would “forcefully operate” in the Khan Yunis region, including an area previously declared a…

A landmine exploded under a Nigerian military vehicle killing seven soldiers in a northeastern area where Islamic State-affiliated jihadists are active, anti-jihadist militia said Friday. The soldiers were heading for Kukawa early Thursday when their vehicle drove over an improvised explosive device, two militia sources said. “All the seven soldiers in the van died in the explosion at Bawarti village,” anti-jihadist militia leader Babakura Kolo said. The incident was confirmed by another militia official, Ibrahim Liman. Both sources blamed Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), the dominant jihadist faction in the Lake Chad area. Nigerian forces have been locked in…