Author: TheScrutinyNG

Dr. Obiageli ‘Oby’ Ezekwesili, the former Minister of Solid Minerals, has called on President Bola Tinubu’s administration to immediately stop the “wicked prosecution” of minors and send them back to their parents and guardians.  Ezekwesili, an Economic and Public Policy Expert and Senior Economic Adviser to the Africa Economic Development Policy Initiative, also demanded that adequate compensations should be paid to the minors who have been detained for months for the roles in the August #EndBadGovernance protests.  The former presidential candidate of the Allied Congress Party of Nigeria (ACPN) warned President Tinubu that no ruler has ever won against their…

The Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare has commended the efforts and collaboration of security agencies in securing the release of Dr Ganiyat Popoola and her nephew, Folaranmi Abdul-Mugniy, who were kidnapped 10 months ago. Popoola, a registrar in the Department of Ophthalmology at the National Eye Centre, Kaduna State, was abducted on December 27, 2023, along with her husband, Nurudeen Popoola, a squadron leader, and her nephew, Folaranmi Abdul-Mugniy, who stays with them. After several negotiations with the kidnappers, the husband was released on March 8, 2024. The PUNCH reports that the ministry, in a press statement on…

The House of Representatives has halted a motion urging President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to reconsider his recent decision to rename the Ministry of Niger Delta Development to the Ministry for Regional Development. The motion, proposed by Hon. Oboku Oforji (PDP, Bayelsa), called for the presidency to restore the ministry’s original focus on the Niger Delta. The sponsor argued that the name change could dilute the ministry’s mandate, potentially impacting ongoing development projects in the oil-rich region. However, during the House session, the motion was set aside after a majority of lawmakers agreed that “it has been overtaken by events.” Speaker…

At least seven people have died following two separate Hezbollah rocket attacks in northern Israel, marking the deadliest day of such strikes in months.   An Israeli farmer and four Thai agricultural workers were killed when rockets landed near Metula, a town bordering Lebanon, according to Israeli and Thai officials, BBC reports. The Israeli military identified two projectiles crossing from Lebanon and falling in an open area near Metula on Thursday morning, it was reported.  The deceased Israeli farmer has been named as Omer Weinstein, a 46-year-old father-of-four from nearby Kibbutz Dafna.   Thailand’s Foreign Minister, Maris Sangiampongsa, confirmed the fatalities of…

The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) has found the wreckage of the helicopter that crashed last Thursday into the Atlantic Ocean while conveying workers of the Nigerian National Petroleum Limited from Port Harcourt. This was contained in a statement issued by the Director of Public Affairs and Family Assistance, Mrs Bimbo Oladeji, on Thursday. The helicopter crashed into the Atlantic Ocean with eight passengers and crew. While five bodies had been recovered, three other passengers were still missing. The bodies were retrieved from the ocean on separate days within eight days of search by a coalition of agencies. In the…

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has announced that starting January 2025, all drivers in Abuja, including taxi, bus, and motorcycle operators, must have official security clearance and use only authorised vehicles with the standard Abuja colour scheme. This measure is intended to boost security and ensure public confidence in transportation services by tracking operators more effectively. Wike disclosed this on Thursday, during the launch of the Youth Empowerment Programme in Abuja. “Most of the motorcycles are informants. Everybody here, by the beneficiary, is being profiled by security. And so what we’re coming up from, from January…

The death toll from Spain’s worst floods in decades soared to 158 on Thursday, emergency services and officials said, as rescue services worked frantically to find survivors. The body coordinating rescue work in the eastern Valencia region announced that 155 bodies had been recovered there. Officials in Castilla-La Mancha and Andalusia announced a combined three deaths in their regions. AFP reports that an exceptionally powerful Mediterranean storm from Tuesday unleashed heavy rains and torrents of mud-filled water that swept away people and wrecked homes, with the eastern Valencia region hit hardest. With many people still missing and some areas remaining…

Dangote Refinery on Thursday said it has not received any payments for the purchase of refined petroleum products from the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN). The company’s Group Chief Branding and Communications Officer, Anthony Chiejina, disclosed in a statement on Thursday. The company made this known in reaction to a claim by the marketers that they were unable to load petrol from the refinery for days. Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily programme on Wednesday, the IPMAN President Abubakar Garima said its members are unable to load petrol from the refinery, despite payment of N40 billion to the…

The Oyo State Government has expressed its determination to conduct an integrity test on all buildings in the area where a storey building located around Ojugbede Jegede Area, Ogbere, Ibadan, on Thursday, collapsed and claimed 10 lives while seven persons were rescued. The affected building was owned by an 80-year-old man identified as Babare Lamidi, said to have also lost five of his grandchildren to the incident. PUNCH observed during a visit to the area that the affected area had been cordoned off by the security agents. An eyewitness, who pleaded anonymity because he was not authorised to speak on…

Ogenyi Onazi, former Super Eagles defensive midfielder, has said his compatriot and Atalanta winger, Ademola Lookman, is presently Africa’s finest player. The former Lazio midfielder made the statement while speaking to Brila FM in Lagos. He further stated that the upcoming African Player of the Year award should be given to him in recognition of his form and efforts in the year under consideration. Onazi said; “Lookman is an exceptional talent; his hardwork, commitment and discipline set him apart.  “I am thrilled with his achievements and his nominations for the Ballon d’Or which is a testament to his quality. “CAF…