Author: Samuel Akpenpuun

The United States on Thursday announced its approval of a $5 billion sale of up to 600 Patriot missiles and related equipment to Germany, which has donated several of the advanced air defence systems to Ukraine. The proposed sale of the PAC-3 MSE missiles “will support the foreign policy and national security of the United States by improving the security of a NATO ally that is an important force for political and economic stability in Europe,” the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) said in a statement. It “will improve Germany’s capability to meet current and future threats and increase the…

The Federal High Court in Lagos has ordered the interim forfeiture of a cash sum of $2,045m linked to the former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele. Justice Akintayo Aluko also ordered the interim forfeiture of seven landed properties linked to the suspended CBN Governor. The lands are listed as: “two fully detached duplexes of identical structures, lying being and situated at No. 17b Hakeem Odumosu Street, Lekki Phase 1, Lagos; an undeveloped/bare land, measuring 1919.592sqm with Survey Plan No. DS/LS/340 LYING, being and situate at Oyinkan Abayomi Drive (Formerly Queens Drive), Ikoyi, Lagos; a bungalow…

The Federal Government has intensified monitoring and screening procedures at all entry points in the country in response to the monkey pox (Mpox) outbreak. The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof Muhammad Pate, disclosed this in a statement on Thursday signed by his Special Adviser on Media & External Relations, Tashikalmah Hallah. The Africa Centre for Disease Control on Tuesday declared a public health emergency over the growing mpox outbreak on the continent. The outbreak has swept through several African countries, particularly the Democratic Republic of Congo. There is a serious and growing outbreak in the Democratic Republic…

The Labour Party Presidential Candidate in the 2023 poll, Peter Obi, has described as international embarrassment the seizure of three Presidential Jets by the French Court. Reacting to the incident Obi frowned at the secrecy involved in both buying and selling of Presidential jets, a property of Nigerian people. Writing on his X handle on Thursday, Obi said, “The trending international news on the seizure of three Jets belonging to Nigeria’s Presidential fleet is yet another of many embarrassing things exposing our failed leadership and our attitude to the rule of law even in a democracy. “It has also thrown…

Electricity distribution companies (DiSCos) have defended the hike in electricity tariff, saying Band A customers in the country enjoy the lowest price in West Africa. “Even the band A customers who are currently paying the highest in Nigeria, they pay the lowest tariff in the whole of West Africa,” the spokesman of the country’s 11 electricity distribution companies under the umbrella of the Association of Nigerian Electricity Distributors (ANED) Sunday Oduntan said on Thursday’s edition of Channels Television’s Lunchtime Politics. The ANED spokesman who doubled down on his stance, said electricity consumers in neigbhouring countries like the Benin Republic, Mali,…

The Nigerian Army has airlifted troops serving in the North-East under Operation Hadin Kai for their annual leave. A post on the Nigerian Army showed the troops being airlifted from the Maiduguri Airport in Borno State. “Troops serving in North East Nigeria under Operation HADIN KAI proceeding on annual leave from the front lines, being airlifted on Nigerian Army’s chartered ValueJet aircraft from Maiduguri Airport to various destinations across the country under the Chief of Army Staff’s bi-monthly Welfare Flights Initiative,” the post on its X handle said. “Secure, fast, and reliable way for the gallant warriors to travel down…

The Federal Government of Nigeria has accused a Chinese company, Zhongshan Fucheng Industrial Investment Co. Limited, of subterfuge after a French court ruled in favour of the firm and granted the seizure of presidential jets belonging to the Nigerian government. In a statement on Thursday, presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga alleged that the Chinese firm is trying “to take over offshore assets of the Federal Government of Nigeria through subterfuge”. In the dispute involving an arbitration award, the court in Paris ruled in favour of the Chinese firm, allowing it to seize three presidential jets on routine maintenance in France as…

A would-be Miss South Africa who quit the pageant amid a row over her nationality said in a video Thursday she has agreed to run for the Miss Universe Nigeria title. The 23-year-old model, who was born in South Africa to a Nigerian father, withdrew from Miss South Africa “for the safety and wellbeing of my family and I” after a backlash that exposed anti-foreigner sentiment in South Africa. Organisers of the Nigerian contest immediately invited Chidimma Adetshina to join their final on August 31, saying it was a chance to “represent your father’s native land on an international stage”.…

An mpox outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has killed 548 people since the start of the year, with all provinces affected by the virus, the health minister said on Thursday in a statement. The World Health Organization (WHO) on Wednesday declared the mpox surge in Africa a global public health emergency, worried by the rise in cases in DRC and the spread to nearby countries. “According to the latest epidemiological report, our country has recorded 15,664 potential cases and 548 deaths since the beginning of the year,” Health Minister Samuel-Roger Kamba said in a separate video message seen…

The running mates of White House rivals Kamala Harris and Donald Trump have agreed to face off in at least one vice-presidential debate, accepting an invitation from CBS News for an October 1 showdown. CBS posted Wednesday on social media platform X that it had offered four potential debates in September and October to Democratic Minnesota governor Tim Walz and Ohio’s Republican senator J.D. Vance. “See you on October 1, JD,” Walz replied, before the Harris campaign officially confirmed that it had accepted the date, which comes after early voting has already started in several states. Vance said Thursday he…