Author: Samuel Akpenpuun

The Finnish government said on Tuesday that it has started acting on the complaint by the Nigerian government against a Nigerian-Finnish citizen, Simon Ekpa, accused of leading brutal pro-Biafra secessionist campaigns in Nigeria’s South-east region. Minister for Foreign Affairs of Finland, Elina Valtonen, said in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital, during a press conference she addressed alongside her Nordic counterparts, that Mr Ekpa’s case is now before Finnish courts. “We have taken this up and discussed this with the Nigerian authorities… and the entire process is within our judicial system,” Ms Valtomen said, informing the gathering that the issue came up during…

The Ogun State Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Oluwasesan Fagbayi, has said that the abundant potential in culture and tourism is rich enough to revive the country’s struggling economy. Fagbayi, in a statement on Wednesday, made this known while fielding questions from journalists at the just concluded Ekiti State Festival for Arts and Culture with the theme, ‘’Arts and Culture: A Tool for Shared Prosperity’’, at the Ekiti Parapo Pavalion, Ado Ekiti. The commissioner said, “It is glaring now that our dependency on the oil and gas sector could no longer sustain the nation’s economic development. “We have to start…

The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has opposed the removal of the Tony Okocha-led caretaker committee, arguing that the Rivers State court lacks the authority to make such a decision. This reaction follows a ruling by the Rivers State High Court in Port Harcourt, which on Monday annulled the sacking of the Emeka Beke-led executive of the APC in Rivers State. The court, presided over by Justice Sika Aprioku, determined that the APC National Working Committee acted outside its authority by dissolving the elected executives led by Emeka Beke. Justice Aprioku stated that the National Working Committee does not have…

Kylian Mbappe is set to make his much-anticipated debut for Real Madrid in the UEFA Super Cup match against Atalanta on Wednesday night at the National Stadium in Warsaw. The Champions League winners will face Atalanta, who clinched the Europa League title last season. Mbappé, who joined Madrid last month and has been on a break following his participation in Euro 2024, will be eager to secure his first trophy in a Madrid jersey. Mbappé is expected to feature prominently, possibly leading the attack with support from Rodrygo and Vinícius Júnior on the wings. Jude Bellingham, despite limited pre-season action…

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida confirmed Wednesday that he will not seek re-election as head of his party next month, meaning the end of his premiership. “The most obvious first step to show that the LDP will change is for me to step aside. I will not be running in the forthcoming (party) presidential election,” Kishida told reporters, referring to the ruling Liberal Democratic Party. AFP

No fewer than 12 people were reported dead on Tuesday while four others were injured in a lone crash which occurred at about 3:15 pm around Ogere along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway. The lone accident involved a White Mazda Bus with registration number DDA733XA. The crash was adduced to wrongful overtaking after which the bus lost control, hit the road divider, somersaulted and burst into flame. The Spokesperson for the Ogun State Sector Command, Federal Road Safety Corps, Florence Okpe, disclosed this in a statement sent to journalists on Tuesday. The injured were said to have been taken to Patmag Hospital,…

FC Bayern bids farewell to Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui as they complete their move to the Premier League with Manchester United. An X post from Bayern Munich confirmed the move on Tuesday night. It posted, “Farewell to FC Bayern: Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui have completed a move to Manchester United in the Premier League. “Thank you and all the best, Matthijs & Nous.” Meanwhile, in two posts, the English club confirmed the arrival of the new stars to the club. Also on its X handle, the EPL club announced the duo. It read,” Noussair is a…

Three lives have been lost and over 1,000 houses have been destroyed by flooding across three local government areas in Bauchi State, in North-East Nigeria. Officials of the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) reported these figures as they begin assessing the extent of the damage caused by the recent floods. During a visit to the affected communities in Shira, Giade, and Katagum local government areas by the state government delegation, the Director General of Bauchi State Emergency Management Agency, Mas’ud Aliyu, said, “In Shira Local Government Area, three people have lost their lives.” “The three local government areas of Shira,…

The sacked chairman of the All Progressives Congress Caretaker Committee in Rivers State, Tony Okocha, has rubbished the recent #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria protest, describing it as a riot. Okocha spoke shortly after he led a pro-Tinubu support rally under the auspices of Coalition of Renewed Hope Family in Rivers State’ in Port Harcourt on Tuesday. The rally saw Okocha leading youths who displayed placards with inscriptions in support of Tinubu from the Polo Club in GRA to Aba Road, down to Isaac Boro Park, Bank Road, Moscow Road, and terminated at the Port Harcourt Polo Club, where he addressed the gathering. The…

The Oyo State government, through the Oyo State Universal Basic Education Board, has announced a slight adjustment to its interview timetable for teachers’ recruitment interviews. The interview session initially scheduled for Tuesday, August 20, 2024, was rescheduled for August 26, 2024, to avoid a clash with Isese Day, a public holiday in Oyo State. Isese Day, celebrated annually on August 20, honours the indigenous Yoruba culture and traditions, emphasising the preservation of Yoruba heritage. The day is of significant cultural importance, particularly for adherents of the Yoruba traditional religion. The Executive Chairman of SUBEB, Dr Nureni Adeniran, in a swift…