Author: Samuel Akpenpuun

The Nigeria Police Force has announced the suspension of four officers implicated in the theft of ₦43.16 million from a total of ₦74.95 million recovered during an unauthorised arrest at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja. The force spokesperson, Muyiwa Adejobi, in a statement on Wednesday, disclosed that the officers—DSP Peter Ejike, Inspector Ekende Edwin, Inspector Esther Okafor, and Sergeant Talabi Kayode, all attached to Zone 7 Headquarters—were found guilty of conspiring to tamper with exhibits, abuse of office, and other acts of misconduct. According to Adejobi, the officers, led by Inspector Okafor under DSP Ejike’s directive, arrested Andrew Ejah, an…

The UN appealed Wednesday for more than $47 billion to deliver vital aid next year, warning surging conflicts and the climate crisis will leave hundreds of millions of people in need. “The world is on fire,” the United Nations’ new humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher told reporters in Geneva, acknowledging he was looking ahead to 2025 with “dread”. With brutal conflicts spiralling in places like Gaza, Sudan and Ukraine, and as climate change and extreme weather take an ever-heavier toll, the UN estimated that 305 million people globally will need some form of emergency assistance next year. “We are dealing with…

Norway’s parliament on Tuesday adopted legislation extending the legal limit for abortion from 12 to 18 weeks in the Scandinavian country. Legislators voted by a broad majority in favour of a proposal by the centre-left minority government that has been split on the issue. The new law, which will replace 1978 legislation, will give women until the 18th week of pregnancy to decide whether they want an abortion. Currently, women in Norway can have an abortion after the 12th week but only with the approval of a medical committee made up two doctors, one male and one female. Refusals are…

Federal Capital Territory FCT Minister, Ezenwo Nyesom Wike has again vowed to make Abuja hot for criminals, saying the cost of living would reduce when bandits are tamed and farmers are able to return to their farms. The minister made the declaration on Tuesday in Abuja while flagging off the 9.8km Kabusa – Takushara road. He said the 2-lane, 7-metre carriage way with solar streetlights and shoulders is expected to be completed within six months. At the event, the minister also cautioned school administrators against lining students in the sun to receive him, saying FCT school children must never be…

The Rivers State High Court sitting in Port Harcourt has declared as null and void the purported suspension of the federal Lawmaker representing Andoni-Opobo/Nkoro federal constituency in the House of Representatives, Awaji-Inombek Abiante from the Peoples Democratic Party. Abiante, an ally of Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, and representative of the Governor’s Federal Constituency, was allegedly suspended in May by a parallel PDP Ward Caretaker Executive loyal to the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike in his Ward 1, Ngo, Andoni Local Government Area of Rivers State. The factional caretaker executive led by its chairman, Dike Bara and 13 others, had announced…

The Governor of Lagos, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has signed the Lagos Electricity Bill 2024 into law. The law is a comprehensive plan aimed at addressing challenges in the energy sector and is expected to lay the foundation for economic and industrial growth in Lagos. The governor signed the bill on Tuesday at the Lagos House, Ikeja. “The bill is a major step by the state government to ensure a 24-hour electricity supply to every corner of the state, following the Federal Government’s approval for states to generate and distribute energy in 2023,” said the governor’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity,…

The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons on Tuesday, denied barring investigative journalist, ‘Fisayo Soyombo, from seeing a baby he had rescued from an orphanage home suspected of illicit baby trafficking. NAPTIP’s Lagos Zonal Commander, Mrs. Comfort Agboko, argued this on Arise News’ flagship programme, The Morning Show, in Lagos on Tuesday. Agboko said the agency “did not shut him out” but only asked the investigative journalist to “write to NAPTIP for us to facilitate the process of seeing the baby.” Speaking on Arise News on November 30 after his recent detention and release by the Nigerian…

Aero Contractors has announced a minimum ticket price of N80,000 for local flights across its routes during the festive season. The airline’s Managing Director, Ado Sanusi, disclosed this on Tuesday during a briefing with journalists, describing the initiative as a gesture to alleviate the financial burden on Nigerians amid the Christmas and New Year celebrations. Sanusi said the initiative, which will run through January 2024, is part of the company’s commitment to giving back to its customers during the holidays. He said, “We understand the economic hardship Nigerians are facing, especially with high ticket prices, and we know the holiday…

The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency has reported the rescue of four accident victims on Monday evening. The agency’s Permanent Secretary, Dr Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, confirmed this in a statement issued on Tuesday in Lagos. Oke-Osanyintolu said the victims sustained severe injuries in the accident involving two buses. The incident occurred late on Monday evening on the Third Mainland Bridge, heading towards Oworo. “Following distress calls received through the 767 and 112 toll-free emergency lines at 17:25, LASEMA activated its emergency response team from the Command and Control Centre in Alausa, Ikeja. “Upon arrival at the scene at 17:35, we discovered…

The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has lauded the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for securing the recovery of a sprawling estate in Abuja from a former high-ranking government official implicated in corruption. The forfeited estate, located on Plot 109, Cadastral Zone C09, Lokogoma District, Abuja, measures 150,500 square meters and includes 753 duplexes and apartments. Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie granted the final forfeiture order on Monday, December 2, 2024, marking it as one of the EFCC’s most significant recoveries since its establishment in 2003. In a statement issued on Tuesday by Abdul-Yekinn Odunayo, Clerk of the Senate, NANS…