Author: Amina Mohammed

A United Airlines flight, a Boeing 787-8 traveling from Lagos to Washington Dulles International Airport, declared an emergency on Thursday and made an air return to Lagos. The aircraft, identified with registration number N27903, is over 13 years old and belongs to the US carrier United Airlines. It was carrying 245 passengers, eight flight attendants, and three pilots at the time of the incident. The flight crew maintained the emergency transponder code 7700, signaling distress, until the aircraft landed safely back in Lagos. Reports from passengers indicated that some sustained minor injuries during the turbulent return. Images and videos shared…

President Bola Tinubu has appointed Dr Ikye Orikpo as the new chairman of the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital. The Special Adviser to the President (Information & Strategy), Bayo Onanuga, disclosed this in a statement on Friday. He said the new appointee, who hails from Delta State, joins the new board chairpersons announced earlier. The presidential spokesman also clarified a few things about the list of earlier appointed Board chairmen. “Hon. Duro Meseko from Kogi state is the chairman of the Nigerian Building and Road Research Institute. What appears to be a duplication has been corrected,” the statement read. “Also,…

Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie of the Federal High Court, FCT sitting in Apo, Abuja on Thursday, granted the prayers of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to amend charges brought against a former Minister of Power, Olu Agunloye and make him take his plea. Agunloye is standing trial by the  EFCC on seven-count charges bordering on official corruption and fraudulent award of the Mambilla Power Project contract to the tune of $6 billion. Earlier on July 1 2024, Prosecution Counsel, Abba Mohammed S(AN) drew the attention of the court to the amended charge, urging the court to accept same and cause the defendant to take…

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, on Friday, withdrew the arrest warrant issued against Ezekiel Thankgod, the former manager of gospel singer Mercy Chinwo, accused of alleged $345,000 fraud. Justice Alexander Owoeye had, on 16 January 2025, issued a bench warrant for the music producer’s arrest following an ex parte application by the EFCC seeking to compel his appearance in court to face criminal charges. However, during Friday’s proceedings, the EFCC’s lawyer, Mrs Bilikisu Buhari, applied to withdraw the arrest warrant. Buhari explained that since the charges had already been served on Thankgod’s lawyer, Monday Ubani, SAN, in open court,…

Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court  Abuja has proscribed the Lakurawa sect, classifying it as a terrorist organisation. The prescription order followed an ex-parte application filed by the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN). In a ruling, Justice Omotosho, equally proscribed similar groups operating in Nigeria, especially in the North West and North Central regions of the country. “It is hereby ordered as follows: That an order is hereby made declaring the activities of the Lakurawa Sect and other similar groups In any part of Nigeria, especially in the North West and North…

President Bola Tinubu has appointed the Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Ganduje as the board chairman of the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria. Also appointed is the APC National Secretary, Senator Bashiru Ajibola as the board chairman of the National Sugar Development Council (NSDC). The Special Adviser to the President (Information & Strategy), Bayo Onanuga, announced the appointment in a statement on Friday. “President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has appointed board chairpersons for 42 federal organisations and a secretary to the board of the Civil Defence, Immigration, and Prisons Services,” the statement read. “The President has also…

Novak Djokovic said Friday there was a chance he may have played his last Australian Open after retiring with a muscle tear in the semi-finals to leave his bid for a record 25th Grand Slam crown in tatters. The 37-year-old’s upper left leg was again heavily taped after hurting it in the quarter-finals and the Serb called it quits after losing the first set 7-6 (7/5) to Alexander Zverev. Djokovic left the court to a mixture of boos and applause as the German reached his first Melbourne final. “There is a chance. Who knows,” Djokovic said when asked if he…

Air pollution in the Thai capital forced the closure of more than 350 schools on Friday, city authorities said, as Bangkok was ranked the world’s seventh-most polluted major city by air quality monitor IQAir. Seasonal air pollution has long afflicted Thailand, like many countries in the region, but this week’s hazy conditions have shuttered most schools since 2020. “Bangkok Metropolitan Administration has closed 352 schools across 31 districts due to air pollution,” the authority said in a message shared on its official LINE group. On Thursday, more than 250 schools in Bangkok were closed due to pollution, as officials urged…

The Nigerian Labour Congress has called on telecommunication subscribers to “reject” the Federal Government’s new 50 per cent tariff hike. In a statement shared on its X handle, NLC wrote “Reject This Tariff.” The Federal Government approved a 50 per cent increase after operators initially requested a 100 per cent increase. The hike, the first in over a decade, is aimed at revitalising the struggling telecom sector, which contributes about 14 per cent to Nigeria’s economy. Responding to the development, NLC described the increment as a burden on Nigerians. It wrote“N16.50 per minute, calls costs increased from N11 per minute.…

A nascent socio-political group, Democrats for Justice, Equity and Fairness (DJEF) has alleged that certain interests in the National Assembly are pursuing devious plots against the immediate past Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Mr. Udom Emmanuel, to discredit his personality. The DJEF in a statement signed by its publicity secretary, Dr John Hassan, and made available to newsmen in Abuja, said “there are devious plots being hatched by certain interests in the National Assembly to rubbish the achievements of Emmanuel as governor and bring his personality to a public odium”. The group noted that those behind these callous schemes have…