Author: Festus Adeloye

The Nigerian government has condemned the ongoing Israeli operations in Gaza, insisting that the fundamental human rights, including and especially right to life, of the vulnerable civilian population must be preserved at all cost. Nigeria, in a statement signed by her Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar, said: “The government and people of Nigeria condemn, in the strongest possible terms, the onslaught on defenseless civilians currently being witnessed in Gaza in the course of the Israel-Palestine conflict. The latest deadly attacks on the Rafah Displacement Camps in Southern Gaza on Sunday the 26th, which killed about 45 people, mostly women…

The ancient city of Kano has returned to its bustling but peaceful nature as the 16th Emir of Kano Lamido Sanusi and his predecessor Aminu Bayero did not clash during Juma’at prayer. Governor Abba Yusuf, had through a repealed chieftaincy law, dethroned Bayero and four other first class emirs and reinstated Sanusi. But Bayero returned to the state to reclaim his position. While Sanusi is consolidating on the throne, having occupied the main palace, Bayero is waiting anxiously for the decision of the court as he now stays at the Nasarawa palace. Tension rose on Friday morning that the two…

Prolific playwright and novelist, Professor Wole Soyinka, has said he may reapply for the restoration of his permanent residency in the United States following the conviction of former US President, Donald Trump. Trump was convicted on each of the 34 charges of falsifying business records, to hide a payment meant to silence porn star Stormy Daniels, Thursday. While reacting to the development in a statement on Thursday, Soyinka said he may reapply for his green card, seeing the attention Trump’s conviction had attracted. “Seeing that this trite, personal gesture attracted such inordinate attention at the time, let me answer the…

No fewer than 40 directors failed the qualifying examination for appointment to the position of permanent secretaries. Out of 92 directors who took the examination on May 27, 2024, 40 scored below 50 percent, indicating failure, according to the results obtained by our correspondent in Abuja. It was also gathered that three directors were absent, and one was unable to complete the exam. A memorandum dated May 28, 2024, originating from the Office of the Head of Service, designated as “HCSF/ CMO/ AOD/012/IX/59,” disclosed that the subsequent phase of the selection procedure will involve an ICT-based assessment. This setback occurs…

The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has completed and inaugurated five abandoned mega-regional projects in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu. The managing director of NDDC, Samuel Ogbuku, said the agenda mandated the commission to complete and inaugurate all abandoned ongoing projects designed to link states and communities in the region. Speaking at the NDDC’s media engagement in Port Harcourt, Ogbuku said that the recent inauguration of five mega projects in Abia, Edo, Ondo, Bayelsa, and Akwa Ibom states was a testimony of the new passion of the commission to deliver on the mandate. He emphasised…

The Rivers State High Court in Port Harcourt, on Wednesday, issued an interlocutory injunction restraining the Martin Amaewhule-led House of Assembly from further sitting and parading themselves as members of the state legislature. Justice C.N. Wali granted the order in a suit filed by the faction of the Assembly loyal to Governor Siminilayi Fubara. The Rivers Assembly became factionalised last October when the cordial relationship between Fubara and his predecessor and political godfather, Nyesom Wike, broke down. While Amaewhule leads 24 lawmakers loyal to Wike, Victor Oko-Jumbo emerged this year as the Speaker of the faction loyal to Fubara. Amid…

The death toll from the May 15 bombing of a mosque in Gadan village, Gezawa Local Government Area of Kano State, has increased to 21. On Thursday, it was reported that four additional victims succumbed to their injuries, up from the 17 fatalities previously reported on May 21. The attack, which occurred during early-morning prayers, initially left 25 worshippers injured. While one individual died on the day of the incident, 20 others have since died at the Muhammed Specialists Hospital in Kano, leaving only four survivors. This update was provided by Alhaji Bature AbdulAziz, Chairman of Friends of the Hospital,…

The Economic and Financial Crime Commission is probing a former Kano State Governor, Rabiu Kwankwaso, over alleged N2.5bn pension fraud. Kwankwaso was invited and had been grilled by EFCC interrogators over the development, PUNCH newspaper reported. A source in the anti-graft agency familiar with the matter but had no authourisation to speak, said, “The commission invited Kwankwaso over the alleged N2.5bn Kano pension funds. We have grilled Kwankwaso over the matter, and he has provided some details to interrogators.” Another source noted, “Former Kano governor, Kwankwaso has been invited by the commission . He has been grilled, and we’re continuing…

A New York jury on Thursday found Donald Trump guilty on all 34 felony counts of falsifying business records — the first time a former U.S. president has been convicted of a crime. The jury reached its verdict in the historic case after 9.5 hours of deliberations, which began Wednesday. He’ll be sentenced on July 11, four days before the Republican National Convention. He faces penalties ranging from a fine to four years in prison on each count, although it’s expected he would be sentenced for the offenses concurrently, and not consecutively. “This was a disgrace. This was a rigged…

Amid crisis on who is the authentic emir of Kano, the 16th Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, on Thursday appointed Hamisu Sani as the new Ward Head of Kofar Mazugal in Dala Local Government area. It is the first appointment made by the former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) since his reinstatement under the resistance of the dethroned 15th emir of Kano, Aminu Bayero. Emir Sanusi called on the new ward Head to ensure peaceful coexistence among the subjects of the area and contribute his quota towards the development of the state as a whole. As Sanusi consolidate his…