Author: Festus Adeloye

The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, has apologised to his colleague, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, over his nightclub comment. During the plenary on Tuesday, Akpabio stated that he would never deliberately denigrate a woman. Speaking on the floor of the Red Chamber, Akpabio reiterated that he never intended to insult any woman. Akpabio mentioned that his phone had been overwhelmed with insults regarding the issue. The incident occurred last Thursday when Akpabio rebuffed Natasha while she attempted to speak without being invited to during his speech. He remarked, “Senator Natasha, you cannot speak without being asked or invited to speak in the Senate.…

The senator representing Imo East Senatorial District, Ezenwa Onyewuchi, has dumped the Labour Party (LP) and joined the All Progressives Congress (APC). Onyewuchi also declared his support for President Bola Tinubu’s administration. His letter of defection was read on the floor of the red chambers by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, on Tuesday, July 23. Recall in 2022, Senator Onyewuchi left the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to join the Labour Party (LP). Onyewuchi was also a former member of the House of Representatives – Owerri-Municipal/Owerri-North/West-Federal Constituency The letter partly reads: “This decision is due to the intractable division and crisis in…

The Police headquarters in Abuja has described shocking and unfounded, trends of discussions on the dilapidated status of barracks and their redevelopment, specifically the Falomo Barracks and others in Lagos in social media dismissing allegations that the barracks have been sold. Rather the Police said the barrack along with others is being redeveloped in partnership with sub-national governments and reputable developers to unlock value in the assets by building more befitting and modern barracks Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Muyiwa Adejobi made this known on Tuesday. He said, “Following series of misleading write-ups and social media comments alleging that the…

Akinwunmi Adesina, president of the African Development Bank (AfDB), has criticised the “monopoly” accusations against Aliko Dangote, chairman of Dangote Industries Limited (DIL). Adesina spoke in an X post shared by Femi Otedola on Tuesday. On July 20, Dangote said the board of directors agreed that the company should halt plans to invest in Nigeria’s steel industry “to prevent accusations of being branded a monopoly”. Prior to this, the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) claimed that refineries in the country — including the Dangote refinery — produce inferior petroleum products. The regulator also accused Dangote of monopoly…

Mele Kyari, the group chief executive officer (GCEO) of the Nigeria National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited, says he does not own a blending plant in Malta. Kyari spoke on Tuesday in response to claims by Aliko Dangote, Africa’s richest person, that officials of the NNPC operate an oil facility in Malta — an island country located in the central Mediterranean Sea. Apart from the NNPC personnel, Dangote, who addressed the house of representatives on July 22, also alleged that oil traders and terminals have opened a blending plant in the island nation. An oil blending plant has no refining capability…

Armed robbers have raped two female students of the Ogun State-owned Tai Solarin University of Education, Ijagun, Ijebu Ode. It was gathered that the two first-year female students of the institution were raped by robbers on Monday. The incident reportedly occurred around 12:30 am when the robbers invaded students’ apartments. A source at the school disclosed that the suspects, armed with guns, forced the students to surrender their phones and other belongings before leading them to an uncompleted building where they took turns to rape them. Police spokesperson in the state Omolola Odutola confirmed the incident in Abeokuta, the state…

Fifty-eight of the 164 member states of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) members have voiced support for a proposal from the African Group backing incumbent Director General, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, to serve a second term. The 58 member countries of the trade association made this known at a July 22 meeting of the WTO General Council, according to a statement by the world trade body. “The African Group requests that the current Director-General make herself available to serve a second term, and has proposed that the process of reappointing the Director-General should be started as soon as possible,” the statement partly…

The Governor of Kaduna State, Uba Sani, has expressed concern over the rising cases of out-of-school children, poverty and other socioeconomic problems in the North, stating that the region was on the brink of collapse if the leaders do not come together to find solutions to the challenges. Sani raised the alarm during a courtesy visit of the National Chairman of the Arewa Consutative Forum (ACF), Mamman Osuman to Kaduna State. He said, “This new executive committee has emerged at a time of great challenges. We are confronted with difficult developmental and security questions. Criminal elements have been laying siege…

World record holder Tobi Amusan has been selected as the country’s flagbearer for the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. This appointment marks a historic moment for Nigerian athletics, as Amusan becomes the first track and field athlete in two decades to receive this honour. A tweet by Making of Champions on social media platform X on Tuesday said, “Tobi Amusan has been named as Nigeria’s flagbearer for the opening ceremony of #Paris2024 #Olympics – she becomes the first athlete from Athletics in 20yrs, since Mary Onyali at the Athens 2004 Games, to have such honours.” Amusan, known…

Justice (Professor) C. A. Obiozor of the Federal High Court sitting in Benin City has convicted and sentenced one Olabinjor Ajobor, a businessman to seven years imprisonment without an option of fine. The defendant was first arraigned in 2018 before being re-arraigned in July 2023 on an amended three-count charge of obtaining by false pretence. One of the charges reads: “That you OLABINJOR AJOBOR and BISOFRANK INVESTMENT LIMITED on or about the 21st day of February 2017 in Benin, Edo State within the jurisdiction of this Honourable did with intent to defraud induced one Mr George Ezomo to deposit the…