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(Nigeria) The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has assured newly registered voters in Kogi and Bayelsa that they would get their Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) before upcoming elections in both states. Deputy Director, Publicity, of the commission, Mr Nick Dazang, said in Abuja that the commission was working to ensure that the voters would participate in the exercise. INEC has scheduled governorship elections in Kogi and Bayelsa on November 21 and December 5, respectively. Dazang said that the commission was already running automated finger identification on the data of the registered voters in the two states. ``The ICT department is working seriously to make sure they remove multiple registration information after which they will produce the PVCs which will be distributed before the elections. `` So, voters in Kogi and Bayelsa should be assured that those who registered and those who have not collected their PVCs would collect them before the elections. ``Our sta

(Nigeria) Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State has decried the sharp drop in revenue generation from N18 billion in 2012 to N6 billion in 2015 and its adverse effect on government finances. Dickson made the observation at the swearing in ceremony of Mrs. Atonye Pekene as Permanent Secretary in the state civil service in Yenagoa on Wednesday. He said the administration was grappling with serious economic challenges in 2015 and called on the people to exercise some patience, as the state had no alternative source of revenue than the Federation Account. “We live in times when states find it difficult to meet their basic obligations of paying monthly salaries and obligations to civil servants; it is not deliberate. “From the revenue base that I inherited in 2012 which stood at about N18 billion and now my last receipt for last month stood at about N6.2 billion. So, that will tell you the enormity of the challenge we are facing. “But because of the values and systems we have put i

The Contact Group’s political subgroup continued talks in the Belarusian capital on Wednesday on resolving the crisis in Ukraine’s south-east, the press service of Donetsk negotiator Denis Pushilin has said. "The subgroup on political issues resumed talks in Minsk," a spokesperson said, reports Tass. The key issue on the agenda is an agreement to extend a pull-back of weapons in east Ukraine’s Donbas region to include tanks and smaller weapons systems. On Tuesday, the group focused on discussing the date for local elections in Donbas, the OSCE’s representative at the Contact Group talks, Martin Sajdik said. "The discussion was mostly devoted to local elections, which should be held on February 21 next year. It turned out that despite the proposal, the elections will still be held on October 18 [in DPR] and November 1 [in LPR]," he said. The diplomat said this is not in line with the Minsk peace agreements. During the talks, the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luan

Coup leaders and loyalists in Burkina Faso signed a truce Tuesday night, ending a week of hostilities, a news report said. The presidential guards that staged the coup agreed to remain confined to barracks, while the loyalists said they would retreat to 50 kilometres from the capital, French broadcaster RFI reported online, reports dpa . The deal does not disarm the guards as the loyalists had hoped, but should avoid any outbreaks of violence during the visit of four heads of state from the Economic Community of West African States. The leaders are set to participate in a second round of mediation talks on Wednesday, the report said. Gilbert Diendere, the brigadier general leading the coup, said that interim President Michel Kafando would be "back in the saddle" as early as Wednesday. Diendere had said earlier in the day that he was committed to negotiations, as the army mobilized on the streets of Ouagadougou. "We will hand over power to a civilian authority, whic

Yemeni President Abd Rabu Mansour Hadi on Tuesday returned to the loyalist-held southern city of Aden six months after fleeing the advancing Houthi rebels, his government's official news agency reported. Local newspaper Aden al-Ghad reported that Hadi arrived on a Saudi military plane and was driven towards a hotel in the city, accompanied by Yemeni guards and troops from the Saudi-led coalition that is backing his government, reports dpa. Local fighters, reportedly backed by troops from the United Arab Emirates, drove the mainly Shiite Houthis from Aden in July. The coalition and Hadi's government have been embarrassed by lawlessness and reported jihadist activity in the city since then. Fierce fighting is continuing in central Yemen and in Marib province, east of the Houthi-held capital Sana'a, accompanied by intense airstrikes by the Saudi-led coalition. The coalition of mainly Gulf states backing Hadi has been building up forces and training loyalist troops in Mari

No fewer than 38 Islamic State fighters were killed over the last 24 hours as Syrian jets continued to pound the extremist group's strongholds in the ancient city of Palmyra, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Tuesday. A Syrian military source, who declined to be named, said that newly supplied Russian aircraft flown by Syrian pilots had been used in the attacks, reports dpa . Russia has reportedly stepped up its military assistance to the embattled regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, which is under growing pressure from Islamic State and from mainly Islamist Turkish- and Gulf-backed rebels. The US Defence Department said last week that it was monitoring a Russian military buildup at an airport near the port city of Latakia in al-Assad's coastal heartland. US Defence Secretary Ash Carter on Friday discussed the situation in Syria in a telephone call with his Russian counterpart. Russia has acknowledged that it is sending military equipment to Syria, sayin

Gilbert Diendere, the brigadier general at the head of Burkina Faso's coup, on Tuesday refused to surrender power in the face of mobilization by the army on the streets of Ouagadougou. Diendere told a press conference he remained president of the military council created by the presidential guard when it seized power last week and that the council "remains valid" as the organ governing the country, reports dpa. He pledged to continue negotiating with the army, but insisted the presidential guard would defend itself if attacked, he was quoted by local media as saying at the press conference. "We do not want to fight. That is not a solution. We will seek dialogue," Diendere told Germany's international Deutsche Welle broadcaster. "We will hand over power to a civilian authority which will still be determined. We have no intention to hold onto power," he added. Diendere was holding urgent talks with army chief Pingrenoma Zagre to avoid bloodshed,

(Nigeria) The Bayelsa State Police Command on Tuesday said it had recovered arms and ammunition from a passenger car in Yenagoa. Mr Asinim Butswat, the Police Public Relations Officer, made the disclosure in an interview in Yenagoa. Butswat, however, said that no arrest was made as the occupants of the car fled before they could be apprehended. ``On September 22 at 5.30 a.m, a Police patrol team flagged down a Mazda 626 Saloon Car marked YEN 415 XA with two occupants during a routine Stop and Search Operations on Ayama Road, Yenagoa. “The driver of the car zoomed off and the patrol team pursued it to the Old Assembly Quarters, Yenagoa, where the duo abandoned the car and escaped. “The car was searched and the following items were recovered: Two Lar Rifles, Breech Nos. 11H936 and 11H9876 respectively, double magazines, 74 rounds of 7.62mm live ammunition, 28 rounds of 6.62 mm live ammunition. “Others are one Magnum George F Pump action with breech No. 550 with eight live AA Cartri

The state’s appeal against Oscar Pistorius’ acquittal on a murder charge would be heard on November 3, South Africa's Supreme Court of Appeals said on Tuesday. Pistorius, who is serving a five-year sentence at the Kgosi Mampuru II prison in Pretoria, was found guilty of manslaughter for shooting dead his girlfriend on February 14, 2013. He was due to be released on parole on August  21, but the justice minister blocked his parole at the last minute after a complaint from a women's rights group. The parole is due to be considered again in two weeks. Pistorius, known widely as the Blade Runner for his use of running blades, claimed he thought Reeva Steenkamp was a burglar before he shot her through a locked toilet door at his home in Pretoria. His trial that lasted from March to October 2014 received worldwide attention. Apart from a video filmed in secret by an inmate at Kgosi Mampuru II that showed the Paralympian playing soccer with a Czech mobster in a courtyard, little

(Nigeria) Senate President Bukola Saraki on Tuesday denied the allegations of false assets declaration brought against him by the Code of Conduct Bureau. Saraki, who was arraigned before the Conduct of Conduct Tribunal in Abuja, pleaded not guilty to the 13-count charge brought against him. The Bureau had filed a 13-count charge before the tribunal against the Saraki for false declaration of assets during his tenure as governor of Kwara State in 2003. The tribunal had on Sept. 21 ordered the Inspector General of Police to arrest and produce Saraki to face justice after failing to appear before it to answer the charges. At the resumed hearing, Mr Joseph Daudu, SAN, counsel to the accused, told the tribunal that the case was adjourned for him to produce his client and not for Saraki to take plea. He said he had filed a motion challenging the jurisdiction of the tribunal because it lacked criminal jurisdiction to entertain the charges. Daudu also prayed the tribunal to entertain his

(Nigeria) The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has invoked a section of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015 to convict an accused person, Uba Mohammed for refusing to appear in court after he was granted bail on June 10, 2013. The accused person is standing trial before Justice Salisu Garba of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja on a two- count charge of Criminal Breach of Trust to the tune of N10 million.  The offence is punishable under Section 312 of the Penal Code Act, Cap 532 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria. In view of his failure to face trial over a period of 10 adjournments, Justice Garba revoked the bail granted the accused person and issued a bench warrant against him. At the resumed hearing on Tuesday, prosecution counsel, Takon Ndifon, prayed the court to rule over the matter in the absence of the accused person. Moving his plea, Ndifon said:  "Section 352 sub-section 4 of the Administration of the Criminal Justice A

(Nigeria) The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Tuesday, September 22, 2015 arraigned a former governor of Jigawa State, Sule Lamido, his two sons - Aminu Sule Lamido and Mustapha Lamido, Aminu Abubakar and Batholomew Darlington Agoha, before Justice Adeniyi Ademola of the Federal High Court, Abuja, on a 27-count amended charge bordering on corruption and money laundering. The other companies arraigned along with them were companies through which they allegedly perpetrated the fraud. The companies are Bamaina Holdings Limited, Bamaina Company Nigeria Limited, Bamaina Aluminium Limited and Speeds International Limited. Lamido and his co-accused had been arraigned before Justice Evelyn Anyadike of the Federal High Court, Kano State, on July 9 2015 for allegedly misappropriating funds belonging to Jigawa State. Their case was later transferred to the Federal High Court, Abuja, where Justice Gabriel Kolawole, a vacation judge, granted the accused persons bail, and adjo

(Nigeria) Abductors of former Secretary to the Federal Government, Chief Olu Falae, has reduced the ransom demanded for his release from N100 million to N90 million, an aide to the chief has said. The aide, who pleaded anonymity said on Tuesday in Akure that the abductors called the family on Monday night and agreed that they could bring N90 million if they could not afford N100 million demanded. The source, however, said that the family had only been able to raise N2 million. The septuagenarian was kidnapped in his farm on Monday by gunmen who were also was said to have wounded some of his workers. Although the Police in the state had insisted that the incident was a ‘’mere attack by some Fulani herdsmen’’, the family said the kidnappers called to demand a ransom of N100 million. "When they called us on Monday night, they said they could only reduce the ransom to N90 million, but we cannot afford that. “We begged them to take N2 million but they rejected it; they said they

(Nigeria) The Police in Lokoja, Kogi State, have arrested 56 persons suspected to be members of Boko Haram insurgents. The Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr Emmanuel Ojukwu, made this known to newsmen in Lokoja on Tuesday. Ojukwu said that the suspects were arrested at the popular Boko Haram Junction at Angwa Tiv in Obajana village, a suburb of Lokoja. He said that the suspects were picked up from their various hideouts on September 19. Ojukwu said the police action was triggered by a gun attack on a police patrol vehicle in Obajana area by some of the suspects on September 4, saying that a police inspector was killed during the attack. He said that the junction had served as haven for criminal elements that had been killing and maiming innocent people for years, disclosing that dangerous weapons and drugs were found in their possession. The commissioner said that the suspects would be charged to court very soon. Ojukwu also showed the corpse of a robbery suspect who was f

(Nigeria) The Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Mahmud Mohammed, on Monday swore in 21 lawyers in the rank Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) to usher in the 2015/2016 legal year. The new SANs are Prof. Maxwell Gidado, Dr Tahir Mamman, Dr Akinpelu Onigbinde, Prof. Paul Idornigie, Dr Oladapo Olanipekun, Dr Muiz Banire, Ibrahim Bawa, Samuel Zibiri and Aderibgbe Adedeji. Others are Emmanuel Aguma, Emeka Etiaba, Abinbola Akeredolu, Olumuyiwa Akinboro, Gordy Uche, Uchechukwu Obi, Kehinde Eleja, Edward Ashiekaa, Joseph Bamigboye, Benson Nwankwo, Patrick Okolo and Adeniyi Adegbonmire. Mohammed, while swearing in the new silks, urged them to avoid corrupt practices to promote service delivery and fair judgment. He stressed the need for more result-oriented steps to substantially reduce the procedural clogs in Nigeria’s judicial system. ``The time has come for us all legal practitioners to be grounded in justice delivery, in seeking to uphold the rule of law, judicial reform and the end to c

(Nigeria) The Ekiti State Independent Electoral Commission, EKSIEC, on Monday announced that it had fixed December19, 2015 for council elections in the state. Chairman of the commission, Justice Kayode Bamisile (retd), made the disclosure while speaking with newsmen in Ado-Ekiti. Bamisile said that the elections would be conducted for chairmanship and councillorship positions in the 16 local government areas in the state, adding that the commission was fully prepared for the exercise. He said the commission had meeting with representatives of 23 registered political parties in the state and security agencies before arriving at the date. He, however, clarified that fixing of the date was the sole responsibility of the commission with regards to the relevant laws that established it. The chairman said that guidelines and time-table for the election had already been distributed to all the political parties, and assured the parties that the commission would create a level-playing grou

(Nigeria) The Code of Conduct Tribunal, CCT, on Monday refused the bid by the Senate President, Sen. Bukola Saraki, to stop trial in a case brought against him by the Code of Conduct Bureau. Justice Danladi Umar, the Chairman of the tribunal, in a ruling in Abuja, ordered that the Inspector-General of Police should arrest Saraki and bring him to court. The tribunal had, on September 18, issued bench warrant against the Senate president following his failure to appear before it to defend the charges brought against him. Umar refused to stop the proceeding as canvassed by Mr Joseph Daudu, Counsel to the accused, on grounds that the tribunal was duty bound to implement the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015. He said that the composition of the tribunal was legal since the law allows the chairman and one other member to form a quorum. ``In view of the provisions of the Administration of Criminal justice Act, 2015, the application to stay proceeding in this matter due m

(Nigeria) The Court of Appeal on Monday in Abuja struck out an application filed before it by the Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki to stop his appearance at the Code of Conduct Tribunal. The tribunal had on Friday issued a warrant for Saraki’s arrest following his failure to appear before the court to defend charges brought against him. Ruling, the presiding judge, Justice, Morre Adunmein, held that the court was not inclined to grant the appellant’s prayers without diligently giving room for other respondents to state their positions. ``We have read the motion exparte and have also averted our minds to the decision of the Code of Conduct Tribunal on the matter. ``We are of the view that the respondents be put on notice and therefore, the prayers are refused and the application struck out. ``The matter is adjourned to September 29 while the team of counsel to the appellant should within the period effect services on the identified respondents,’’ he said. The Senate President ha

(Nigeria) Borno State Police command on Monday said that 54 people were killed with 95 seriously  injured in a multiple explosions that rocked the suburb of Maiduguri around Ajilari, Bintu sugar and Gomari Airport general areas by Boko Haram insurgents. Police  spokesperson, Isuku Emmanuel in an interview with newsmen in Maiduguri, the state capital made the disclosure. It was however gathered from sources that the death toll is ovrr 60 as many of the of 95 critically injured ones did not survive while receiving treatment at various hospitals in the state. Also, hospital sources put the death toll to over 60 as many of the injured victims could not make it following the severe bleeding they suffered in the blasts before reaching hospitals for treatment. Ajilari cross and Bintu Sugar are in the outskirt of Maiduguri which have witnessed series of Boko Haram attacks including bombings of football viewing centre in recent past. The recent explosions were carried out by suicide bomber

(Nigeria) The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC,  on  Monday  continued  its  defence  of  the victory of Rivers  State  Governor, Nyesom Wike at the Rivers State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal,  with  further proofs that  the election  was peaceful,  credible  and conducted  in line with  the  Electoral Act.  Presenting its  case before the  Justice  Suleiman Ambrosa-led tribunal sitting  in Abuja, INEC maintained  that relevant  electoral  procedures  were followed before  the  Commission  arrived at the lawful declaration  of  Governor  Wike  as the  winner  of  the  election  in view  of the valid votes garnered by him on April  11, 2015. The commission  stressed that best practices  were observed in the conduct of  the  Rivers  State  Governorship Election.  At the resumed  sitting  on  Monday,  INEC presented  seven witnesses who are presiding officers  in polling  units  spread across  four local  government  areas.  The witnesses conducted elections  i

(Nigeria) Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, SERAP, has sent an access to information request to the Jim Yong Kim, President, World Bank Group urging him to “exercise the Bank’s prerogative to release documents relating to spending of recovered assets stolen by Late General Sani Abacha.” The group also asked Mr Yong Kim to “disclose information about the Bank’s role in the implementation of any projects funded by the recovered assets and any other on-going repatriation initiatives on Nigeria with which the Bank is engaged.” The group said that “should the Bank fail or refuse to release the documents as requested, SERAP would file an appeal to the Secretariat of the Bank’s Access to Information Committee to challenge any such decision, and if it becomes necessary, to the Access to Information Appeals Board.” The request by SERAP Executive Director, Mr Adetokunbo Mumuni, said “This application is brought pursuant to the World Bank’s Access to Information Policy (The Pol

(Nigeria) Former Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala has accepted two key international positions. The first is to serve as Chair of the 28-member Board of the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation, GAVI, an international public-private partnership committed to saving the lives of children and protecting people’s health by improving access to immunization in developing countries, including Nigeria. Dr Okonjo-Iweala was elected to the position after a competitive international search process. GAVI is a $12 billion multilateral partnership which disburses grants of upwards of $1.8 billion annually to developing countries for immunization programmes.  GAVI brings together developing countries and donor governments, the World Health Organization, UNICEF, the World Bank, the vaccine industry in both industrialized and developing countries, research and technical agencies, civil society, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and

(Nigeria) The Nigeria Army has approved the promotion of 5,000 soldiers fighting insurgents in the North-East and others involved in other operations, as part of steps to boost their morale. The Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai, made the announcement on Monday in Abuja at the opening of the 2015 Chief of Army Staff third quarter conference held at the Army Headquarters conference hall. He said that the approval of the promotion of the soldiers was one of the many measures introduced by the Army under his command to boost troops’ morale and reposition its operations. He added that it was also in line with the vision of the Army command to reward gallant troops in any way deemed fit to boost their combat readiness and willingness to serve their fatherland. He said that troops serving in the North-East and in other operations in the country would regularly receive rewards from the Army high command for their selfless service to the nation. ``Since we came on board, we have

(Nigeria) The Chief of Army Staff, COAS, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai, on Monday rekindled the hope of Nigerians on the rescue of the Chibok school girls abducted by Boko Haram insurgents in April 2014. Buratai gave the assurance while fielding questions from newsmen on the sideline of the Chief of Army Staff third quarter conference held at Army Headquarters, Abuja. He said that the safe return of the girls remained a priority of the military in the ongoing counter-insurgency operations in the North-East. He said there were strong indications that the girls were still held within the fringes of the Sambisa forest. The COAS explained that though the exact location of the girls’ in the forest was yet to be ascertained, the military was mindful of their safety in the bid to secure their release. He said: ``the issue of the Chibok girls is very crucial, we are making all efforts to clear the terrorists and after clearing them we rescue the Chibok girls in one piece. ``I believe that the g

(Nigeria) The All Progressives Congress, APC, has described Mrs. Hannah Awolowo, who died on Saturday, as a colossus of her time,  who will always be remembered for good. APC in a statement in Ikenne on Sunday by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said Mrs. Awolowo was an ideal wife, a great mother and indeed a jewel of inestimable value, as her husband once fondly described her. ''While we understand that death is inevitable, there are times that we secretly wish that our loved and great ones would live forever. "Mama gave us reasons for such a secret wish, with her sterling personal and public life that made her a strong pillar behind one of the country's foremost nationalists,'' it said. APC commiserated with the children, grand children, great grand children and the entire Awolowo family, and prayed that God will take Mama into his bosom and also give all those she left behind the strength to carry on without her. The part

(Nigeria) Nigeria’s Consul-General to Saudi Arabia Ahmed Umar said on Sunday that the six Nigerian Pilgrims who died in the September 11 crane crash in Mecca had been buried. Briefing newsmen in Jeddah, he said the bodies were buried on September 18, in a ``specially designated cemetery’’ in Mecca, where all victims of the crash were also buried. The consul-general, who led a delegation of the consulate and National Hajj Commission of Nigeria, NAHCON, at the burial, said the bodies were buried after receiving invitation of the Saudi Authority. He said the consulate and NAHCON officials were fully engaged in the burial arrangement that took place on Friday evening. He also said that the six Nigerian pilgrims that sustained injuries during the incident had received special attention. He said some of them had been discharged while others were still in the hospital responding to treatment. He said consulate had also organised officials of the affected states in the event of pay-out o

Syria's state news agency says at least 14 civilians, including seven children, were killed when rebels shelled a government-controlled neighborhood in the northern city of Aleppo. The state news agency said the shelling Sunday took place in al-Midan neighborhood, once a center for the city's thriving Armenian community, reports AP. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights also reported that 14 were killed in the shelling, which it said took place early Sunday from a nearby rebel-controlled area. The group said government air raids on an adjacent neighborhood killed a child. The Observatory relies on a network of activists on the ground. Aleppo, once the commercial center of Syria, has been divided since 2012, with government forces controlling much of western Aleppo and rebel groups in control of the east.

Yemen's Shiite rebels and officials at the airport in the country's capital, Sanaa, say six foreign hostages have been released after being held in the city for more than five months. The officials say the hostages are three Americans, two Saudis and a British national, reports AP. They said that the six have boarded a plane and are flying Sunday to the Gulf nation of Oman, which negotiated their release. Houthi officials refused to give the reasons for the detention of the hostages. But at least one of them is a journalist, whom they said "entered the country illegally" and "worked without notifying the authorities." The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to brief reporters.

Syrian Islamist rebels led by the country's al-Qaeda branch have executed 56 captured soldiers, a monitoring group said Saturday, as the jihadists claimed advances on a besieged Shiite village in the north-west of the country. The soldiers were shot to death in a mass execution days ago at the Abu al-Duhur air base in Idlib province near the Turkish border, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said, reports dpa. The airport - the last government military base in the north-western province - fell on September 9 to an alliance called Jaish al-Fath, led by Syrian al-Qaeda branch the al-Nusra Front and the hardline Islamist Ahrar al-Sham movement. The rebel alliance has now executed 71 soldiers at the base, according to the Britain-based observatory, which monitors the Syrian conflict through a network of opposition activists in the country. Fierce fighting continued between Jaish al-Fath and pro-government militias backed by the Lebanese Shiite movement Hezbollah in two besieg

(Nigeria) The President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki, has described the call for his arrest by the Code of Conduct Tribunal on Friday as an abuse of rule of law. Saraki, who said this in a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr Yusuph Olaniyonu said the ruling by the tribunal was a danger to the judicial system. ``The Tribunal today left nobody in doubt that it cannot do justice on the matter before it. The tribunal has equally set a bad precedent in the way and manner it conducted itself during the proceedings. ``We want to emphasise the fact that this is not part of any war against corruption but using state institutions to fight political opponents. ``And seeking to achieve through the back door what some people cannot get through democratic process. We need to caution here that in a desperate bid to settle political scores and nail imaginary enemies, we should not destroy our democratic institutions and heat the polity for selfish reasons. Let us all

(Nigeria) The Wife of the President, Mrs Aisha Muhammadu Buhari, has reiterated her commitment to support all efforts aimed at improving the standard of education especially girl-child in the country. Aisha stated this during her visit to the Army Day Secondary School, Mambilla Barracks, on Friday in Abuja. ``I will support all efforts aimed at improving the standard of education in Nigeria, especially the girl-child education,’’ she noted. The president’s wife urged children to embrace education with a view to enhance their living standard and to promote national development. She advised parents and guardians not to thwart the zeal of their children and wards, especially female children in acquiring formal education. She said lack of adequate education for younger generation would affect the future of the country, adding that the quality of education children receive determines the future of any nation. Aisha advised the students to read hard to make Nigeria a great nation, addi

(Nigeria) The Delta Police Command on Saturday confirmed the rescue of a 75-year-old grandmother, Madam Ogaraya Macauley, who was kidnapped from her farm. She was kidnapped in Ezionu village of Ukwuani Local Government Area of the state by suspected hoodlums. The command’s spokesperson, Celestina Kalu, made the disclosure in a statement in Asaba. According the statement, the old woman regained her freedom after a police patrol team intercepted the kidnappers' vehicle along the Kwale/Ogwashi-Uku road. "On September 18, 2015 at 12.40 p.m., police operatives of the Dragon patrol team 23 while on routine patrol along Kwale/Ogwashi-uku road, suspected a M/Benz VBoot car with Reg. No. (Rivers) DW 357 PHC. "The occupants on sighting the patrol team made a suspicious u-turn. Consequently, the patrol men gave the vehicle a hot pursuit which forced the two occupants to abandon the vehicle and escape into the bush. "When the vehicle was searched, one Ogaraya Macaulay, fem

(Nigeria) Warri Traditional Council of Chiefs officially announced the demise of Olu of Warri, Ogiame Atuwase 11 on Saturday, which laid to rest the controversy surrounding the death of the monarch. Chief Yahya Pessu, member, Olu Advisory Council and other chiefs announced the Atuwase’s death in Ode-Itsekiri, the ancestral home of Itsekiri nation. He also announced Mr Godfrey Emiko as the Olu-designate, which was accompanied by wide ovation from the Itsekiri sons and daughters present at the event. Before the announcement, a chalk wrapped with red and black clothes was smashed on the ground three times to symbolise the demise of the monarch, and it was accompanied by 17 cannons shots. The influential Itsekiri King, who reigned for 28 years, was reported to have died in a private hospital on Sept. 5 in Lagos. The septuagenarian’s death threw anxiety among the people after the chiefs kept mum over the state of health of the monarch. Addressing newsmen, Pessu said the Itsekiri peopl

(Nigeria) The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has described as provocative, inciting and insidious media reports particularly on the social media with all manner of pseudo names and blogs, which it noted were aimed at nothing but to antagonize and malign the ruling PDP in Rivers State and Governor Nyesom Wike. Most mischievous, the state PDP Chairman, Mr Felix Obuah lamented, were the false, baseless and unfounded allegation against Governod Wike of sponsoring two members of the state House of Assembly, Tonye Adoki and Martins Manna, whom the satanic media pirates described as ex-militants to haunt the witnesses for the All Progressives Congress, APC, so as to cow them from testifying at the ongoing governorship election petitions tribunal, a hype the PDP’s accusers could not defend or provide any verifiable proof when challenged by Obuah. A statement by the PDP in Port Harcourt on Friday, said "The PDP remains unruffled because such unintelligible falsehood and propaganda are la

(Nigeria) Rivers  State  Governorship  Election  Petition  Tribunal sitting  in  Abuja   has adjourned  its  sitting  to September  21, for Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC  to continue  its defence  of  the  election  of  Governor  Nyesom Wike. Chairman of the tribunal, Justice  Suleiman  Ambrosa  granted the request  of INEC,  for an adjournment  following  the  information  that the lead counsel  of INEC,  Dr Onyechi  Ikpeazu, SAN, was indisposed.  Justice  Ambrosa , however,  did not grant INEC’S  request  for  the extension  of  time, saying that the tribunal  was racing  for time, especially  the adoption  of  written  addresses and time for the tribunal  to  write its  judgment.  The tribunal  chairman  ruled that aside September  21, INEC  will also  have  September  28 and 29 to conclude  its  defence.  Earlier, Alex Ejesieme  who held brief for Dr Ikpeazu informed  the court that he got information  of the health  condition of the lead counsel  by 10a.m., o

Russia’s Defense Ministry denied media reports on Friday on Russia’s contract soldiers of the Eastern military district being sent to Syria. "The Eastern military district is surprised by attempts of correspondents of the online media outlet to link the routine activity of the forces to the events in the Middle East," the ministry’s press service said, reports Tass . The relocation of military units as part of combat training events comes only within the Eastern military district and in line with the schedule, it said. The Gazeta.ru news portal has published a journalist investigation claiming that Russia’s contract soldiers have refused to be sent to Syria. Russia’s presidential council for human rights has in its turn asked the Defence Ministry to look into the reports. Syria's Foreign Minister Walid Muallem on Thursday said Damascus would ask Russia to send its troops to fight on the side of the Syrian army if such a need arose. According to him, Syria will not hes