Russian Operation in Syria Has Changed the Outlook in Washington

Russia's operation in Syria has weakened the position of US-backed Islamic militants, changed opinions in the US and brought a resolution to the conflict closer, Northeastern University professor and terrorism expert Max Abrahms told Sputnik.

Washington and the Syrian rebels who are backed by the White House are coming to terms with the impact of Russia's involvement in the Syrian conflict, a "game-changer" which has strengthened the government's position and brought a resolution to the conflict closer, Northeastern University professor and terrorism expert Max Abrahms told Radio Sputnik.

Lagos Assembly makes Yoruba language compulsory in public, private schools

Worried by the dwindling popularity of Yoruba language among residents of the state, the Lagos State House of Assembly has directed that teaching and learning of the language be made compulsory in all public and private schools in the state.

The House, in a Motion, ruled that Yoruba language should be taught for at least three periods in a week for proper effect.

Members of the House, on the seventh year anniversary since the adoption of Yoruba language for Thursdays’ plenary, bemoaned the non-familiarity with the language often called “vernacular” in schools, particularly the private ones, just as the “ban” on speaking Yoruba and other indigenous languages in some homes is not helping matters.

Light Up Lagos initiative

The Lagos State Government is planning to have its own electricity grid as part of its ‘Light Up Lagos’ initiative aimed at providing regular power supply in the state. The Commissioner for Energy and Mineral Resources, Mr. Olawale Oluwo, who disclosed this at a briefing, said the state’s Governor Akinwunmi Ambode had in December inaugurated a Light Up Lagos Committee. According to Oluwo, the initiative is divided into six stages, including the power advisory committee, independent power supply, street lighting, and rural electrification. The commissioner noted that the state already had five Independent Power Plants that provide power to the state’s institutions, saying the government was considering building two or three additional IPPs.

Teen carrying gun falls off Hoverboard and fatally shoots 13-year-old

A Florida teen was killed this week after his friend fell from a hoverboard and accidentally discharged a gun.  The Orange County Sheriff's Office says 13-year-old Lavardo Fisher succumbed to his injuries on Monday after he was accidentally shot on Sunday afternoon.

Fisher was visiting a relative’s home in Orlando with two 18-year-olds when the older teens found a gun, reports WKMG.
One of the 18-year-olds began to ride a hoverboard while playing with the gun, police say. He then lost his balance, causing the gun to go off.

Student kills own baby in Kaduna

An SS1 student of the Federal Government Girls College, Malali, Kaduna state has been arrested after she allegedly murdered her own baby and tried to dispose of the corpse today February 10th. According toDaily Trust, the student attempted to throw the baby over a female hostel fence, but the corpse got caught on the fence

 

Confirming the incident, the state Police spokesperson, DSP Zubairu Abubakar said one Ummu-Salam Umar; has been arrested in connection with the crime.

Photo: Man arrested for killing his stepmother 's boyfriend in Calabar

41-year old King Akpanke pictured above, has been arrested by officers of the Cross Rivers state police command for murdering his step-mother’s lover. King who was paraded before newsmen at the state police command headquarters in Calabar today February 10th, said he had on several occasions warned the deceased from coming to his late father’s house to have sexual intercourse with his step-mother.

Photos: Nigerian troops anihilate B'Haram terrorists in Borno, recover cans of petroleum, arms and grenades

The Nigerian Army said troops of 212 Tank Battalion, 29 Task Force Brigade laid ambush on some Boko Haram terrorists at a cattle market in Gwai Mainari around Mainok area in Borno State on Wednesday morning. The statement issued yesterday, February 10 by the Acting Director Army Public Relations, Col. Sani Kukasheka Usman read:

Photos: Ineffective implementation of past budgets affected the country's economy - Bukola Saraki

Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki said that the ineffective implementation of past budgets and abandonment of projects have led to wastages that have negatively affected the nation's economy in the last 16 years.

Saraki who stated this in his speech during the National Assembly's interactive session with Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) on the 2016 budget on Wednesday, in Abuja, said in response to the unacceptable trend, the 8th National Assembly has stepped up its oversight functions to ensure that funds are spent ‘how’, ‘where’ and on ‘what’ they were earmarked for.

Iran Releases New Photos of Detained US Sailors Crying in Persian Gulf

Tehran has released provocative new photographs and video of the US sailors who were detained in the Persian Gulf hours before President Obama’s State of the Union Address last month, after they strayed into Iranian waters. The photos and video were aired on state television and shared to social media by Iranian reporters. Some of the images feature one of the sailors emotionally wiping away tears.

#Iran state TV publishes new pictures of #US sailors in which one sailor is crying after being detained. pic.twitter.com/Kl0WkN3QFG

— Abas Aslani (@abasinfo) February 10, 2016

#Iran state TV airs a new footage of #US sailor crying while he was detained in Iran's waters in #PersianGulf. pic.twitter.com/8st5Uihncc

— Abas Aslani (@abasinfo) February 10, 2016

Photos of victims of Dikwa bomb blast receiving treatment

Over 60 people were killed in a twin suicide attack in Dikwa village in Borno state on Tuesday February 9th. Some of the injured victims pictured above are currently receiving treatment at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital. Another photo after the jump..

Missing woman’s body found in car parked outside Wal-Mart store for 3 months

Nearly three months after she went missing, a 22-year-old woman’s body was found inside a car parked outside a Wal-Mart in Salinas, according to the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office.
Wal-Mart employees found the body of Lauren Jessie Moss inside her silver Volkswagen Jetta on Feb. 3., according to television station KSBW in Salinas. Moss was last seen leaving a rehabilitation center in nearby Seaside on Nov. 13. She was reported missing and a case was opened.

Buhari Returns To Nigeria,to Embark On Three-nation Tour Of Egypt, Saudi Arabia

Buhari Returns To Nigeria After UK Vacation And Medicals; To Embark On Three-Nation Tour Of Egypt, Saudi Arabia And Qatar
President Muhammadu Buhari is on his way back to Nigeria from the United Kingdom following an abrupt five-day vacation he began in London last week.
SaharaReporters sources said his Presidential jet departed London for Abuja at exactly 13.45hrs GMT.

The President had abruptly embarked on the vacation after participating in a Syria donor conference in London.

OLISA METUH : EFCC Escapes By The Whiskers.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission EFCC on Wednesday escaped a reprimand from a Federal High Court presided over by Justice Okon Abang for issuing a press release on court proceedings the trial of the National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party PDP, Chief Olisa Metuh
The matter came up at the resumed hearing of the case of human rights abuse instituted by Chief Metuh against the EFCC for detaining him illegally for two weeks.

Shamma AlMazrui Appointed As Youth Minister In The UAE (photo)

 The United Arab Emirates on Wednesday named Shamma AlMazrui, a 22-year-old Oxford graduate, as the minister of state for youth affairs. “After discussion with my brother Mohammed bin Zayed and the approval of the President, we hereby announce the new UAE cabinet,” Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum said on Twitter.

Son Kills Step-Mother’s Lover In Calabar Over S3x

Anthony Ubong-Calabar

A 41-year old man, King Akpanke has been arrested by the police in Calabar for murdering his step-mother’s lover over sexual intercourse.

The suspect who confessed to committing the crime in an interview with newsmen at the State Police headquarters on Wednesday said before the unfortunate incident he had on several occasions warned the young-man to stop coming to his late father’s house to have sexual intercourse with his step-mother.

Boko Haram Attacks Kill More Than 50 In Borno State

SaharaReporters has learned that two separate attacks by terrorist group Boko Haram have killed more than fifty people since Monday, according to preliminary estimates.

Sources speaking with SaharaReporters confirmed that the two assaults by Boko Haram took place on Monday February 8th and yesterday on February 9th.

According to sources speaking with our correspondent, female suicide bombers murdered forty-five people and injured dozens yesterday in a Borno IDP camp.

Savings From Fuel Subsidy Removal Rises To N647m Daily

Nigeria, as at yesterday, is currently saving N647.2 million daily from the suspension of subsidy on Premium Motor Spirit, also known as petrol.
Particularly, at the current price of N86.50 per litre in petrol stations across the country, the country is making an extra N16.18 per litre.
A motorist refueling his car at a black market
The Federal Government had stated that this extra savings is kept in an escrow account to serve as a cushion in case of eventuality, such as if the price of crude oil rebounds, leading to an increase in the selling price of PMS.

7 Reasons Why 2016 Budget Shouldn’t Be Passed.

President Muhammadu Buhari presented the proposed 2016 budget on December 22, 2016, naming it “the budget of change”, but Nigerians have now re-christened the document “budget of corruption”.
While some of the public concerns about suspicious and fraudulent allocations are valid, the presidency has said that the president is open to correction, admitting that the budget is not perfect.
With N6.08 trillion proposed for the 2016 budgetary year, the budget is seen as an expansionary one aimed at revamping the economy. From close observations, here are seven reasons why the budget does not deserve to be passed by the legislature.

This PDP Generation Will Take Back Its Inheritance, Says Fayose.

Ayodele Fayose, governor of Ekiti state, says the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will take back its inheritance from the ruling All progressives Congress (APC).
Fayose, who led five PDP governors to an interdenominational thanksgiving service to celebrate the validation of Udom Emmanuel’s election as governor of Akwa Ibom state, said the current generation of PDP will make a difference.

“If we put our house together, if we stay together, if we put the past behind us, we will take back our inheritance, it is our inheritance taken by deception, taken by propaganda, taken by hidden agenda,” he said.

Peterside Is A ‘Pathological Liar’, Says Wike.

Nyesom Wike, governor of Rivers state has described Dakuku Peterside, his rival and candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the April 11 governorship election, as “a pathological liar”.
Reacting to the allegation of Peterside that he influenced the supreme justices who validated his victory, Wike said Peterside and the APC would stop at nothing to destroy the apex court.
Wike alleged that the APC candidate and John Oyegun, chairman of the ruling party, had been attacking the judges for upholding justice.
He accused them of also instigating President Muhammadu Buhari against the people of Rivers state and those from the Niger Delta.

Innoson Keeps Our Jets In Operation Against Boko Haram- Chief Of Air Staff

Nigeria’s Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sadique Baba Abubakar has lauded the management of Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing (IVM) Company for providing the needed technical support that has enabled the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) to sustain its operations against the Boko Haram insurgents.
Group Captain Ayodele Famuyiwa, Director of Public Relations and Information of Nigeria Air Force, said in a statement on Wednesday that the CAS gave the commendation while receiving the Chairman IVM, Mr Innocent Chukwuma and team members in his office.

The Aleppo Pocket: Turkey Running Out of Time for Its Plans to Invade Syria

The Syrian Army has made major advances in Aleppo province, and is on the brink of surrounding the militant-held portion of the city of Aleppo, cutting off trade routes between the jihadists, Turkey and Daesh to boot. Now, Expert magazine suggests, Turkey's hints at intervention signal that the Ankara-backed militants are running out of time.

The northern Syrian city of Aleppo is the country's second city (and before the war in Syria began, its largest). In the last few months, the situation in the city, contested by government and rebel forces, has turned 180 degrees.

Name Corrupt Nigerians, Presidential Committee Tells FG

The Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption has advocated the naming and shaming of corrupt persons as a potent instrument in the fight against corruption even as they would continue to engage judges and magistrates to ensure quick dispensation of corruption cases.

Ekitigate: Aluko Prays Court To Vacate Arrest Warrant Against Him

Embattled former secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Ekiti State, Dr Tope Aluko, has approached an Ado Ekiti Chief Magistrates Court seeking an order to set aside the warrant of arrest issued against him last week. Aluko, whose lawyers, Mr. Niran Owoseni and Mr. Wale Abimbola, disclosed this to newsmen in Ado Ekiti on Wednesday during a press conference, stated that the court “might have made the order based on wrong representation,” stressing that the order was made without jurisdiction and described the warrant as “an abuse of court process.”

Armsgate: EFCC Escapes Court Wrath For Releasing Press Statement On Metuh’s Case

The Justice Okon Abang-led Federal High Court, Abuja on Wednesday frowned at the action of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC where it issued a press release on the current trial involving the National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party PDP, Olisa Metuh, without being objective enough.

The court made its stance known at the resumed hearing of the case of human rights violation brought against the anti-graft agency by the embattled PDP spokesman.
Metuh had instituted a legal proceeding against the EFCC for detaining him illegally for two weeks; an action he claimed infringed his fundamental human right.