‘Kogi gov didn’t donate N70m at Aisha’s book launch’

Eniola Akinkuotu and Gbenga Odogun

Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State has denied reports that he donated N70m at the book launch of Aisha Buhari last week.

The governor said this in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Kingsley Fanwo, on Sunday.

Anti-China loan comment: Fayose is ignorant, say Odigie-Oyegun, Oni

Kamarudeen Ogundele and Alexander Okere

The National Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, has criticised the Ekiti State Governor, Mr. Ayodele Fayose, and other opposition leaders over their comments on President Muhammadu Buhari’s foreign trips, describing their statements as insensitive.

Economic crisis: Five banks’ profit drop by N54bn

Uncertainties in the Nigerian economy have had a telling effect on many sectors, with five of the 22 banks in the country losing N54bn from their previous year’s profits in the 2015 financial year, OYETUNJI ABIOYE writes

Bad loans, naira volatility and other economic headwinds have made Ecobank International Incorporated, Union Bank Plc, First City Monument Bank Limited, Wema Bank Plc and Fidelity Bank Plc to post a combined 80 per cent decline in their annual profits.

Failure to save oil revenue indefensible – Sanusi

The Emir of Kano and the immediate past Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Muhammadu Sanusi II, on Sunday described the country’s failure to save oil revenue when the price of the commodity was high as an “act against clear injunction.”

This came barely a week after the immediate past Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, reportedly said that lack of political will to save under President Goodluck Jonathan owing to state governors’ resistance to it led to the current economic challenges facing the country.

Fuel queues grow longer in Lagos, Ogun, others

’Femi Asu and Okechukwu Nnodim

The fuel supply situation, which showed slight improvement in recent days, has taken a turn for the worse as queues grew longer on Sunday at the few petrol stations selling the product in Lagos and Ogun states.

The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, had recently said petrol queues would clear in Abuja and Lagos by April 6 or 7, adding that the scarcity would subside in other parts of the country, including Kano, Katsina, Port Harcourt and Warri, by that weekend.

Distribution of exotic vehicles divides senators

The secret distribution of the first batch of the brand new 108 Sport Utility Vehicles to 36 senators last Thursday has started generating tension and ill-feelings among members of the upper chamber.

Investigations by our correspondent revealed that each senator from the 36 states had collected the keys to the Land Cruiser jeeps.



A senator who craved anonymity, confided in our correspondent on Sunday, that only identified members of the pro-Saraki’s Like Minds Senators were favoured in the distribution of the vehicles.

Weak health sector encourages medical tourism, says Medical Association

Adelani Adepegba, Abuja
The President, Association of Medical Scientists of Nigeria, Toyosi Raheem, has said that Nigeria would continue to lose billions of naira to medical tourism due to her weak health system.
He called on the Federal Government to strengthen the nation’s health system and to build the capacity of the medical laboratories, stressing that they were not well equipped to support medical services.

OPEC meeting ends without deal on oil production

The world’s biggest oil producers have failed to reach agreement at a meeting aimed at freezing output and reassuring markets that a recent recovery in prices could be sustained.

Sunday’s talks in Qatar’s capital saw the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) – and, unusually, other producers – trying to agree that average daily crude oil production in the coming months would not exceed levels recorded in January.

Soldier killed during Rivers election buried amid tears

 Emotion ran high on Friday as Lance Corporal Adegboyega Adebayo, one of the two soldiers killed by hoodlums two days before the Rivers State rerun election, was buried in the Iyesi area of Ogun State.

During the burial, tearful parents, brothers and friends of the 34-year-old soldier, who was shot dead on the sea in the Abonema, Akuku-Toru Local Government Area of Rivers State on March 17, decried lack of concern from both the Rivers State and the federal governments.

Perfect selfie turns death after two Two friends fall to their demise

Two friends, 12 year old Arandari Paola Garcia and 17-year-old Mariana 'N' who were camping with their families on an isolated beach in Mexico, fell to their deaths after climbing onto dangerous rocks to take selfies. Police say the friends who were from Mesa De Otay in Tijuana Mexico wanted to take pictures of the sea and climbed on to rocks at Rosarito in Baja California to take selfies.

4 year old who was supposedly shot dead by her brother was actually killed by their father

Remember yesterday the Police in Philadelphia investigating a shooting said that a 4 year old girl was shot in the face by her 5 year old brother when they were playing with a gun? Well, they have now found out that the girl wasn't killed by her brother as it was claimed yesterday but by her father who ran away after the incident occurred.

Their mum was living with her boyfriend, who is the father of her children Maurice 'Stephon' Phillips.
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Quick thinking police officer saves a family of 6 from a woman who wanted them dead

A woman, Lauretta Ehon flagged down members of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) of Lagos State Police Command who were patrolling the axis of Ogudu Ori-Oke Ogudu at about 5:30pm over the weekend and told them that some armed robbers just snatched her 2012 Toyota Camry.

Immediately, Police Inspector, Christian Onawona who was with his men responded to her plea and gave chase to the said stolen car. Unfortunately, they got stuck in traffic so the Inspector alighted from the official car and took a bike in order to give chase and capture the alleged robbers.

Nigerian Troops discover large cache of stored Boko Haram NATO weapons in Borno

“We conducted some various scale of operation as well as specific operations that led to the recovery of arms cache in the village called Gursum, around Alagarno general area; and there we had a very sterling discovery of Boko Haram terrorists burying large quantities of ammunition on the ground. This operation was in conjunction with the Civilian JTF because they led us through the routes.

PTDF breaks cultural barrier, produces Katsina’s first female pilot

Ruqayya Suleiman from Bakori Local government area of Katsina State has become the first female pilot from the state.
 She is one of the 15 pilots trained in South Africa under the full scholarship programme of the Petroleum Trust Development Fund (PTDF) as international certified commercial pilots.


According to Raqayya's father, her dream of becoming a pilot could not have come true without the scholarship and emotional support from the PTDF. Today, a joyful Mr. Suleiman is excited that his young daughter has broken the cultural barrier that often hold girls from her region back from acquiring higher education.

Photo: Actor Nonso Diobi involved in an accident

 The Nollywood actor was involved in an accident yesterday April 17th. He shared the photo above and wrote - "Had an accident yesterday evening, my leg all plastered up but i blv that sometimes God allows some things to happen to pple so we can no who our true frnds are... If u HV or know anyway u can help me heal faster pls do and always put me in your daily prayers....Tnk u and I love u all".

Photo: Enugu police arrest member of a robbery and car-snatching gang after a shootout, recovers stolen car

6 members of a robbery and car-snatching gang engaged operatives of Enugu State Police Command in a shoot out along Enugu/Port Harcourt road. One of the suspects identified as Henry Ifeanyi Odo was arrested with charms at the end of the shoot out. Below is the statement issued today by the Command:

Photos: 21-year-old mother declared brain-dead after giving birth to twins, family donates her organs to save 6 lives

Shao Ziyan gave birth to healthy twin boys two months ago. On Wednesday, April 13, the 21-year-old was declared brain dead by a Zhejiang hospital, China, after a short battle with acute fatty liver of pregnancy (AFLP), a rare complication of pregnancy, for some fifty days. AFLP is a rare condition that affects 1 in 15,000 pregnancies, and normally occurs in the third trimester.

Photos: Residents of Buni Yadi return home years after fleeing their town due to Boko Haram attacks

Residents of Buni Yadi in Yobe state returned home yesterday April 16th after many months of fleeing their community due to series of attacks from Boko Haram members. The Chief of Army Staff COAS Gen Tukur Buratai yesterday April 16th reopened the Damaturu-Biu road leading to the community after it was closed for years because of Boko Haram attacks.

Photos: Tragedy as nine sixth-grade students drown in Vietnamese river

She said she later saw two of them struggling, but thought that they were playing. It took some time before Phuong and her friends realized that the boys disappeared in the river and cried for help. Local people and search and rescue divers rushed to the scene, but it was too late. A diver told Thanh News that the students' bodies "piling up on one another's" on the river bed, about 3 meters deep. All the bodies were recovered by 3.20 p.m.

Air Pressure: Russian Aircraft Makers Challenge Dominance of Boeing, Airbus

The first Irkut MC-21, Russia's brand new short- to mid-range narrow-body passenger jet airliner, set to compete with Boeing and Airbus, will roll out of the assembly plant in June for flight testing and certification. What surprises will the new plane have in store for its competitors? Sputnik finds out.

On Friday, United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) president Yuri Slusar announced that the first Irkut MC-21 (also known as the MS-21) will be completed by June 7. "We hope that by the end of the year, the first flight of the MC-21 will take place," he added.

German Police Detain Three Suspects in Explosion at Indian Wedding

Police detained three suspects in a bombing at an Indian wedding in the city of Essen in western Germany, local media reported. On Saturday, media reports appeared that at least three people were injured in an explosion at a wedding ceremony. A device reportedly exploded near the entrance to a chapel. According to the Bild newspaper, eyewitnesses reportedly told police that a person entered the chapel and threw “something that looked like a bomb” at the guests. At the moment, the police does not associate the incident with terrorism, the paper reported. Details of the incident are being investigated.

Russian, Syrian Bombers Drop Big Surprise Package on Daesh Supply Line Near Raqqa

Russian and Syrian Air Forces have reportedly carried out several coordinated air strikes on Daesh near a strategic military airbase in the northeastern province of Raqqa, west of the de facto capital of the self-proclaimed caliphate.


Syrian and Russian warplanes conducted a spate of coordinated air strikes against Daesh (ISIL/ISIS) near Tabqa Air Base which resulted in the destruction of many of the terrorists’ military and logistics vehicles, according to the Iranian news agency FARS.
The attacks have impaired Daesh’s ability to supply its forces near the recently-liberated city of Palmyra with arms, medical equipment and food, FARS reported.

US Reconaissance Jet Turns Back After Meeting Russian Su-27 Near Border

The Russian Defense Ministry has denied media allegations that one of its Su-27s made a 'dangerous' fly-by of a US reconnaissance aircraft, Igor Konashenkov stated.

The ministry's spokesman added that on the April 14 the US reconnaissance jet was approaching the Russian border. After a visual contact with the Russian Su-27 it changed its course.
"Western media's allegations of a 'dangerous' fly-by of a Russian Su-27 jet and an American RC-135 in the Baltics are false," the spokesman assured.

Iran Shows off Its New Russian S-300 on During Army Parade

Iran has displayed what is believed to be a part of the Russian-made S-300 air defense missile system during a military parade in Tehran, Tasnim Nes Agency reports.

Gov Polls: EFCC Arrests INEC Chiefs For Taking N675m In Bribes

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has found over N675.1m in the bank accounts of different Independent National Electoral Commission officials in Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Delta states.

According to the anti-graft agency, the money was received and shared by the officials during the last governorship elections.

Our correspondents gathered that the Resident Electoral Commissioner in the 2015 election in Rivers State, Mrs. Gesila Khan, and other officials of INEC are already in EFCC custody. Khan was quizzed by the Department of State Services in July last year but was never charged.