YellowStone Media International

Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday upheld the decision of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to the effect that the Young Democratic Party (YDP) has no valid candidates for the November 16 governorship election in Bayelsa State. Justice Abang agreed with INEC that Mr. Omeih Ayebanoa, who was nominated as the running mate to the party's governorship candidate, Mr. Sunny Agadabin, did not meet the statutory age requirement for the said office. Meanwhile, a group, the Bayelsa Coalition For Good Governance and Accountability, has demanded the immediate arraignment and prosecution of the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Douye Diri, over alleged non declaration of assets by the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB).   The group, which threatened legal action against the Bureau if it fails to prosecute the governorship candidate, alleged that Diri failed to declare his assets while he held

An early morning inferno on Thursday gutted a storey building, destroying properties worth millions of naira at Peter Ajibola street, Alekunwodo area of Osogbo,   the Osun State capital. It was gathered that the building owned by an 80-year-old retiree, simply identified as Mrs. Olotu, caught fire due to an upsurge after electricity was restored to the area around 11:45a.m. It took the quick intervention of fire fighters to prevent the fire from affecting other houses in the area. Residents of the area commended the fire service officials for their proactiveness in preventing the fire from escalating. An eyewitness, Mrs. Omolabake Samuel, said: “Few minutes after IBEDC restored power, we saw a little boy, Dada, running out from the building coughing and we saw smoke coming out of the roof as a result of the fire outbreak. “Men of the Osun State Fire Service were really on ground; if not for their immediate intervention, things would have

The acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu, Thursday lamented that mothers of cyber fraudsters popularly known as ‘Yahoo boys’, are now organising themselves into an association. Magu, who addressed journalists at the Lagos office of the commission in Ikoyi said such parents always justify their children’s activities with the arguments that they were supporting their families in the place of irresponsible, runaway or dead fathers. Magu however, declared that the EFCC’s interest was not just to arrest the Yahoo boys but also to see to their rehabilitation.

With reference to their shared values, the much-touted Lagos-Ogun Joint Development Commission would soon become operational with the aim to manage the overflow of development from Lagos State to Ogun State. Barring any last-minute hitch, the governor of the two states would soon put pen to paper as arrangements have been concluded to make the Commission operational before the end of the year. Disclosing this on Thursday at a breakfast meeting of Nigeria-South Africa Chamber of Commerce in Lagos, Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, said the two states also planned to set up an education unit to monitor standards of education in the two states on a daily basis.   Abiodun and his Lagos State counterpart, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, have been communicating with agencies of government, development partners and private sector operators on areas of infrastructural development, climate change and food security. Both have also taken steps to closely

A female hajj pilgrim from Oyo State, who attended the recently concluded 2019 hajj exercise, Saheed Anifat Foluke, reportedly absconded after the holy pilgrimage. The Chairman of the state Pilgrims Welfare Board, Muslim Wing, Prof. Sahed Malik, made the disclosure while presenting the report of the 2019 hajj operation to the state Governor, Seyi Makinde, at the Governor's Office in Ibadan. He said the disappearance of the pilgrim was noticed when the board was preparing the last batch of pilgrims from the state to King Abdul-Azeez International Airport, stating that all efforts to locate the absconded woman through the address of her guarantor in Ibadan proved abortive. Malik, who recalled how the governor refunded N51, 000 to every pilgrim before departure to the holy land, lauded Makinde  for the 2019 hitch-free hajj operation, and called for speedy completion of the administrative building of the board at the Olodo hajj camp.  The governor pl

Following the near-deplorable security situation in Edo State, the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), Benin branch, on Thursday called for the declaration of state of emergency on the state of security in the state. The call was contained in a joint statement signed by the association Chairman, Mr. Collins Ogiebaen, and Secretary, Mr. Pius Oiwoh, which was made available to journalists. The association said the call became necessary due to the rising wave of insecurity across the state. The statement added that no fewer than eight lawyers and judges have been abducted across the state within the last nine months, with the most recent being the abduction of Justice Chioma Nwosu-Iheme last Wednesday. The Bar vowed to shut down all court proceedings in the state should the law enforcement agencies fail to secure the release of Nwosu-Iheme. The body gives the state government 72 hours to secure the release of the Justice. In the statement, the NBA, which

Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State has told cattle owners in the state to ensure that their animals are properly ranched to avoid open grazing or be ready to face sanctions as stipulated by law. The governor gave the warning yesterday when he sighted a herd of cattle roaming the streets at Iniongun road, Wadata area of Makurdi as he inspected areas ravage by flood. He directed Livestock Guards to immediately impound the animals and take them to the Quarantine Unit, stressing that by provisions of the ranching law, the cattle would be auctioned if the owner fails to pay the requisite fines after seven days. Governor Ortom said the law does not accord preferences to any individual or group, whether or not they are Benue indigenes. He stated that herders who refuse to keep their livestock in ranches would be prosecuted in accordance with provisions of the Open Grazing Prohibition and Ranches Establishment Law, 2017. Ortom called on Benue people t

The Chief of Army Staff, General Tukur Buratai, has said no operation of the Army in the Southeast is intended to disrupt the existence of peace in the region. Buratai spoke during the opening ceremony of a 2- day media- military relations summit organised as part of events flagging off the Operation Atilogu 1 for the South East region. The COAS who was represented by the Chief of Training and Operations of the N.A, Enobong Udo said that the commencement of the operation was carefully chosen to coincide with the yuletide season when there is usually an increase in criminal activities in the country. He explained that targeted at criminals and not the peace-loving people of the country and the region as the exercises have ensured that peace reigned in the previous years. ''The Operation like other similar operations,  is intended to help people in the South East have a hitch-free festive season. The Army is not at all against the people of

Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje of Kano State on Thursday called for the immediate amendment of the Penal Code on kidnapping to the death penalty.  The governor made the call at the inauguration of the 16-man Commission of Inquiry over the kidnapping and selling off of nine Kano-born children in Onitsha, Anambra State.  Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, held at the government house, Ganduje said he directed the Ministry of Justice to amend the law, which hitherto provided for imprisonment to a death sentence.  According to him, the issue of kidnapping had taken a new dimension in the state that only capital punishment could contain it.  The governor described the kidnapping of the nine children as heinous, adding that it was not Islamic or Christianity but criminality which has to be dealt with accordingly.  Ganduje lamented that the rescued children had been deprived of their culture, religion, and family, stressing that the state government must rehabilit

  There was mild drama on Thursday as the Senate Committee on Niger Delta Affairs screened 15 out of the 16 nominees for the board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC). Midway into the screening of the nominees by the committee headed by Senator Peter Nwaoboshi, a committee member, Senator Matthew Urhoghide, picked holes in the resume of the nominee for the post of Executive Director, Projects, Otobong Ndem (Akwa Ibom), when he appeared before the committee. He had sought to know why there were discrepancies in the candidate’s educational record, saying from the CV before him, the nominee had his school certificate in 2007, National Diploma in 1999 and Higher National Diploma in 2002. On his part, Senator George Sekibo wondered why the nominee also claimed to have obtained his Master degree in 2012 and Bachelor of Science degree in 2019. He also asked him: “As a former member of the House of Assembly, were you a Speaker or a Deputy Speaker

  The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, has assured Nigerians that the federal government will cater for the welfare of war veterans, who fought and sacrificed to ensure national peace and international stability. Mustapha made the pledge at the launch of the Nigerian Legion 2020 Emblem Appeal Launch on Wednesday. The team of the Nigerian Legion led by its National Chairman, Brig. Gen Jones Akpa (rtd), was on a visit to the SGF, where it presented the 2020 Armed Forces Remembrance Day Emblem to him. He said Nigeria has a duty to continue to remember those who laid down their lives to ensure stability, unity and peace in the country. Mustapha recalled that the country earned international adulation for sacrificing a number of its military personnel in many peace keeping missions globally. Akpa pleaded with the SGF to see to the cause of veteran administrations, and to support the families of personnel who lost their li

The National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and one of the pharmaceutical giants in Nigeria, Pfizer, have kept mum over the recent recall of Xalatan Eye Drops from the Nigerian market by the two organisations. In a letter sent to some hospitals across Nigeria by Pfizer pharmaceuticals recently, it advised that Xalatan 0.0005 percent eye drop solution be recalled immediately at patients’ level, and that it has gotten the approval of NAFDAC to halt its distribution in Nigeria. But when journalists sought the thoughts of NAFDAC on the recall, and what this means for Nigerians who may go ahead to use the eye drops, neither the Director-General of the organisation, Prof. Mojisola Christiana Adeyeye, nor the Director of Communication of NAFDAC, Dr. Jimoh Abubakar, responded to messages and several calls put across to them. Pfizer Nigeria, which promised to respond to the query only through email, did not also respond to emails s

The Comptroller-General of the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS), Col. Hameed Ali (rtd), on Wednesday urged Nigerians to endure short-term pains in order to enjoy long-term gains from the partial closure of the country's land borders. This is as the NCS announced the seizure of 99 containers valued at N2.03 billion from its two area commands in Port Harcourt. Addressing journalists after an inspection of the seized items at the Customs Area II Command in Onne, Rivers State, Ali noted that many Nigerians are complaining of hardship arising from the border closure. He said many people have stated that the time was not ripe for the closure of the borders as the government was yet to provide the necessary infrastructure to encourage local production of needed goods. According to him, "There will never be a good time. The decision to close the border is ripe; we don't need to have 100 percent electricity or good roads before we take the step.   M

  Edo State Police Command on Wednesday arraigned two Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) officials in Benin-city for an alleged murder of a 38 years old passenger, Samuel Odion. The suspects, Onotu Joseph, 32, and Francis Igboh, 35, who are officers of FRSC in   Edo State were alleged to have killed Odion on October 14, 2019, at Owa hill, Benin-Asaba Road in the state. On October 21, the two corps marshals were arrested by the police for allegedly beating a passenger to death when he prevented the driver from being extorted by the officials. Initially, four of the officers identified as Francis Igboh, Sunday Ogi, Samson Alolade and Joseph Onolade, serving at Abudu outpost in the state, were involved in the alleged murder. While the police were able to arrest two of the suspects, two still remained at large. It was gathered that the deceased passenger, Odion, 36, had hired an Audi 80 car and was traveling in it when the driver was flagged down by th

With less than 16 days to the governorship elections in Kogi and Bayelsa States, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Wednesday officially released the data of eligible voters in the two states as well as the Kogi West senatorial district elections taking place the same date being November 16. According to INEC Chairman, Professor Mahood Yakubu, "Bayelsa State has eight local government areas, 105 Registration Areas (RAs), 1,804 Polling Units (PUs) and 923,182 registered voters of which 498,790 (54.3 percent) are male while 424,392 (45.97 percent) are female." He further stated that "the number of PVCs collected across the state as at September 30, 2019, is 889,308 (96.3 percent) with 33,874 (3.76) remain uncollected." For Kogi State, Yakubu said the "state has 21 LGAs, 239 RAs, 2,548 PUs while the number of registered voters is 1,646,350 of which 825,663 (50.1 percent) are male and 820,687 (49.9 per

The Lagos State Environmental and Special Offences Unit (Taskforce) on Wednesday concluded arrangements to auction 53 vehicles that were impounded for various traffic offences. While 31 vehicles were impounded and forfeited to the state for illegally plying one way, 22 others were those that were seized and abandoned for over six months at the taskforce’s yard.  It was gathered that the 31 vehicles were forfeited to the state government following conviction at the mobile court.  Chairman of the Agency, CSP Olayinka Egbeyemi disclosed that owners of the impounded vehicles who abandoned their cars have contravened the Lagos State Transport Sector Reform Law 2018, stating that public notice has been issued for owners of both the court forfeited and abandoned cars to identify their vehicles at the agency’s car parks in Ikorodu and Bolade-Oshodi. "At the expiration of the one month verification exercise, the agency shall apply to the court for an order