YellowStone Media International

An Anambra State indigene, Mr. George Okoye, from Ogbunike in Oyi Local Government Area on Sunday allegedly killed his younger brother's wife over a protracted tussle on ownership of a property. Okoye allegedly led his wife and children into his brother, Mr. Emenike Okoye's compound to beat him and his wife, Mrs. Nkiru Okoye, resulting to the death of Nkiru. Emenike, who, however, survived, sustained a broken hand, a fractured waist, and an injured eye from the beating, and was still recuperating in a hospital. The physically-battered man, who spoke to journalists from his hospital bed, narrated the incident that led to his 40-year old wife's death on July 19 with tears, saying he was only abandoned by his brother and the thugs they brought because they thought he had died. Though the suspect, Mr. George Okoye, has been arrested and currently in the police custody, the whereabouts of his wife, Mrs. Uzonna Okoye; twin daughters and son, Somtochukwu Okoye, who parti

Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, has suspended the traditional ruler of Eganyi, the Ohi of Eganyi and Chairman, Ajaokuta Traditional Area Council, His Royal Highness Alhaji Musa Isah Achuja, with immediate effect. The governor also ordered the suspension of the Chairman of Ajaokuta Local Government Area, Mustapha Akaaba, following the dastard killing of three policemen and members of the Kogi State Vigilance Service last Saturday in Ajaokuta LGA. This order was contained in a statement signed by the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Muhammed Onogwu, a copy of which was made available to journalists in Lokoja on Sunday. The statement read: "In a letter to the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Kogi State, the governor also directed that the Chairman of Ajaokuta Local Government Area, Hon Mustapha Aka’aba, be queried over the breach and should reply within 24 hours. "The governor’s directive against the affected persons is in connection

...Reaffirms opposition to Tinubu’s Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in the 19 northern states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to live up to his constitutional responsibility of protecting lives and property of the citizens as well as defend the sovereignty of Nigeria. Addressing a press conference on Sunday in Kaduna, the Secretary-General of Northern CAN, Elder Sunday Oibe, said the regional CAN is deeply concerned about the helpless security situation in the country. According to him, Nigeria is under siege by terrorists who are unleashing mayhem on citizens and crippling economic and social activities across the country. He said the country is on the verge of collapse unless urgent and proactive steps are taken to contain the rampaging terrorists. Oibe said: “Northern CAN, like many other groups, is deeply concerned about the helpless security situation in the country. “Nige

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) yesterday explained to Nigerians that their Permanent Voters' Cards (PVCs) were their voters’ meal tickets and should be handled with care. The National Commissioner of the commission in charge of Bauchi, Yobe and Borno States, Maj. Gen Modibo Alkali (rtd), stated this in Bauchi while addressing voters’ registrants in the state. Alkali, however, urged Nigerians to treat their PVCs as if they were part of their lives, adding that: "Ensure that you get your PVC and handle it as if it is part of your life. "Don't sell it to anybody because it is like your voter's meal ticket. You know why it is called a meal ticket? It is because you elect the person who can work for you in your future with it. "So, if you sell it or you throw it away, then you are selling or throwing away food that you are supposed to eat. So, I want all of you to understand the importance of that PVC." The national

The Executive Secretary of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), Dr. Hamid Bobboyi, has reiterated the commitment of the federal government to commence operations in some of the newly constructed smart schools by January 2023. He gave this assurance when a team of Korean experts lead by Dae Joon Hwang of UBION Consortium paid him a courtesy visit at the end of their four-week stay in Nigeria. Speaking at the occasion, the Country Director of the Korea International Co-operation Agency (KOICA), Mr. Son Sungil, stated that the three-man team had been in Nigeria since July 3, 2022, as part of the implementation of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed between KOICA and UBEC in October 2021. In a statement signed by the Head of Media and Publicity, Mr. David Apeh, among other items, the objectives of the MOU are to assist Nigeria in the development of the smart schools project; to increase the capacity of teachers in the development and use of ICT content and to impro

The Senator representing Katsina South, Katsina State, in the Senate, Bello Mandiya, has debunked reports that he was planning to dump the All Progressives Congress (APC) for another political party. Mandiya, who reacted to an online media report that he and other APC serving senators were planning to join a speculated coalition against the party, said there was no iota of truth in the publication. A media outlet had claimed that Senator Mandiya was among the 12 senators who have indicated interest to dump the APC in order to join forces with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) senators to impeach President Muhammadu Buhari over worsening insecurity in the country. But Mandiya, while describing the report in an exclusive interview with journalists as an imagination of the writer, said no amount of intimidation, blackmail and campaign of calumny would make him leave the party he laboured to build for another person. He said: "An online platform called ‘The Whistler’ m

Two agency heads in Niger State, Alhaji Isah Adamu of the Niger State Universal Basically Education Board (NSUBEB), and Alhaji Abdullahi Arah of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have been sacked by the state government for alleged "Infraction." The Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Alhaji Ahmed Ibrahim Matane, who disclosed this to journalists at the weekend, said the agency heads were also removed because they failed to carry along other members of their agencies in the day-to-day administration of the organisations. Matane said on two occasions, the state Governor, Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello, personally intervened in the feud between the agency heads and other board members, but they failed to heed the governor’s advice. According to him, "The suspension letter sent to Alhaji Isah Adamu signed by the SSG also said his removal is as a result of some observed anomalies in the operations of the board.” In the meantime, Alhaji Nafuntua Abubakar Sh

Ebonyi State Governor, David Umahi, has emerged the winner of Ebonyi South senatorial candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC). Umahi got 250 votes to defeat his younger brother, Austin Umahi, who scored 10 votes. However, there was confusion as the governor's brother, Austin, who had earlier withdrawn from the race after emerging as the candidate for the senatorial, made a U-turn and contested against the governor Governor Umahi's emergence was sequel to a judgement of a Federal High Court in Abakaliki that a fresh primary election should be conducted. Umahi also defeats four others to emerge the APC senatorial candidate Others who stood for the senatorial primary election in the district included Princess Ann Ago-Eze, who scored zero votes; Nwakaego Chukwu, who scored five votes, while Mrs. Ibiam Margaret scored three votes. Announcing the result of the election, which took place at the Afikpo North Local Government Area headquarters, the Chairman of the el

Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Obong Umana Okon Umana, has been urged to seize the momentum of the assurances given by President Muhammadu Buhari to urgently inaugurate the board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC). The call was made at the weekend by a group under the aegis of Niger Delta United Congress (NDUC) in a statement signed by its President, Ebizomor Brisibe, and Secretary, Edem Archibong, which was made available to journalists. Buhari, while delivering a keynote address during the opening ceremony of top management retreat organised by the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, had last Thursday given his presidential assurance that the NDDC board was underway. Banking on this assurance, the group, NDUC, at the weekend said the minister had no reason whatsoever to allow the present "illegality" of sole administratorship and interim management to linger at the NDDC. The group reasoned that President Buhari has given the green light, hence

Even as more rape and violence against women cases continue to be on the increase in Bayelsa State, the Association Against Child Sexual and Gender-based Violence (AACSGBV) has commended the state government for the passage and signing into law of the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Act (VAPP). The Chairperson of the association, Dr. Eris Ibi, made the commendation at the third National Sexual and Gender Based Violence Conference/Association Against Child Sexual and Gender Based Violence (AACSGBV) annual general meeting held in Yenagoa, the state capital. Ibi, who is also the outgoing national coordinator of association, noted that with the passage of the VAPP Act and publication of same, Bayelsa State was ahead of many states in the country, but, however, pointed out that the state was yet to open a Sexual Offenders’ register, which is one of the provision of the Act. AACSGBV, as an association, she said, is a coalition comprising non-governmental organisations (NGOs) fait

The Oodua People's Congress (OPC) has warned that the activities of bandits and the worsening insecurity in the country are threatening the continued unity of Nigeria. The OPC in a statement issued by its Publicity Secretary, Mr. Yinka Oguntimehin, urged those bent on fomenting trouble in the country to refrain from attacking the South-west region, saying such would be met with stiff resistance. The group, while reacting to the rising spate of insecurity across the country, especially with the repeated attack on Owo town in Ondo State, insisted that South-west region should not be taken for granted by the perpetrators. Oguntimehin decried the various terrorists' attacks on the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and some parts of the North, stressing that the porous security situation in the country is a pointer to imminent war capable of pushing Nigeria to the precipice. He blamed the federal government for failing to act decisively on the issue of security, as the do

A renowned environmentalist and Executive Director, Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF), Rev Nnimmo Bassey, has urged International Oil Companies (IOCs) looking forward to divest from onshore to offshore in Nigeria, to as a matter of significance, conclude the cleanup of the Niger Delta environment before leaving. The environmentalist insisted that the oil multinationals are not divesting from Nigeria but deceptively running away from their responsibility over the spills and the pollution that they have caused in the region for decades. Bassey made the allegation on Thursday at a community environmental training organised by HOMEF for coastal communities in Gokana Local Government Area of Rivers State. The HOMEF boss who regretted that the Niger Delta environment has been bastardised by the activities of oil corporations, both international and local, said after placing a huge burden on local communities, the IOCs are moving to offshore where they would be less monito

The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Idris Wase, has assured the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and his running mate, Senator Kashim Shettima, of his total support in the build-up to the 2023 general election and beyond. Speaking when he received Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu (ABAT) Support Group, which was on a courtesy call in his office on Thursday, the deputy Speaker reiterated his earlier stand on the capacity of Tinubu. According to him, there’s no candidate in any political party that can match the quality and candidature of Tinubu. He expressed optimism that the APC would come out victorious with the overwhelming majority in both chambers of the National Assembly. According to him, "I want to assure you that we in the House of Representatives, particularly members of the APC, shall collaborate with every organisation to ensure victory for the Tinubu/Shetima ticket. I charge you to go out in full fo

As part of the federal government economic expansion programme, the Nigerian Export Processing Council (NEPC) has commenced the building of export processing centres across five states in the country in an effort to reverse the country's trade imbalance. The centres will help reduce product rejection encountered by Nigerian exporters in the international market, in Lagos, Abuja, Enugu, Port-Harcourt and Kano. With NAHCO Aviance recipient of the NEPZ grant, the project, when completed in five months, will boost export potential of the country to about two million metric tons per annum. Speaking at the ground breaking ceremony for the Lagos State project on Thursday, the Executive Director of Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), Dr. Ezra Yakusak, said the country must continue to embark on projects that would reverse trade imbalance. Yakusak, who noted that the project was in line with the NEPC export survival campaign, said the only way out for Nigeria to surv

Ondo State Governor, Mr. Oluwarotimi Akeredolu (SAN), has said on Wednesday shooting at the yard of the Craneburg Construction Company in Owo was aimed at destroying some of their equipment and not to maim or kill anyone. Akeredolu stated this when he visited the construction site in company of heads of security agencies in the state. He said: "I want to allay the fears of our people. Clearly, what happened here on Wednesday night was not an attempt to kidnap anybody because they went away with nobody. And we have in the premises over hundred people living there. "Yes, there were sporadic gunshots at the wall but they never went inside to kill anybody. It is better for everybody to know. They didn't go inside there to kill anybody. The only two people who had some gunshots wounds were security men who they saw outside the premises. "So, it is clear to us that their intention was to attack one or two equipment here, which they did. Their explosives affected the

...8.5b budgeted to support 288,700 households, farmers, small scale businesses Gombe State Governor, Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, has stated that the newly launched COVID-19 Action Recovery and Economic Stimulus (GO-CARES) aligns with his administration human capital development initiative as encapsulated in the 10-year Development Agenda for Gombe State (DEVAGOM). The governor, who stated this at the commencement of the project in Kuri, Yamaltu Deba Local Government Area of the state on Wednesday, added that the emergency recovery programme would support government’s budgeted programme of expenditures and interventions specifically designed to expand access to livelihood support, food security and provide succour to the poor and vulnerable persons in communities whose lives, businesses, jobs and means of livelihood have been distorted by the pandemic. Yahaya observed that "being a domestication of the Nigeria COVID-19 Action Recovery Stimulus Programme (NG-CARES), the prog

Plateau State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Wednesday expressed concern over the alleged concession of Jos main market by the state Governor, Simon Lalong, to an Islamic bank (JAIZ Bank). The market, which hosted traders from across Nigeria and West Africa in the past, had been in ruin since 2002 after it was gutted by fire. But Plateau citizens would rather leave it that way than to cede it to any Islamic organisation considering the religious sentiments in the state. In a statement issued by the state Publicity Secretary of the party, Mr. John Akans, PDP said it has it on good authority that the state government has reached an advanced stage in signing a Memorandum of Understanding, (MOU) with JAIZ Bank with the view to handing over the entire market to the said bank to run for 40 years at the cost of N10 billion. He added that: "This is coming just shortly after the governor informed Plateau citizens that over N4 billion has been spent by his government

A group, Club 66 Idanre, on Wednesday demanded an apology from the Ondo State Governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu (SAN), over alleged use of invective words towards the Owa of Idanre Kingdom, Oba Fredrick Adegunle Aroloye, Arubiefin IV. The group alleged that the governor's abusive words came following a peaceful protest by the community over the alleged sales of their farmland to a foreign company by the state government. The Club 66 Idanre in a statement issued by its President, Dr. Anthony Omolola, alleged that the reports of the governor's insult and threat on the 96-year-old monarch during a phone conversation over the issue of Idanre forest reserve forcefully harnessed and allegedly sold to some companies and people by the state government were an affront to all peace-loving people in the community. Omolola said the governor, as a Yoruba son, ought to have been modest and diplomatic while talking to elders and traditional rulers, who are the custodians of the people’

A group under the acronym Coalition for Atiku-Okowa, Ekiti State chapter, has declared that the South-west region won't pander to unwarranted sentiments to vote against the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, in the 2023 general election. The coalition told the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, that the fact that he is from the region won't rob Atiku of victory in the zone, saying the former vice president is bonded with Yoruba by marriage. The co-convener of the group and former member of the House of Representatives, Hon Yemi Arokodare, stated this in Ado Ekiti on Tuesday while formally unveiling the group for operation ahead of the 2023 elections. Addressing the coalition members at the Atiku-Okowa palatial campaign building located in Ado Ekiti, Arokodare said the zone had not been known to play ethnic card in politics as reflected in the trajectory of elections in the country

The House of Representatives has urged the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs to fully embrace and adopt the report of the 'Silencing the Guns' project aimed at silencing all illegal weapons in Africa, and ensure that relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) key into the roadmap. The House also urged the office of the National Security Adviser to fully adopt the report and cascade it down to other relevant security agencies. The campaign is aimed at promoting prevention, management and resolution of conflicts in Africa by targeting ways to silence all illegal weapons on the continent. In December 2020, the African Union decided to extend the initiative until 2030. The resolutions of the lawmakers followed the adoption of a motion sponsored by Hon. Ahmed Munir at the plenary yesterday. Moving the motion, Munir noted that ‘Silencing the Guns 2030’ is a flagship roadmap project adopted in Lusaka, Zambia, in 2016 by the African Union with the aim of real

The dust raised during the All Progressives Congress (APC) primaries in Kwara State is yet to settle as the Senator representing Kwara Central senatorial district at the National Assembly, Dr. Ibrahim Yahaya Oloriegbe, has said he will not be part of the re-election bid of the state Governor, Alhaji AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, in the 2023 polls. Oloriegbe, who is also the chairman, Senate Committee on Health, said: "I will only be part of the national campaigns of the party during the period." The senator lost his bid to return to the Senate in the just concluded APC primaries in the state. The former National Chairman of the party, Mallam Saliu Mustapha, emerged as the Kwara Central senatorial candidate of the party for the 2023 elections. Since then, tongues have continued to wag in the party over the conduct of the party primaries in the state. Senator Oloriegbe had also recently tackled the governor on a national television, where he described the APC in

United Nations has decried that worsening food insecurity may push 1.74 million children under the age of five in the North-eastern Nigeria into malnutrition. A statement issued on Tuesday by the United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Nigeria, Mr. Matthias Schmale, titled: ‘Surviving the Food Crisis in North-east Nigeria’, said today in North-east Nigeria, millions of people are facing the painful consequences of a deteriorating food security and nutrition crisis. Schmale explained that: “Food insecurity means not knowing when or where your next meal will come from. It means, in essence, not being able to meet the basic needs for yourself or your family. As a result, countless families are forced to make alarming sacrifices to survive. Many, particularly children, are at risk of not making it through the lean season.” He noted that according to the latest food security assessments, 4.1 million people in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe States-three of the states

Eight out of the 11 councilors in Paikoro Local Government Area of Niger State have impeached the council Chairman, Mr. Yohanna Yakubu. The impeachment, which took place last Monday, followed what the councilors described as "abuse of office, gross dereliction of duty and abscondment from duty." The Leader of the legislative Assembly, Mrs. Lyatu Yohanna, told journalists that all the eight councilors present at the sitting signed the impeachment notice while the remaining three did not attend the sitting. According to Yohanna, the impeached chairman could not account for several millions of naira Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) by the council when asked to do so. In addition, she said the councilors accused the chairman of abandoning his office for almost six months and had remained in incommunicado with only the council accountant and treasurer allegedly able to communicate with him. She said the legislative arm of the local government area asked the impeached

Kwara State chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) on Tuesday joined the national body of the union to stage a peaceful protest in major streets of Ilorin, the state capital, to press home their demand for the federal government to implement the demands of Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU). As early as 8 a.m., members of the union, which comprised NLC, ASUU, NASU, SANU and other allied unions, came out in large numbers to stage the peaceful protest that started at the state secretariat of the NLC in Ilorin. The security agencies (police, civil defence corps among others) were on ground to provide security for the protest so as to avoid being hijacked by unscrupulous elements of the society. The protesters were armed with placards with various inscriptions like: ‘There is only one way forward, honour our agreement’; ‘This is a national protest to get our children back to school’, among others. They moved across the major areas of Ilorin to educate the membe

The House of Representatives at the plenary on Tuesday stepped down a motion urging the federal government to halt the proposed nationwide ban on commercial motorcycles and ensure that adequate palliative measures are put in place before such decisions are implemented. The motion sponsored by Hon. Abubakar Makki Yalleman (APC, Jigawa) also prayed that the federal government should restrict the proposed ban to the local government areas where the mining activities or banditry/terrorist activities are taking place. Yalleman had while moving his motion noted that the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of the government as clearly provided in Section 14(2)(b) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended). He said the House is aware that the proposed ban of motorcycles is aimed at cutting the supply of logistics to the terrorists in the country. The lawmaker expressed concerns that the activities of bandits and kidnappers

Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, has asked the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Benue State University (BSU) chapter, to call off the ongoing sympathy strike with the national body. He noted that the sympathy strike had gone beyond the allowed three days, and appealed to the lecturers to return back to the classroom in the interest of Benue children. The Governor, who made the appeal in Makurdi, the state capital, on Monday while reacting to appeals by parents and students on the striking lectures to call off the sympathy strike, noted that he had ensured the prompt payment of the salaries of the striking lecturers despite their action, lamenting that their action was already taking its toll on the students and parents. The governor said: “I have been paying their salaries; I don’t know why the lecturers are extending their sympathy strike beyond the allowed days. Even at that, I am still paying them. “Ordinarily there shouldn’t be any strike in the Benue State Univ

The Chief of Staff to the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, Emeka Woke, on Monday advised the people of the state, especially eligible voters to be wary of political buccaneers and fraudsters, whose stock in trade, according to him, is to deceive people for selfish monetary gains during electioneering period. This is as Woke berated Chief Anabs Sara-Igbe for making alleged unsubstantiated claims that Governor Wike's administration has not executed any project in the state. Woke stated these while speaking at the Grassroots Development Initiative (GDI) sensitisation and mobilisation rally for the continuous Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) registration exercise held at Saint Paul's state School Field, Rumuji in Emohua Local Government Area of the state. The Chief of Staff said: "We are not playing politics, but we will not allow the buccaneers and 419 people to deceive Rivers people. Time has come again, those who have disappeared in the last four years are beginning to

Property worth over N8million were on Monday razed by inferno at the Alanamu market in Ilorin West Local Government Area of Kwara State. The fire incident, according to eyewitness, was noticed around 4 a.m., and affected more than eight shops. During the incident, according to media checks, loaded goods in the market like clothes, showing machines, refrigerators, soft drinks and other materials were burnt. Sources said the inferno was put under control by men of the state fire service. Confirming the incident yesterday, the Head of Media and Publicity, Mr. Hassan Hakeem Adekunle, said there was no one in the market when the fire started, adding that it was a bike man who saw the inferno and quickly summoned the state fire service to rescue the situation. According to him, “Firemen did everything possible to immediately stop the spread of the fire to other shops, and subsequently extinguished the fire. "Out of the 86 shops in the market place, 11 shops were affected. The c

...Tasks Nigerians on devt of technology-based tools to enhance international cooperation The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has taking the fight against trafficking in persons, organ harvesting and others to various social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Telegram among others. The Director-General of NAPTIP, Dr. Fatima Waziri-Azi, disclosed this on Monday while interacting with journalists on plans and programmes for the commemoration of the 2022 World Day against Human Trafficking. The DG, while observing that NAPTIP is already partnering major owners of various social media platforms, disclosed that the agency would in a few months’ time unveil the ‘NAPTIP Alert’, which is aimed at sensitising innocent Nigerians of the activities of online traffickers. She lamented that human traffickers have "shifted from physical recruitment to virtual recruitment through virtual assessment of victims and proxy negotiations." Acc

An international nongovernmental organisation (iNGO), the ActionAid Nigeria, has decried the federal government’s proposed nationwide ban on commercial motorcycles and illegal mining activities in order to stem the rising insecurity across the country, stressing that such action will further deepen the national multi-dimensional poverty index. This was contained in a statement signed by the ActionAid Nigeria's Communication Coordinator, Lola Ayanda, and made available to journalists in Lokoja on Monday. The group was reacting to the statement by credited to Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), Abubakar Malami, that placing a ban on the use of motorcycles and mining activities may cut the supply of logistics and source of funds for the purchase of arms to the terrorists, adding that while this is being contemplated in the national interest to combat insecurity, there must be alternatives to lessen the effects of the attendant loss of livelihoods on the people that will be af

Former representative of Rivers South-East senatorial district at the National Assembly, Senator Magnus Abe, has stated that it is the Rivers people that will determine who will becomes the next governor of the state, not the incumbent state Governor, Nyesom Wike. He pointed out that the governor had on several occasions said the people of the state would decide his successor, therefore, he should not change his position by imposing a governor on the people in 2023. Abe, who made the assertion at the weekend, insisted that the future of Rivers State is more important to the people of the state than the pleasure of any individual. According to him, "If the president of Nigeria, who is more powerful than the governor, cannot decide who will be the next president to succeed him, then the governor of Rivers State will not decide who will succeed him. "That issue will be decided by the people of Rivers State. And let me also quote the governor himself. He has said on diffe

For illegally arresting and detaining in prison for 13 days without trial, a Bayelsa State High Court in Yenagoa has awarded N3 million in damages to a teenage girl facing trial for allegedly circulating nude video of a retired Permanent Secretary in the state. The girl (name withheld) had through her counsel, Andrew Arthur, sued the retired permanent secretary and the Department of State Security (DSS) for her arrest and detention for 13 days without trial. According to the March 31 judgement sighted on Thursday, Justice Ebiyerin Omukoro awarded the damage and additional N3, 000 as costs for breach of her fundamental human rights. The decision of the court stated that the retired Permanent Secretary, Dr. Walto Liverpool, would pay N1 million, while the DSS would pay additional N 2 million to the teenager as damages. Umukoro noted that while Liverpool had submitted a petition against the teenager to the police who arrested her and later granted her bail, the permanent secreta

I Killed Only Three Persons, Arrested 23-year-old Cultist Confesses David-Chyddy Eleke in Awka A 23-year-old cultist, Chisom Okafor, allegedly arrested by operatives of Anambra State Police Command, has confessed to have killed only three people since he joined a cult group. In a video currently trending on the internet, the two young cultists, Chisom Okafor and Ikechukwu Chinweze, aged 23 and 19, were being questioned by men suspected to be police officers. Both confessed to being members of Aye confraternity, and have participated in killings in Awka and neighbouring towns in Anambra State. Okafor was seen in the video confessing that he has killed rival cultists, whose names he gave as a certain Savage and Edu Obara. He said: "I was among the cultist who went to ObJ's place (just nickname) and killed some security men. We were seven in number that went for the operation. I dropped out of school, but I'm a tiler, and I do tiling very well." Meanwhile

In a bid to address the challenges facing the youths in the Niger Delta region, the Niger Delta Development Commission, (NDDC) has launched a new programme called ‘Niger Delta Talent Hunt (NIDETH)’. The programme, according to the NDDC Interim Administrator, Dr. Efiong Akwa, is targeted at harnessing the youths’ creative gifts in the entertainment industry. Speaking at the flag-off ceremony at the NDDC headquarters in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Akwa, said the commission would continue to create programmes to address the challenges facing the youths in the region. He thanked President Muhammadu Buhari and the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Mr. Umana Umana, for supporting activities aimed at elevating the initiatives of the youths in the Niger Delta region. Akwa said: "Our focus in this programme is to identify the talented youths, build them up and expose them to the world. We want to use this as an opportunity to provide a platform to expose the hidden talents in the r

Bayelsa State Government has made a clarification that the state-owned international airport had not been downgraded as being insinuated in some quarters. It said the absence of scheduled flights to and from the Bayelsa International Airport for a couple of weeks now was not the making or fault of the state government, but has to do with some technical issues with the two airline operators. The state Deputy Governor, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, gave the clarification on Wednesday when the Federated Correspondents Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Bayelsa State Council, paid him a courtesy call in the Government House, Yenagoa. Ewhrudjakpo explained that two airlines, Ibom Air and United Nigeria Airlines, were carrying out what he called D-Check on their aircraft, which had also affected their flight operations from their primary routes. According to the deputy governor, the D-Check is a major maintenance check to determine the air-worthiness of an aircraft afte