Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has expressed happiness over the release of kidnapped students of Government Science Secondary School, Kankara, Katsina State. The Wazirin Adamawa, in a thread of tweets on his twitter handle @Atiku, said: “I am happy about reports that abducted schoolboys of GSSS Kankara, Katsina State have been rescued. As a father, I know how much joy it will bring to the traumatised parents who have practically kept vigil in the school premises. “I congratulate all those who were involved in the rescue operation. “Security must be stepped up around schools in the vulnerable areas in the…
Author: YemieFash
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has registered 1,145 new infections of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) in the country. The NCDC made this known via its verified website on Thursday, Dec.17, 2020 . It said that as of Dec. 17, 2020, 1,145 new confirmed cases and one death were recorded in the country. Newsmen report that the figure was the highest ever infection recorded in one day since record keeping of COVID-19 commenced in Nigeria. The latest figure surpassed the 930 cases recorded across the country on Wednesday, Dec. 16, 2020 , giving further indication that the country is experiencing…
Twenty four hours after President Muhammadu Buhari ordered the reopening of four land borders, they remained shut on Thursday. Our reporters who went round gathered that concerened agencies were still waiting for official communication before reopening them. Seme border in Lagos, Ilela in Sokoto, Maigatari in Jigawa and Mfun in Cross River state remained under lock. At the Seme border, a senior immigration official, who did not want to be named, said: “We are waiting for a directive from our head office.” A senior Customs offficer added: “Business activities are yet to start because most of the security agencies at…
The Senate on Thursday began a fresh probe of alleged misappropriation of N6.2 billion by the dissolved Interim Management Committee (IMC) of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC). The money was to provide palliatives to cushion the impact of COVID-19 pandemic. The investigation followed a petition by Chairman of the NDDC Palliatives Distribution Committee, Sobomabo Jackrich. Jackrich told the Senate Committee on Ethics and Privileges that the IMC, led by its immediate past Managing Director, Prof Kemebradikumo Pondei, squandered the fund. He added that he has all the evidence to support his allegation. The latest allegation adds to the list…
The Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 Pandemic has warned Nigerians to avoid large gathering events during the Christmas/New Year festivities. Chairman of the PTF and Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) Boss Mustapha, who was represented by the Minister of Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika, stated this on Thursday during the task force’s media briefing in Abuja. The SGF, who urged Nigerians to reinforce their efforts to stay alive in the face of the spiking cases of the virus, notified that the hope of accessing vaccines for the treatment would not be immediate. He added that vaccines alone…
The National Economic Council (NEC) has said lockdown will be the last resort in the wake of second wave of COVID-19 pandemic. Plateau State Governor Simon Lalong stated this while briefing the State House correspondents after a virtual NEC meeting presided over by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo on Thursday, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. The council expressed worries and advised that sanitation, restrictions on the number of people in gatherings, among other protocols, should be taken seriously. “It was resolved that proper measures should be taken again with very strict observation of the protocols and observation of some of the…
Labour and Employment Minister Chris Ngige has blasted the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) for failing to call off its strike. He accused the union of turning down Federal Government’s offers by refusing to teach, conduct researches or engage in other academic duties for which they are paid. The minister was reacting to a statement credited to the University of Jos (UNIJOS) chapter of the union, led by Dr. Lazarus Maigoro, that Ngige was responsible for ASUU’s prolonged strike. In a statement by his office in Abuja, Ngige said: “It is rather ASUU, which has bluntly refused to reciprocate…
The Katsina State Governor, Aminu Masari, has said that ransom was not paid before kidnappers freed hundreds of schoolboys kidnapped from Kankara part of the state. He said the boys, kidnapped last week, were released after negotiations with the kidnappers whom he described as bandits. He did not, however, say what the bandits got in return for freeing the students. In an interview with DWTV Hausa on Thursday night, Mr Masari said the boys were being conveyed to the Katsina at the time of this report. “One hour ago, Nigerian soldiers and government officials that were involved in the negotiation…
Governor Aminu Bello Masari of Katsina State says no ransom was paid to secure the release of the abducted students. Masari disclosed this in an interview with German radio, Deutsche Welle, DW, monitored by newsmen on Thursday night. The Governor said the release of the students was facilitated by the Miyyeti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria, MACBAN, who engage in talks with the bandits and government noting that no single Kobo was paid as ransom. He said the abductors were bandits and not purported Boko Haram. According to him, “Some hours ago, those assisting us in talks with…
Governor of Lagos State, Mr Olusola Sanwo-Olu, has made a personal donation of N5 million each to the two overall best newly graduated students of the Lagos State University (LASU) Ojo, Messrs Oladimeji Shotunde and Olabanjo Olusola. He also announced the scholarship offered by the state government to both of them for further studies at their choice universities globally. The former, who studied Business Administration at the undergraduate level graduated with the Cumulative Gradient Point Average (CGPA) of 4.95 out of the possible 5.0, which is the highest ever in the history of the university, while the latter, who is…