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A pregnant woman has been trampled to death by a herd of wild elephants on Indonesia’s Sumatra island. The police disclosed this on Tuesday. The woman, identified as Karsini, was trying to protect her family’s rubber plantation from the elephants in Muara Lakitan district in South Sumatra when they charged at her on Sunday, local police chief Muhammad Karim said. “The victim tried to scare away the herd by banging on two jerry cans to create loud noise, but instead of retreating, the elephants charged at her, resulting in her death,” Mr Karim said. The incident occurred in a region known for its large population of wild elephants, which frequently roam in herds of up to 100 animals. Local authorities said that encounters between humans and elephants were becoming increasing...

The House of Representatives has ordered the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board to remit N3.602 billion to the federal government’s Consolidated Revenue Fund. Bamidele Salam, the chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, gave the order during an investigative hearing in Abuja, saying the Fiscal Responsibility Commission demanded the remittance. Mr Salam said the remittance was not subject to personal interpretation. He said it was a matter of law or regulation and had nothing to do with the difference between the 25 per cent and 50 per cent as argued by JAMB. The committee unanimously ordered that JAMB should send the fund to FRC and provide evidence of the remittance within 30 days. The FRC had dragged JAMB before the committee over an unremitted operating surplus. B...

The attorney general of the federation and minister of justice, Lateef Fagbemi, says that convicted corrupt Nigerians should not get state pardons.Mr Fagbemi said this at a roundtable meeting organised by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission for attorneys general on Monday in Abuja. In a statement by his spokesman Kamarudeen Ogundele, Mr Fagbemi solicited the cooperation of all stakeholders, especially the attorneys general, in the fight against corruption. “I will suggest in our next constitution review exercise that we expunge those found guilty of corruption from benefiting from powers of ‘Prerogative of Mercy’ to serve as a deterrent to others,” he said. He advised them to eschew nepotism, political witch-hunting, rivalry, and bigotry in the...

The Association of Licensed Data Protection Compliance Organisations of Nigeria (ALDAPCON) has partnered with the Committee of Vice Chancellors of Nigerian Universities (CVCNU) to advance data privacy and protection within Nigerian universities.  This was contained in a press statement issued to newsmen signed by the Director, Publicity and Advocacy ALDAPCON, Mr. Ayodeji Rex Abitogun. The statement said that, "This landmark agreement, signed on September 5, 2024, marks a significant step towards safeguarding sensitive information and ensuring compliance with data protection regulations across higher education institutions in Nigeria. "The partnership addresses the growing need for robust data privacy practices in the academic sector. As universities increasingly re...

Security operatives suspected to be personnel of the Department of State Services (DSS) have arrested Joe Ajaero, president of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC). Benson Upah, spokesperson of the NLC, told journalists that Ajaero was arrested on Monday morning at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport in Abuja as he was about to board a flight to the UK. “The assault on Nigerian workers continues. President of the NLC, Comrade Joe Ajaero, was arrested and abducted by men of the DSS at the Nnamdi Azikwe Airport Abuja this morning on his way to attend an official engagement of TUC United Kingdom and he is now detained at the office of the NSA,” the NLC said in a statement. “This intimidation and assault must stop!!!”

The Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, has stepped down from his role with immediate effect. In a statement issued by the Presidency on Saturday, Ngelale said he had submitted a memo to the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, informing him of his plan to proceed on indefinite leave. Ngelale added that he has stepped down as the Special Presidential Envoy on Climate Action and Chairman of the Presidential Steering Committee on Project Evergreen. According to Ngelale, he stepped down from his role to deal with medical matters presently affecting his nuclear family. The statement read, “On Friday, I submitted a memo to the Chief of Staff to the President informing my office that I am proceeding on an indefinite leave of...

By NAN  The House of Representatives Committee on Health Institutions on Thursday, visited the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital (UATH) Gwagwalada for an oversight visit to help improve medical services in the hospital.  The Chairman House Committee on Health Institutions, Hon. Amos Magaji, led by other members of the committee during the visit promised to put an end to medical tourism and attract development of the health sector in the country. Magaji, who commended President Bola Tinubu for declaring a state of emergency on health, also promised to change the analogue attitude and approach to the administration of health, among many others in Nigeria’s health sector to a digitised era. He applauded the management of the hospital “for reflecting Federal Cha...

The Federal Ministry of Education has clarified that the ministry has not stopped students who are not up to 18 years old from writing the West Africa Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) and the National Examinations Council (NECO) exams. The Minister of State for Education, Yusuf Sununu, made the clarification in Abuja on Friday while fielding questions from journalists at an event to mark the 2024 International Literacy Day (ILD). “Nobody said no child will write WAEC, NECO or any other examination unless at age 18. This is a misconception and misrepresentation of what we have said,” he said. However, Mr Sununu said the public misconception and misinterpretation of what was said by the Minister of Education, Tahir Mamman, was highly disappointing. He said the mini...

A chief magistrates court in Sokoto on Friday remanded Shafi’u Umar in a corrections centre for allegedly circulating falsehoods against Governor Ahmad Aliyu and his wife on social media platforms.Mr Umar, 37, who was the special assistant to former Governor Aminu Tambuwal, is charged with circulating injurious falsehood and engraving matter known to be defamatory. The case was first mentioned on August 26, and the police prosecutor, Insp Abdurahman Mansur, said the offence contravened the penal code law. According to the First Information Report (FIR), the defendant committed the offence on July 18. The prosecution said the defendant circulated a video of the governor’s wife, Fatima Aliyu, “spraying” money during her birthday ceremony despite the present hardships faced by citiz...

The House of Representatives Committee on Petroleum Resources (Upstream) has appealed to President Bola Tinubu and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd. to revert to the old petrol pump price. Alhassan Ado-Doguwa, the committee chairman, in a statement, said, “We urge the federal government and, of course, the NNPCL to consider the plight of Nigerians and suspend this recent increase in pump price. “Let us revert to the old pump price as soon as possible and probably intensify engagements with major stakeholders to address the problem.” Mr Doguwa, also the chairman of the Special Committee on Crude Oil Theft and Vandalisation of Pipelines, pledged to tackle the challenge caused by the government’s loss of revenue owing to the loss of crude oil. “As a special committee, ...

The federal government has increased the feeding allowance for inmates at the Nigeria Correctional Service (NCos) by 50 per cent. The service spokesperson, Umar Abubakar, made the disclosure at the monthly news conference organised by the Strategic Communications Interagency Policy Committee (SCIPC). This month’s conference was hosted by the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) on Thursday in Abuja. Mr Abubakar said that the review was effective from August 24 and was being implemented to cushion the high cost of food in the nation. “The government has actually reviewed the feeding allowance of inmates in our custody by 50 per cent, and this is just the first phase of the review. “The government is also looking at the next phase, where they will actually improve the allowances of ...

The Delta Police Command says a suspected kidnapper, who was hit during a gun battle with the police in the Ewu community, has died at the General Hospital, Ughelli. According to him, police recovered one Baretta pistol with four rounds of live ammunition, one pump action with nine rounds of cartridges, and one locally-made revolver pump action. The CP said the command had launched a manhunt for the fleeing suspects, adding that the command would ensure no hidden place for criminals. He disclosed that between July 25 and till date, the police had arrested many suspected kidnappers, robbers and cultists across the state. Mr Abaniwonda gave a breakdown of the recoveries to include four AK-47 rifles, 138 assorted ammunition and cartridges. According to him, the police also rec...

A mass grave containing more than 300 bodies, including babies and children, has been uncovered. An unmarked burial site at Royton Cemetery in Oldham contained 145 stillborn children, 128 babies and young children and 29 adults, local councillors said. The discovery of the grave, which is about 12 ft (3.6m) by 12ft, was made by a woman from Royton while she was searching for the last resting place of her twin brothers, who died in 1962. Councillors Maggie Hurley and Jade Hughes said it was a "heartbreaking revelation" and have called for a memorial to be built for all those buried there. The woman told councillors, who assisted in her search, that her parents had never been able to say goodbye to her twin brothers. One of them had been stillborn and the other had died withi...

An Economic Expert, Dr Sand Mba-Kalu, has said the fuel price hike by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited from N617 per litre to N897 litre will push more Nigerians into poverty.The expert said the sudden increase in Premium Motor Spirit pump price by the NNPCL was beyond a simple fuel price adjustment. He said that it would have a far-reaching impact on Nigeria’s private sector, trade and the already suffering Nigerian masses. The Executive Director, Africa international Trade and Commerce Research, Mr Mba-Kalu, said this during an interview on Tuesday in Abuja while reacting to the development. The NNPC Retail Management has approved upward review of the pump price from N617 per litre to N897 litre, effective September 3, amidst economic hardship and persistent ...

The Postmaster-General of the Federation, Tola Odeyemi, has said the Nigerian Postal Service is undergoing some reforms to enhance service delivery. Ms Odeyemi said this on Tuesday during an interview on the sidelines of a three-day management retreat in Abuja. According to her, the reforms focus on revenue generation, partnerships, financial services, courier and logistics, last-mile delivery, and the digitisation of NIPOST services to improve customer service quality. Ms Odeyemi said the recent signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria was one of the key initiatives driving NIPOST’s growth. According to her, the partnership is intended to reduce the cost of moving goods and services through NIPOST by 15 per c...

By Jessica Dogo The Federal Government has called for enhanced cybersecurity to ensure the security and integrity of digital services with emphasis that it is a top priority for the country. This was highlighted at the 7th edition of DevsInGovernment programme, with the theme "Building Trust in Digital Public Services: The Critical Role of Cybersecurity" in Abuja. News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that DevsinGovernment is championed by the Minister of Communications Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani to support the deployment of technology. This is to transform the Nigerian Civil Service into a high-performing, efficient,and a citizen-centric institution with a community of technologists and techenthusiasts within the Civil Service. The Ministry is also see...

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) intercepted over 31 million pills of tramadol 225mg and bottles of codeine-based syrup worth N17.9 billion at the Port Harcourt Port Complex, Onne, Rivers State and Tincan seaport in Lagos.NDLEA spokesman Femi Babafemi said in a statement on Sunday that the seizures followed intelligence processed by the agency on the movement of the shipments from their port of origin in India, leading to a demand for a 100 per cent joint examination of the watch-listed containers. He said this with the help of the Nigerian Customs Service and other sister security agencies. Mr Babafemi said a breakdown of the seizures showed that 350,000 bottles of codeine-based syrup were recovered from two containers at Tincan port in Lagos on Thursd...