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Some informants working for kidnappers in the Federal Capital Territory FCT have been arrested, the minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike announced on Friday as controversy shaded the alleged arrest of a kidnap kingpin reportedly operating in the territory. While some netizens debunked the claim that an alleged kidnap kingpin, Chinaza Phillip was not arrested, the police, however, has confirmed the arrest of the suspect with proof of his photograph. Wike who disclosed this on Friday during a town hall meeting with various stakeholders and residents in Gwagwalada town, Gwagwalada Area Council of the territory, also declared a time up for kidnappers and their informants, vowing to go after them. Speaking in pidgin, Wike said; “The president has asked me to come here today. The other day ...

Just as the government of Oyo has assured that those responsible for Bodija tragedy would be brought to book; one of the survivors of the Tuesday’s explosion in Ibadan has revealed that the Malian who kept the explosives ran away just before the explosion occurred. The victim said the Malian and members of his household, who occupied the house where the incident occured, ran away when they saw that the building was on fire without informing the neighbors. The survivor made the claim while speaking with security operatives at the scene of the incident. It would be recalled that an explosive device exploded at a residential building located at Dejo Oyelese close, Bodija Housing Estate in Ibadan on Tuesday. The incident has so far claimed five lives; while rescue efforts are ongoi...

The Jigawa government has increased the monthly allowance for Persons Living With Disabilities (PWDs) in the state from N7,000 to N10,000. Sagir Musa, the Commissioner for Information, Youths, Sports and Culture, made this known on Friday in Dutse. Mr Musa said the state government had also approved an increase in beneficiaries in each of the 27 local government areas from 150 to 200. He explained that the approval was given at the State Executive Council (SEC) meeting on Thursday. The commissioner added that the council also approved the establishment of a database of orphans, orphanages, and vulnerable and aged populations, following a memo presented by the Ministry of Women Affairs and physical verification/validation of PWDs. He said, “Following deliberations on the memo...

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ogun has lauded the judgment of the Supreme Court, affirming Governor Dapo Abiodun as governor. The party described Abiodun’s win as a long-awaited judgment. APC spokesman in Ogun, Tunde Oladunjoye, disclosed this in a statement on Friday. The ruling noted that the judgment served the course of justice. The party’s chairman in the state, Yemi Sanusi, congratulated Mr Abiodun and Deputy Governor Noimot Salako-Oyedele on the verdict by the apex court. “We salute the incorruptible and courageous justices of the Supreme Court for upholding the concurrent verdicts of the lower courts. They have shown that, truly, justice lies with the judiciary. “We also want to congratulate our gentleman and hardworking governor and his deputy on this sw...

The chairman of the Munich Security Conference, Christophe Heusgen, says Russian President Vladimir Putin will be arrested if he attends the planned Weimar Triangle meeting. As was the case in 2023, representatives of the Russian administration have not been invited. Russian President Vladimir Putin will be arrested if he comes,’’ said Mr Heusgen. He was referring to the fact that the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant against Mr Putin in 2023 for alleged war crimes in Moscow’s war on Ukraine. Mr Heusgen plans to bring leaders of France, Germany and Poland, namely Emmanuel Macron, Olaf Scholz and Donald Tusk, together at a meeting in mid-February. This would be a revival of the Weimar Triangle, a regional alliance of France, Germany, and Poland that was cr...

The streets of Cote d'Ivoire's commercial capital, Abidjan, was agog on Thursday as both Ivorian and Nigerian fans gyrated and bantered ahead of the Super Eagles vs Cote d'Ivoire AFCON match. Sharpedgenews reports that the Super Eagles of Nigeria will face Cote d'ivoire on Thursday in their second Group A duel, in the Stade Olympique Alassane Ouattara in Ebimpe, Abidjan. A cross section of fans who spoke to Sharpedgenews described the match as the finals before finals, given the pedigree of both teams as football super powers in Africa. Koussi Toure, an Ivorian fan told newsmen in french and a smattering of English that Cote d'Ivoire will surely win the match because they have a good team and home support. "Cote d'Ivoire is my home and I am very happy to witness the match. "...

Minister of Defence Mohammed Badaru has urged Nigerians to stop the illegal payment of ransom to kidnappers and bandits. At a briefing, after the Federal Executive Council meeting on Wednesday in Abuja, the minister said such payments would only embolden the culprits to demand for more thereby jeopardising public safety. He said that the President, at a meeting with Service Chiefs on Tuesday, directed security agencies to intensify efforts to flush out the perpetrators of criminal acts in the society. "Yesterday Mr President called us and all the Service Chiefs to discuss this issue. "So, a concerted effort is being done by security to stop it immediately. "As you are aware, people are saying FCT, FCT. "These kidnappings happen around the suburbs, around locations that ar...

Gov. Seyi Makinde of Oyo State says the company that stored up the explosives, which caused Tuesday's explosion in Dejo Oyelese Street, Adeyi Avenue, Old Bodija, Ibadan, has been identified and will be brought to justice. The governor said this on Wednesday, during a press conference on the incident, held in the Briefing Room of the Governor's Office, Secretariat, Agodi, Ibadan. Makinde, while reiterating his call for calm, also gave assurance that the State Government would leave no stone unturned in the effort to rescue victims, the provision of welfare for victims and the security of their properties. "Preliminary investigations have traced this blast to the storage of explosives by illegal miners at (in) a house in Dejo Oyelese street, Bodija. "Since yesterday, our security...

By Bridget Ikyado Benue State Government has directed all secondary schools in the state to stop increment of school fees without the approval of the state Education Quality Assurance Agency. It also warned to take punitive action against any school that forced students to pay all three terms school fees at once. The government further said that any school that collects more than N5,000 as service charge for WAEC and NECO would face sanctions. The directive followed a protest at Excel Grace Academy, Akaajime in Gboko on Tuesday by SS3 students barred by the school from sitting for examinations on the pretext that they had not paid their third term school fees. The Director General of the agency, Dr. Terna Francis, who issued the directive, said that the agency would not allo...

President Bola Tinubu has expressed sadness over the devastating explosion that occurred on Tuesday night in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital. The explosion killed two persons and wounded about 80 others. It also destroyed several buildings, vehicles, and other properties. It is worrisome that the cause of the blast is being attributed to the activities of illegal miners. Those behind the inexcusable and reckless behaviour that has created the conditions for the sad incident to occur must be fished out and punished,” the President said. President Tinubu commiserated with the government and people of Oyo State and called on all concerned agencies of government to unravel the circumstances that led to the tragedy with alacrity. The President directs the National Emergency Management...

President Bola Tinubu has approved the restoration of funding for 13 National Health Regulators across the country. Sharpedgenews  reports that the government stopped their funding in the 2024 budget as part of measures to ensure transparency and efficient use of resources. Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Dr Ali Pate, made this known on Wednesday after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting in Abuja. He said that the funding would improve the regulation of health infrastructure and consumables across the medical and pharmaceutical sectors. The 13 agencies whose funding was restored are the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria, Pharmaceutical Council of Nigeria, Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria and Institute of Chartered Chemists of Nigeria. ...

The coach of the Super Eagles, Jose Peseiro, has confirmed that Alhassan Yusuf is out of the match against host, Elephants of Cote d'Ivoire, on Thursday at the Stade Olympique Alassan Ouattara Stadium, Abidjan. Peseiro confirmed this on Wednesday at the team's news conference ahead of Nigeria's second match at the ongoing African Cup of Nations in Cote d'Ivoire. According to the coach, the Royal Antwerp FC of Belgium's defensive midfielder will only be in contention in the third match against Guinea Bissau. Sharpedgenews reports that the midfielder was substituted due to injury on Sunday during the Super Eagles game against Equatorial Guinea which ended 1-1. The coach, however, confirmed that Napoli FC of Italy striker and reigning African Footballer of the year, Victor Osimhen...

The explosion in the Bodija area of Ibadan on Tuesday evening destroyed some office buildings and other structures within the State Secretariat Complex, Agodi. The explosion severely impacted some ministries and parastatals within the secretariat on Wednesday, including the water corporation building, which houses the revenue building and the newly-built Local Government Service Commission building. Others were the local Government Staff Training School, some parts of the Governor’s Office, the State Secretariat Central Mosque and the Secretariat Chapel. There were shattered window glasses and doors, collapsed ceilings and some pieces of office equipment, such as computer systems, littering the offices. Some civil servants of the affected offices were also seen in front of thei...

Sharafadeen Alli (APC-Oyo South) and a former Senate Leader, Teslim Folarin, have described the explosion that rocked some parts of Ibadan on Tuesday night as devastating and unfortunate. A blast was heard, with its attendant vibration felt in several locations in Ibadan, at about 7:45 p.m. on Tuesday, the cause of which, as of press time, was linked to stored explosives by illegal miners living in the Bodija area of the state. Three persons were said to have died, 77 injured and six houses destroyed during the incident that occurred at Dejo Oyeleye Street, Adeyi Avenue, in the Bodija area of the city. Mr Alli, in a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media, Akeem Abas, expressed condolences and sympathy to the families of the dead and those who sustained injuries. The l...

President Bola Tinubu is presiding the first meeting of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) after the Christmas and New Year holidays. The meeting taking place at the Council Chambers of the Presidential Villa has in attendance ministers, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Chief of Staff to the President and the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation. The council's role, as written in the Ministers' Statutory Powers and Duties Act, is to serve as an advisory body to the President, who serves as the FEC's chairman. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the council is expected to deliberate on pressing national issues including environment, security and the promotion of the Renewed Hope Agenda implementation as contained in the 2024 budget. NAN reports th...

President Bola Tinubu says the Federal Government will continue with the various developmental strides of the past APC-led administration. He said this on Tuesday at the public presentation of books on former President Muhammadu Buhari's administration in Abuja. "Our administration will continue to work, from where President Buhari stopped, to make our country better, create a vibrant economy and secure the environment to bring more prosperity to our people. "It will be said glowingly of President Buhari that, in his eight turbulent years, marked by acute shortage of revenue, COVID-19 pandemic that shut down the global economy for almost two years, his administration embarked on the most ambitious infrastructure renewal for the country." President Tinubu said that the transport...

Seyi Makinde, Oyo State Governor s has said that explosives stored by Illegal miners was responsible for the explosion that rocked Bodija area in Ibadan. The Governor on his verified X platform said that preliminary investigations by the security agencies revealed that illegal miners occupying one of the houses in Bodija had stored explosive devices there which caused the blast. He added that investigations are ongoing and that all those found culpable for this will be brought to book. "We visited the scene of the explosion which occurred at about 7.44 pm yesterday, 16 January 2024 in Bodija, Ibadan. This unfortunate incident resulted in death and injury to residents in the vicinity and also affected properties. We have already deployed first responders and all relevant agencies w...

Oyo State Government has said that it is investigating the explosion that rocked some parts of Ibadan city on Tuesday night to determine the cause. In a press release signed by the Commissioner for Information and orientation, Prince Dotun Oyelade he urged residents to be calm as government is on top of the situation. "Residents of Ibadan and immediate environ experienced an uncommon explosion about 8pm this evening." "There are various interpretations of the incident but it is important for us to state categorically that the state government has taken over and in the full control of the unfortunate occurrence in in order to mitigate the incident." "All security service chiefs including para military chiefs and Fire Operatives have been deployed by the governor to Reign in the ...

President Bola Tinubu says his government will continue with the various developmental strides of the past APC-led administration, describing ex-President Muhammadu Buhari’s regime as “eight turbulent years.” He said this at the public presentation of books on former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration in Abuja. “Our administration will continue to work, from where President Buhari stopped, to make our country better, create a vibrant economy and secure the environment to bring more prosperity to our people. It will be said glowingly of President Buhari that in his eight turbulent years, marked by an acute shortage of revenue, the COVID-19 pandemic that shut down the global economy for almost two years, his administration embarked on the most ambitious infrastructural rene...

The All Progressives Congress (APC) says it plans to use direct primaries to select its candidate for the September 21 Edo governorship poll. Duro Meseko, the APC deputy national publicity secretary, said this when he spoke with journalists on Tuesday in Abuja at the party’s national secretariat. He said this was part of resolutions at the end of the National Working Committee consultative meeting with Edo stakeholders. He urged the stakeholders to unite in trimming down the number of aspirants already in the race. Mr Meseko urged aspirants to play by the rules, advising them to explore internal party dispute resolution mechanisms instead of dragging the party to court at the slightest opportunity. “It was resolved that for the smooth running of the party, all members should...