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No fewer than 800 children have been empowered by the Flickers of Hope Foundation (FOH), through its ‘Back2school’ project aimed at taking children off the streets. The Executive Director of the foundation, Mrs Omolara Adedeji, said this at the maiden edition of Pa Alfred Shonubi Annual quiz competition organised for Junior Secondary Schools (JSS) in Abuja on Saturday. Adedeji said that about 900 women were also sensitised in 16 communities on the need to see that the girl-child is enrolled in school and completes her education. According to her, the FOH is a project under the back2school project, which aims at taking more children off the street and back to school. ”In 2018, we launched project back2school. We did this by identifying children in this category who had complete...

Police Command in Cross River has launched a manhunt for alledged killers of a woman accused of witchcraft in Akamkpa Local Government Area of the state. The State Commissioner of Police, Gyogon Grimah, has directed that the perpetrators be arrested and prosecuted according to the law. This is contained in a statement by the Spokesperson of the command, SP Irene Ugbo, on Saturday. The commissioner who described the incident as unfortunate, noted that no person had the right to take another life under any guise. I would be recalled that the deceased, Mrs Martina Itagbor, a mother of four, was accused of witchcraft following the death of two young men in a car crash that also left many injured. Following the accusation, the mother of four was beaten and burnt to death by some...

The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Taoreed Lagbaja, a major general, has approved the appointment and redeployment of more General Officers Commanding (GOCs), Commanders and other officers to enhance administrative and operational efficiency of the Nigerian Army. This is contained in a statement by the Director, Army Public Relations, Onyema Nwachukwu, a brigadier general, on Friday in Abuja. Those affected include VU Okoro, a major general, from Department of Army Operations to 2 Division as GOC; HT Dada, a major general, from Defence Intelligence Agency, to 82 Division as GOC and Muhammed Usman, a major general, redeployed from 2 Division to 82 Division. Also redeployed are: KA Isoni, a major general, as Commander Army Headquarters Garrison; and AE Abubakar, a major general, from ...

At Airport Hotel, IKEJA, Lagos, Nigeria - In a remarkable celebration of outstanding individuals who have made significant contributions to society, Chief Dr Amb Ebosetale David Aigbefoh Esq was honoured on June 30, 2023, by National Hero Communications as the "Most Transparent and Dynamic Lawyer of the Year 23." This prestigious accolade recognizes Chief Dr Ebosetale David Aigbefoh's unwavering dedication to legal practice, humanitarian work, and his profound impact on nation building, all achieved without any external sponsorship. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the theme of the award is titled "Recognizing a Legal Luminary's Exemplary Contribution to Nation Building. The search for a lawyer in Nigeria who embodies a perfect blend of legal expertise, philanthropy, an...

Chartered Institute of Educational Practitioners, United Kingdom (CIEPUK) is set to partner several institutions and the National Association of Private School Proprietors' (NAPSP) to award scholarship to outstanding students in the just concluded 2023 JAMB/UTME examinations. Prof. Marcel Ezenwoye, the National President of CIEPUK,said the gesture was a way of rewarding excellence and encouraging hardworking students in the country. He said it was also in line with the Federal Government's policies on inclusive, affordable and accessible education under the able watch of president Tinubu and his vice Shetimma. "CIEPUK is partnering several universities both within and outside the country to offer 50 percent scholarship to JAMB/UME students, so that for a semester, they pay N60,00...

The Acting Inspector-General of Police, Ag. IGP Olukayode Adeolu Egbetokun, PhD, NPM, has expressed his commitment to enhancing the professionalism, effectiveness, and public trust in law enforcement personnel. In line with this commitment, he has hereby set in motion machineries for the development of a comprehensive training program and curriculum for colleges and training schools that will place increased emphasis on attitudinal and behavioral changes, alongside physical and technical fitness. The IGP acknowledges that law enforcement is a multifaceted profession that requires not only physical strength and technical proficiency but also mental alertness and the highest standards of ethical conduct, empathy, and effective communication. The new training program will be designe...

First Lady Oluremi Tinubu, alongside top government functionaries will attend the send forth dinner of the Super Falcons ahead of the team’s departure for the FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the FIFA Women World Cup is scheduled to take place over a period of one month, starting from July 20 to Aug. 20. In a statement by Ademola Olajire, Head of Communications of the NFF on Thursday, noted that the dinner, organised by the country’s football body will hold on Saturday at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja. “We are expecting the Permanent Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Sports and Youth Development, Ismaila Abubakar as well as other top sports officials. “A good number of the  team as well as techn...

The Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF), says it has appointed Coach Rena Wakama as Head Coach for Nigeria’s Senior Women’s National basketball team, D’Tigress. The federation made the announcement in a tweet on Friday. The D’Tigress have been without a head coach since Otis Hughley resigned from his role with the five-time Afrobasket champions in 2022. According to the tweet, Wakama’s contract with the D’Tigress would run for a two-year period. Wakama was a former Nigerian National team player, and currently an Assistant Coach at Stony Brooks University, New York, U.S. as Head Coach. She was a four- year letterman at the University of Western Carolina and played professional basketball in the U.K., in addition to playing for the Senior Nigerian National Team. She recei...

The Speaker, Benue State House of Assembly, Mr Aondona Dajoh says plans are underway to relocate the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) to their ancestral homes. Dajoh made the disclosure on Friday when he inspected the headquarters and warehouse of the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) in Makurdi. The speaker, however, said that the relocation may not be possible during the rainy season because government needs to provide security, shelter and other amenities before relocating people. “We are working on it and we are on the same page with the governor but if you ask the people to go back now, where will they stay. “They need shelter, security and we are working towards that direction because you don’t need to just push people back to where they are not secure and they...

Vice President, Sen. Kashim Shettima has restated the loyalty of the President Bola Tinubu-led administration for the traditional institution across the country. Shettima, who spoke in Sokoto on Friday during a Sallah homage to the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar, said the present administration in the country has high regard and respect to traditional leaders in the country. He said the special visit was directed by the president to convey his Sallah greeting and best wishes to the Sultan. “Your Eminence, we are here to seek your blessing and greet you as loyal subjects to the traditional institution. “We will continue to respect our tradition leaders, we are always loyal and our respect to the institurion is unshakable,” he said. The vice president also urged that...

The Armed Forces of Nigeria on Friday pulled out of service, the immediate past Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Lucky Irabor, following the change of leadership of the Armed Forces by President Bola Tinubu. Tinubu had on June 19, approved the appointment of new service chiefs, which culminated to the retirement of the erstwhile chiefs from the service of the armed forces. The president named Maj.-Gen. Christopher Musa, as his replacement. Pulling Out Parade is a traditional military ceremony to mark officers’ retirement from service which involves review of parade by the retiring senior officer The ceremony also involves a march past by troops, and pull out of the retired officer by top Generals. Irabor said that he left the Nigeria Armed Forces bigger, stronger and more capab...

A female pilgrim from the FCT, Hajiya Amina Yunusa, passed away in Makkah, Saudi Arabia. Malam Abubakar Evuti, the Director of the Federal Capital Territory Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board, confirmed the sad incident to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), on Friday in Makkah. ” With total submission to Allah, the FCT Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board MPWB hereby announce the death of Yunusa. ” May Allah forgive her short comings, accept her act of worship and grant her Aljannat.” The director, who expressed his heartfelt condolences to the immediate family of the deceased, advised them to accept her death as the will of Allah. ” We should take solace in the fact that she passed on in the holy city of Makkah after performing Hajj Mabroor(acceptable hajj), which has the rew...

Ustaz Abdul-Lateef Adekilekun, the Waziri Muminina of Yorubaland, says killing for blasphemy is not Islamic and is a product of poor enlightenment among northern Muslims. On Friday, Mr Adekilekun told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ede, Osun State, that Islam was a religion of peace and not of violence. The cleric was speaking against the backdrop of the killing of Usman Buda, a butcher stoned to death on Sunday in Sokoto State after he allegedly blasphemed against the Holy Prophet Muhammad during an argument with another trader in a market place. The cleric pointed out that though blasphemy is not encouraged in Islam, there are laid down procedures to deal with a blasphemer other than killing. Mr Adekilekun, who noted that ignorance was one of the reasons why people kill...

Governor Seyi Makinde on Friday approved the appointment of Col. Oladipo James Ajibola as the Director-General, Operation Burst. The Governor also approved the appointments of Mrs Bosede Sodiq as Senior Special Assistant (Broadcast Media), Mr Kehinde Oluwaseyi Ogunsanya as Senior Special Assistant (Economic Planning) and Mr Moshope Adebayo Akande as Senior Special Assistant (Information Communication Technology (ICT).Other appointments made are listed below: (1) Mr Albert Adebowale Ogunyemi : Special Assistant (Photographer) to the Governor (2) Mr Otuowho Jesse Onoriode :Special Assistant (Photographer 2) to the Governor(3) Mr OYEBODE BABATUNDE -: Special Assistant (Transport) to the Governor.(4) Mr Adeyanju Daniel Akinloye - Special Assistant (Transport 2) to the Governor; (5...

Nigerians will continue to reap the rewards of our administration’s new economic reforms after the time of sacrifice needed to transform the nation. President Bola Tinubu said this on Thursday in Lagos at a reception in his honour by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu. He said the rewards would be replicated in all state and local governments of the country through the active participation of all three tiers of government. Mr Tinubu added that his government would work tirelessly to ensure that the country is brought back from the economic brinks to that of economic resilience. The president commended the governors and the members of the National Assembly present at the event, adding that the solidarity must continue for the betterment of Nigerians. “We will work together in an op...

A Makurdi Upper Area Court in Benue, on Friday, ordered remand of one Idris Abdullahi, 39, who allegedly defiled a 15-year-old at gunpoint. The Magistrate, Mrs Dooshima Ikpambese, ordered that the defendant, a resident of 39, Eri St., North Bank, should be kept at the Maximum Correctional Centre, Makurdi, pending advice of the state director of public prosecutions. The magistrate did not take the plea of the defendant for want of jurisdiction. She adjourned the case until July 20 for mention. According to the prosecutor, Insp Veronica Shaagee, the case was transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department, Makurdi, from C Division, North Bank, Makurdi, on June 27. Shaagee told the court that Mr Clement Gele of St. Mary’s Catholic Church, North Bank, Makurdi, report...

President Bola Tinubu on Thursday arrived at the Dipo Dina International Stadium in Ijebu-Ode on his way to private visits to some Ogun traditional rulers. Mr Tinubu alighted from a presidential chopper in Ijebu-Ode in the company of his chief of staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu, and media aide Dele Alake. After arriving at 10.17 a.m., the president inspected the guard of honour. Governor Dapo Abiodun, Deputy Governor Noimot Salako-Oyedele, ex-Governor Olusegun Osoba, some House of Representatives legislators and several All Progressives Congress supporters were on hand to welcome Mr Tinubu. Mr Tinubu, after that, left for the residence of the Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Adetona, where he would have a private meeting with the monarch. The...

According to the World Bank, a staggering four million Nigerians have fallen into poverty in the first six months of this year. Furthermore, if the removal of fuel subsidies is not handled effectively, an additional 7.1 million people could be pushed into poverty, bringing the total to 11.1 million. This distressing information was revealed during the launch of the Nigeria Development Update (NDU) in Abuja. Alex Sienaert, the World Bank Lead Economist for Nigeria and co-author of the report, presented these findings. Without compensation, many households could be pushed into poverty by higher petrol prices and forced to resort to coping mechanisms with long-term adverse consequences, such as not sending children to school, or not going to health facilities to seek preventative he...

The Nigerian Navy has undertaken a reshuffling of senior officers within its ranks. A total of 56 rear admirals and one commodore have been affected by the reshuffle. The Director of Information, Commodore Adedotun Ayo-Vaughan, announced the changes on Thursday. Among the notable appointments, Rear Admiral Olusanya Bankole has been appointed as the Chief of Communications and Information Technology at Naval Headquarters. Rear Admiral Alexander Bingel has been named the Director of Logistics at Defence Headquarters, moving from his previous position as Director Combat Policy and Tactics. Rear Admiral Ibrahim Dewu, previously the Director of Project Implementation, Monitoring and Evaluation Directorate at Naval Headquarters, has become the Chief of Defence Civil Military Cooperation a...

Presumed human remains have been found within the wreckage of the Titan submersible, the US Coast Guard says. Pieces from the sub, which imploded on a deep dive to the Titanic, were unloaded in St John's, Canada, on Wednesday. Officials say the sub's landing frame and a rear cover were found among the debris. US medical professionals will conduct a formal analysis of presumed remains, the coast guard said in a statement. The agency is in the early stages of an investigation into the causes of the disaster. The Coast Guard's Marine Board of Investigation (MBI) will transport the evidence to a US port for further analysis and testing. MBI chair Capt Jason Neubauer said in a statement that there was "still a substantial amount of work to be done to understand the factors that ...