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The Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, has said that the Nigerian Air Force would soon launch an aerial operation to protect critical infrastructure and the people of the South South. Abubakar said that having substantially addressed the security situation in the North East, the main focus focus of the NAF was to prevent the destruction of the nation’s infrastructure. The Air Chief made the comment at the quarterly route march for personnel of the NAF in Abuja on Saturday. He challenged the officers and men of the service to be ready at all time to respond effectively to the task of defending the territorial integrity of the country. He said, “Be ready that at any time you are called to serve in the defence of the Nigerian state; you will be willing to do so out there and do it with every sense of patriotism. “The challenges in the North East have been substantially addressed, so we are not too worried now about the North East. “Our main focus will now be

Navy authorities at NNS DELTA, Warri, on Saturday said two middle-aged men suspected to be involved in the series of attacks on oil installations belonging to Chevron in Delta had been nabbed. Commander of the Naval Base in the oil city, Commodore Joseph Dzunve, told newsmen that the suspects were apprehended in Sapele area of the state following a tip-off. Dzunve said that the attacks on the oil facilities located in Warri North Local Government Area were carried out between May, 2016 and July, 2016. He added that the suspects were already providing the authorities with useful information that could assist in arresting other members of the group. ”Today, I am pleased to inform you that after persistent efforts, the NNS DELTA, being part of the maritime component of the Operation Delta Safe, has arrested two suspects responsible for the attack on Chevron facilities. ”They were deeply involved in various forms of crimes, including pipeline vandalism and sea robberies along

The embattled lecturer at the Department of Languages and Linguistics of the Osun State University, Ikire Campus, Dr. Olabode  Ojoniyi, has accused one of the lecturers of the university, who was recently dismissed for an alleged misconduct, as the person who allegedly contracted the 400 level female student, Mercy Ikwue, to blackmail him. The female student, who secretly recorded sexual activities involving her and Ojoniyi recently released the video, which has been generating reactions. But a correspondent from Punch gathered from some students of the university that Ojoniyi, on Friday, posted an open letter on the platform of the Great Linguistics Whatsapp Group, where he accused the female lecturer and the Provost, Adeyemi College of Education, Ondo, Prof. Olukoya Ogen, as the architects of his problem. The embattled lecturer, in the letter entitled, “Open letter to Nigerians and the whole world on the alleged “UNIOSUN lecturer in sex scandal video” also accused Professor

DSP Andrew Enwerem, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) who confirmed the incident in a chat with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Owerri, said some others sustained injuries. He explained that an unidentified man, said to be from the northern part of Nigeria, had run amok and killed a girl and a woman and thereafter killed himself. He said some aggrieved youths immediately went for reprisal attacks. This he said led to some other persons sustaining various degrees of injuries. According to Enwerem, the report came to the Imo police headquarters not long after the incident occurred and the commissioner of police deployed anti-riot policemen who stopped the incident from spreading further. “Report to police showed that a yet to be identified northerner ran amok at Akokwa community and used weapons to attack and kill a girl and a woman and thereafter killed himself’’, he said. Enwerem said the problem has been brought under control, adding that normalcy has

Troops of 35 Battalion, 1 Brigade Nigerian Army on Friday killed a suspected cattle rustler and armed bandits on Tsambe-Fafare road, Jibia Local Government Area of Katsina State. This is contained in a statement issued by Col.Sani Usman, Acting Director, Army Public Relations on Saturday in Abuja. He said the troop were in a joint patrol with Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Katsina State, under operation “SHARAN DAJI”. He said the operation followed information received from well patriotic citizens that three gunmen were sighted on motorcycles in the area. Usman said that the team swung into action and pursued the suspected armed bandits towards Dumburu forest in Zamfara. The spokesman said during the encounter, the team killed one of the suspected cattle rustlers and armed bandits, while the other two escaped with gun shot wounds. He said that items recovered included an AK-47 rifle with registration number 1985PS6288, additional AK-47 rifle magazine

OPERATIVES of the Anti-Kidnapping Unit of the Rivers State Police Command have arrested one Egbo Nwanaka for organising the abduction of her elder sister, Ada Nwanaka. Egbo was said to have connived with a friend to abduct her sister, who operates a supermarket in Ahoada. The suspect, who was one of those paraded at the State Police Command in Port Harcourt, was expecting one of his relatives to pay ransom for the release of her elder sister. Though the police said they did not immediately arrest Egbo, they were able to link the abduction of Ada Nwanaka, who is in her early 30s, to his younger brother after series of investigation. Rivers State Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Nnamdi Omoni, said that the Egbo’s friend, who took Miss Nwanaka to an unknown destination, was killed during a shootout with security operative. Omoni explained that the victim was rescued in the bush where she was kept by Egbo’s gang, who were waiting for ransom to be paid. “On the 31st of A

A commercial bus conveying about 14 passengers from Port Harcourt to Omoku in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area of Rivers State was intercepted on Friday by suspected kidnappers. The hoodlums were said to have ordered the passengers out of the vehicle, set it ablaze before whisking them (passengers) away. The incident happened on the not-too-busy Elele-Ikiri-Omoku Road at about 4pm It was gathered that the vehicle, which was marked ONELGA Link, had just negotiated a sharp bend before the suspected kidnappers forced it to stop. Though no information was given about the driver’s whereabouts, a source in ONELGA said the driver might also be part of the victims of the kidnappers. “I heard that a bus travelling to Port Harcourt from Omoku was intercepted few minutes after it left Omoku and the passengers were kidnapped. I am not aware if the vehicle was burnt but the kidnappers,” a source in ONELGA told our correspondent through the telephone. Another source told Saturday

A Kenyan athletics coach has been sent home from the 2016 Olympic Games at Rio in Brazil, after posing as an athlete and giving a urine sample. Kenyan team officials said sprint coach John Anzrah “presented himself’’ as 800 metres medal hope Ferguson Rotich and “even signed the documents’’ for the doping test. “We cannot tolerate such behaviour,’’ said Kip Keino, chairman of the National Olympic Committee of Kenya. Rotich, who finished fourth at last year’s World Championships in Beijing, is set to race in the heats on Friday. The athlete’s agent, Marc Corstjens, said Rotich lent Anzrah his pass so the coach could get a free breakfast in the Olympic Village on Wednesday. Anzrah, 61, was then allegedly approached by a doping control officer who was looking for Rotich and asked to provide a urine sample, which the coach did. “Ferguson is completely confused as to why he would do this but the good news is that he found out straight away and went to the drug-tester and gave

Two rival cult groups operating under the names, ‘Island and Deegbam’ has invaded Obitti autonomous community in Ohaji/Egbema Council Area of Imo State chasing away indigenes to unknown destinations. The rampaging cult groups in their latest attack took over the entire community after killing one person and wounding many villagers. They also burnt several buildings belonging to their members. An indigene of the community, Chief Emmanuel Odunze, called for urgent intervention of both the security agencies and government to forestall normalcy and save lives of the people He said, “As I speak with you now, the entire community has been deserted by their owners for their own safety”. The Special Adviser to the Governor on Bureau for Niger Delta Affairs Hon. Justus Ojika condemned the incident. He appealed to the villagers to remain calm and not to take laws into their hands The Special Adviser further regretted the kidnapping and brutalizing of villagers by the suspected cult

The Mapo Customary Court in Ibadan, on Friday dissolved a four-year-old marriage between Musa Busari and his wife, Kafilat over issues of missing placenta and irresponsibility. President of the court, Mr Ademola Odunade, held that there was little or nothing the court could do on the matter as evidence had shown that the couple had agreed to part ways over irreconcilable differences. Dissolving the marriage, therefore, Odunade ordered that the man should be giving N3,000 as monthly feeding allowance for each of the two children produced by the union. He directed that Kafilat should have the custody of the twin children “because they are still legal minor while Busari should be responsible for their education, health and other forms of welfare’’. Earlier, Kafilat had told the court that her husband and his relatives collaborated to steal her baby’s placenta for ritual. “Shortly before moving into Busari’s home in 2012, I was already pregnant with a set of twins for him.

Ten inmates of a Philippines city jail, including two Chinese nationals, were killed in a grenade explosion after a gunfight at the warden’s office. Police said on Friday that the warden of the Paranaque City jail in metropolitan Manila was wounded in the incident, which occurred on Thursday evening. Jose Carumba, the Municipality’s Police Chief, said that the inmates, most of who were detained on drug-related charges, had set a meeting with the warden inside his office and were at the receiving area when a commotion broke out. “The warden said he heard a gunshot, which prompted him to grab his pistol. “The inmates kept firing at him, so the warden kept firing back as he tried to make his way out of his office. It was then that the grenade exploded,” he said. It was still unclear who was responsible for the grenade blast.

Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State on Friday directed those residing along the banks of Rivers Benue, Katsina-Ala and Buruku to vacate those areas in view of the impending flood. The governor gave the order while inspecting flood-prone areas, drainage channels and areas threatened by erosion in Makurdi, the state capital. He advised the residents of Agatu, Guma, Makurdi, Buruku, Gwer-West and Katsina-Ala local government areas to heed the warning. He said the state government has taken steps towards avoiding the repeat of the 2012 flood disaster, adding that those residing in flood- prone areas should not wait for the rivers to overflow their banks before moving out. The governor warned residents of Makurdi and other towns against blocking drainage channels with empty water sachets and plastic containers, stressing that such negative attitudes make many areas to be prone to flooding. Governor Ortom said the state’s environmental sanitation agency has stepped up efforts

Five persons have been declared missing after Enwhe and Igbide communities of Isoko South Local Government Area of Delta state clashed over a disputed plot of land. A woman with six and half month-old pregnancy was shot dead during the clash. It was gathered that the five missing persons comprising three women and two men had not been seen by their relatives since last Monday clash. The victims were from Enwhe community, one of the communities claiming ownership of the disputed land which could be dated back to 1967. But Igbide community on other hand also claimed that one Prince Palmer Obukeni and a woman with six and a half month old pregnancy were also shot dead during the clash. A source in the community in a statement said that trouble started when some women from Enwhe who had gone to harvest cassava on Monday morning were alleged attacked by suspected gunmen from Igbide at the site of the disputed land. The Enwhe community women who escaped the ambush alerted th

A man on Friday at a shopping complex in Zaragoza, Spain, shot his ex-wife and then tried to commit suicide, investigators have said. According to witnesses, the incident occurred around 11am. Police sources in Aragon believed the man might have been waiting in a black Land Rover for his former wife and daughter to leave a car park near the shopping complex, and opened fire on them as they appeared. According to El Heraldo, the daughter, who was driving the vehicle, was not hit by any of the shots but the mother. The man was then said to have shot himself. The mother and the man are said to be in a critical condition in the hospital. Police say it appears it is a case of domestic violence, as the aggressor and the victim had recently separated.

The police in Lagos have arrested an ex-manager of Ecobank Nigeria Plc, Ejigbo branch, 41-year-old Ikechukwu Aghanenu, for allegedly colluding with a suspected fraudster, Anthony Okpala, to defraud two customers of the bank of N14m. The customers are Mrs. Oluremi Egunjobi (now late), and one Rabiu Lawal, who is based in the United Kingdom. The suspects, who were arrested on Wednesday, reportedly diverted N4.014m from the deceased’s bank account 5323007058, while N10m was said to have been fraudulently withdrawn from Lawal’s account, 2741128259. Reporters learnt that 34-year-old Okpala and one other suspect at large, had presented themselves to Aghanenu as the relatives of the deceased with some forged documents authorising the bank to release the sum. It was gathered that the deal was perfected between September and November, 2015 and the money was withdrawn from late Egunjobi’s account. Within the same period, the police said Okpala paraded himself as a business partner

Members of the Indigenous People of Biafra have praised the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubabar Malami (SAN), for ordering the release of some of their members that were arrested during a protest in Aba, Abia State. They said in a statement on Thursday by their Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, that Malami had demonstrated his respect for the rule of law by ordering that their detained members should be released. Powerful, who described Malami’s decision as wise, urged him to extend the same gesture to other IPOB members that were still being detained in various parts of the country. He also made a case for the unconditional release of IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu, who the Federal Government was prosecuting for offences bordering on treasonable felony. The IPOB spokesperson, however, said the group remained unwavering in its quest for self determination, following the due process. Powerful said, “The issue of Biafra self determination canno

A 32-year-old businessman, Ezekiel Igbokwe, has been arrested by the Ogun State Police Command for allegedly killing his wife’s lover, Victor Olatundun. Igbokwe was said to have killed Olatundun after he caught him having sex with his wife at their matrimonial home. The suspect allegedly committed the offence at about 12am at Peace Lodge on Itura Street, Awa Ijebu, Ijebu-North Local Government Area of Ogun State. The suspect, who committed the crime on Wednesday, July 27, was arrested by the police the following day. Igbokwe and his 28-year-old wife were among the 23 suspects paraded at the Ogun State Police Command headquarters, Eleweran, Abeokuta, on Thursday, for various offences ranging from murder to illegal possession of firearms and ammunition. Igbokwe, who said he was a businessman, explained that he had returned from his trip to Onitsha and met Victor on top of his wife on their matrimonial bed. He said he picked a machete in the toilet and cut the victim in th

Mr Isaiah Amariri, the Enugu State Controller of Nigeria Prisons Service, said on Thursday that six of the inmates that escaped from Nsukka Prisons on Tuesday night, have been re-arrested. Amariri, who gave the figure to newsmen in Nsukka, however declined to give the exact number of inmates that escaped from the prison. He said the prison service was liaising with security agents and community groups to apprehend the remaining escaped prisoners. He said, “There was a jail break in Nsukka prisons on Tuesday night between 12pm and 3am, in which many inmates escaped, though six of them have been re-arrested. “I cannot give the exact figure for now as investigations are still on. “We will send our findings to the Controller General of Prisons who will make public the exact number and cause of Nsukka prisons jail break. “The service is liaising with security agents and community vigilante groups to know the hideout of those still on the run in order to re-arrest them.” He

The Zone 2 Police Command, Lagos State, has arrested a gang of armed robbers which allegedly hijacked trucks at gunpoint in different parts of Ondo, Oyo, Ogun and Lagos states. It was learnt that among the seven suspects was a 54-year-old grandmother, Bola Ajayi, who was apprehended in the Ilupeju area of Lagos State for allegedly receiving some of the stolen goods. The gang members were arrested by operatives attached to the zonal command on Monday, August 1. The other six suspects are Olanrewaju Gbadamosi, 33; Lukman Akinola, 33; Dele Rotimi, 37; Taiwo Olabode, 38; Uche Anthony, 27; and Taiwo Ayodele, 27. The police said the gang members were nabbed at about 10am while allegedly on a robbery operation at a hotel in Ore, Ondo State. Two locally-made guns and one dummy gun were recovered from them. Speaking with reporters while being paraded at the zonal headquarters, Ajayi, who hails from Abeokuta, Ogun State, denied knowing the gang members. She said, “I do not know a

CHEVRON Nigeria Limited, CNL, evacuated its workers from the Escravos Tank Farm, Warri South-West Local Government Area, Delta State, on Wednesday, as the protest by elders, leaders, youths and women of host Ugborodo, an Itsekiri community, who laid siege to the company since Tuesday, worsened. A security staff confirmed that at about 4.00 pm, “An Aero plane just landed like 40 minutes back to continue evacuation of top staff from the tank farm. This is in addition to other staff, earlier evacuated with the choppers. But junior staff is not going in or out company because of the tense situation.” The protesting villagers, who alleged neglect and discrimination by the multinational oil conglomerate set bonfires and occupied the company’s premises, refusing all entreaties by security agencies to vacate the premises until the authorities addressed their demands. Reports from the area said that the villagers cordoned the main entrance preventing access in and out of the company.

Members of the Association of Resident Doctors of the Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Aro, Abeokuta, have commenced an indefinite strike over the non-implementation of the skipping of Consolidated Medical Salary Scale for medical doctors by the hospital management. A press release, signed by association’s President, Dr Walter Nzeakah, General Secretary, Dr Sewanu Awhangansi and Public Relations Officer, Dr Mojisola Adeniji, said that with the non-implementation the doctors were only getting a fraction of their salary. The doctors said the industrial action follows a resolution by the National Association of Resident Doctors at a recent National Executive Council. The NARD had mandated ARD chapters where members were not paid full salaries by the end July 2016 to withdrew their services. They also stated that the directive for management of public health institutions to pay the CONMESS was issued by the federal government in December 2013, and became effective since 2014.

No fewer than 15 inmates were believed to have escaped from Nsukka Prison in Enugu state in a jail-break that occurred on Tuesday night. A reliable source at the prison who pleaded anonymity said on Wednesday that the inmates broke their cells and scaled over the perimeter fence. “The inmates carefully opened their cells and scaled the perimeter fence of the prisons. “Before prison officials on night duty knew what was happening, about 15 inmates had escaped,” the source said. Controller of the prison, Mr Lawrence Okonkwo, confirmed the jail break but declined to give the number of inmates that escaped. “Yes there was a jail break last night in Nsukka prison but I am not in a position to say how many prisoners escaped. “We are expecting the Enugu state Prisons Controller, Mr Isaiah Amariri, in Nsukka prison so that we brief him on what happened last night. “He will be the one to tell the public the number of inmates that escaped, re-arrested ones and efforts put in pl

A 17-year-old secondary school student, Muyideen Lawal, who allegedly defiled a three-year-old girl, was on Wednesday brought before a Surulere Magistrates’ Court in Lagos. The accused, who resides at No.1, Temitope St., Ajangbadi on Lagos-Badagry Expressway, is standing trial on a charge of defilement. The prosecutor, Sgt. Anthonia Osayande told the court that the accused committed the offence on July 21 at 8.00 p.m. at his uncle’s house. “Muyideen lured the little girl from the mother’s shop which is an extension of his uncle’s house. “The little girl asked for N10 from the accused, who lives with his uncle. Instead of giving her the money, he lured her into the house with a promise to give her food. “In the process, he dragged her into his room and defiled her,’’ Osayande said. The offence contravened Section 137 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011. The accused, however, denied the charge. The Magistrate, Mrs M.I. Dan-Oni, granted him bail in the sum of N100, 0

Though attempts have been made to assure Nigerians that there are no plans to increase the pump price of Premium Motor Spirit, popularly referred to as petrol, The PUNCH has gathered that the actual price at which the product should sell at filling stations is N151.87 per litre. This “realistic” price is more than the maximum N145 per litre fixed by the Federal Government on May 11, 2016 when it liberalised the downstream oil sector, marketers with knowledge of the market and the pricing mechanism told one of our correspondents on Tuesday. This, they said, was basically due to the continued scarcity of the United States dollar, adding that the true price of petrol was N151.87 litre, judging by the current ex-depot price of the commodity. In Tuesday’s exclusive report by The PUNCH on a looming hike in petrol price, dealers explained that the ex-depot price of the product was N133.28 per litre and that the marketers were doing their best to manage the situation. They stressed

Female traders in Onitsha, Anambra state, yesterday, continued their protest over the closure of their market at Ezinwanne shopping mall along Silas Works Road in the Fegge area of Onitsha, by the state’s environmental task force (a.k.a Ocha Brigade). Governor Willie Obiano of Anambra State The women who commenced their protest on Monday when they came into the market for their normal business transaction and discovered to their chagrin that all the vehicles that brought fruits and vegetables into the market for sale were diverted to Atani road, threatened to relocate their businesses to the neighbouring Asaba, Delta State if Governor Willie Obiano did not call Ocha Brigade to order and revert the decision to eject them from the market. During yesterday’s continued protest, the women who were mainly fruits and vegetable sellers, marched to the  Onitsha South Local Government Secretariat in Fegge to register their grievances from where they marched to the premises of Anambra S

Two housewives, identified only as Muyibat and Biliki, have suffered severe burns after a fight over a man. The two women were said to have emptied a kettle of hot water on each other during the brawl which occurred at their residence in the Yaba area of Lagos State. Biliki, who was living with her husband in the Surulere area of the state, relocated to her parents’ house in Abule Oja, Yaba, in 2015, after separating from the husband. Muyibat lives with her husband and three children in the house. It was said that 32-year-old Biliki accused Muyibat, 29, of marrying her former boyfriend, which caused bad blood between them. Matters, however, came to a head after a disagreement on Saturday when the duo poured hot water on each other. They were both admitted to a general hospital in the state. The case was reported at the Sabo Police Division and one of the parties petitioned the Lagos State Office of the Public Defender, which mediated in the matter. Muyibat told repo

A militants group, Niger Delta Greenland Justice Mandate has issued a deadly warning to the president Muhammadu Buhari-led federal government that in a few days, refineries in the region will be destroyed. The region has been a hub of activities by militants who have vandalised oil and gas pipelines. Vanguard reports that the group threatened to blow up refineries in the region because it noticed that the federal government was negotiating with Ijaw terrorists and ignoring others. In a statement signed by Gen. Aldo Agbalaja who is the spokesperson of the group, he urged oil workers in the region to evacuate as the level of violence it will commit in the coming days will be enormous. Read the full statement below: “We have keenly watched developments in the country in recent times, developments that are most depressing, very much depicting the marginalization and subjugation of the hapless people of our region. “We have thought very deeply about the ongoing shenanigan a

The two Chinese nationals who were kidnapped by gunmen in Abuja last weekend have been released, police said Tuesday. The men, who are aged 45 and 50 and work for a construction company, were held for “24 hours of captivity” after they were ambushed, police spokesman Umar Nurman told AFP. They have undergone tests in a hospital in Abuja and appear to be in good health, he added. Their release followed “extensive pressure from the search party”, Nurman said. It was unknown whether a ransom was paid. The exact timings of the kidnapping and release also remain unclear, though police previously said the men were ambushed on their way to Abuja on Saturday afternoon.

A fifty-nine year old man is currently cooling of in the police net after defiling a girl of six years. Parading the suspect, Monday Ekpade in Asaba, the Delta State Police Command spokesman, SP Celestina Kalu, said the suspect was arrested at Agbor following a report by the girl’s step father. The stepfather became aware of the act when he questioned the girl over some body changes.  He said the girl revealed that she was defiled on three different occasions by the suspect, who inserted his finger into the her genital. The suspect while fielding questions from journalists confessed to the crime but attributed the crime to the influence of the devil. He further confessed that he couldn’t penetrate the girl so he had to use his fingers. According to the PPRO, the suspect would soon be arraigned in court upon conclusion of investigation.

A businessman, Mohammed Musa, was on Tuesday brought before an Area court in Abuja for driving recklessly and crashing onto a car belonging to a high ranking officer of the Nigerian army. A Karmo Upper Area Court in Abuja on Tuesday granted bail in the sum of N100,000 to the 53-year-old Musa, for alleged reckless driving. The presiding officer, Mr Mohammed Abubakar, ordered the defendant to produce a surety in like sum. Abubakar said that the surety must reside within the court’s jurisdiction. The Prosecutor, David Kafancha, told the court that the defendant drove his Chrysler 300 car KGA 818 DC, on Gwarimpe, Banex Expressway, Abuja, in a dangerous and reckless manner. Kafancha said that the defendant, who drove the car without consideration to other road users, lost control and damaged a Toyota Camry car MKA 786 PN valued N2.8 million. He told the court that the occupant of the Toyota Camry was Major Sakamanha .K. Glenn of the Army Headquarters, Abacha Barracks, Abuja.

Pandamonium struck in Makurdi, Benue State capital, on Monday as unknown gunmen at the early hours kidnapped a Benue lawyer, Mr Terfa Jirgba, and his two relatives. It was gathered that about twenty gunmen stormed the residence of the popular Benue  lawyer located at 3, Badagry Street, off Katsina-ala , Makurdi, in six Toyota Hilux vehicles and whisked the lawyer together with two of his relatives away. The Chairman,  Nigerian Bar Association, Makurdi Branch, Barrister Emmanuel Agbaku, while addressing journalists in Makurdi on Monday, condemned the kidnap of the lawyer. He stated  that some unidentified armed men stormed the premises of their member and took him and two of his relatives away to an unknown destination. Agbaku said, “in the wee hours of Monday, 8th August, 2016, some unidentified heavily  armed operatives  numbering about 20 in 6 Hilux vans stormed the premises of Bar. Jirgba located at Badagry street, close to St.  Peters Catholic Church, high Level, Makurd

Nasarawa state government said on Tuesday that it has concluded arrangements to install automated flood warning devices in all coastal settlements across the state to check flood disaster. Mr Gabriel Aka’Ka, State’s Commissioner for Environment and Natural Resources, said that the effort was to mitigate the devastating effect of flood disaster in the state. According to him, the state was hard hit by the flood disaster in 2012 leaving scores dead and property destroyed. Aka’Ka said that the state government had taken some steps since then to ensure that there was no repeat of the catastrophe. He said, “Government has created buffer zones for people residing along flood plains to relocate in case of emergency and embarked on intensive public enlightenment aimed at mitigating the effect of flooding. “Nasarawa state has a long stretch of coastlines along the River Benue with several settlements from Tunga in Awe local government to Umaisha and Loko in Toto local government area

A birthday party on Kehinde Street in the Ajegunle area of Lagos State turned bloody when some guests began a fight and stabbed a schoolboy, Endurance Augustine, to death. Policemen from the Ajeromi division were said to have removed Endurance’s corpse and deposited it in a morgue. Information learnt was that the boy had gone to the party with some of his friends, when a fight broke out. A resident said that the cause of the fight was unknown, adding that the hoodlums, who were guests at the party, fled after stabbing the victim to death. It was gathered that two suspects, who were trying to hide the victim’s corpse, were apprehended by residents and handed over to the police. The boy's mother, who did not want her name in print, said she had gone to a church service at 4pm on Wednesday only to hear the news of her son’s death on her return. The mother of four added that if Endurance had told her that he was attending a party, she would have dissuaded him from going

An Indian rights activist who has waged what is thought to be the world’s longest hunger strike ended her fast on Tuesday after vowing to continue her struggle by standing for election in her home state. Irom Sharmila, dubbed the “Iron Lady of Manipur” for her unwavering protest against alleged rights abuses by security forces in the insurgency-hit northeast Indian state, was released on bail after she promised a court she would end her fast. The 44-year-old had been held in judicial custody on charges of attempting suicide — still a criminal offence in India — and confined to a hospital where she was force-fed through a nasal tube. Speaking to journalists outside the court in the Manipur capital Imphal, she said her long campaign had not worked. “I went on a fast for about 16 years thinking I could change the system, but I now realise that this will not yield any result. “So I decided to end my fast and join politics and then fight for the cause that I undertook this missio

State Police command have arrested the Coordinator of Ohaozara Development Centre, Mr Ogbonnaya Ene Odi for his alleged role in the dehumanizing treatment meted out to an innocent teenager, Ukamaka in Ohaozara local government area of the state. The JSS2 student was allegedly stripped naked, dragged around on the ground and flogged under the orders of the Coordinator. Also arrested were the two policemen (names withheld) who allegedly arrested and took part in the ill-treatment of the 15 years old orphan. Though, the Police Spokesman in the state refused to speak on the matter at press time, reliable sources in the Police command said the Police arrested the Coordinator after the news of his involvement in the incident went viral in the community. According to sources in the community, the incident which was recorded and circulated on social media took place inside the coordinator’s sitting room. It was gathered that the arrest followed an order given to the Commissioner of