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Ex-aide to former President Goodluck Jonathan, Reno Omkri, Saturday extolled the Igbo race, noting that he has never seen an Igbo beggar on the street. Disclosing this via his verified facebook handle, the outspoken Omkri advised Africans to emulate the Igbo race, saying that they have produced more US dollar multimillionaires than Harvard Business School. His words, “Since I was born till today, I have NEVER seen an Igbo BEGGAR. Africa should study this most enterprising ethnic nationality. Nigeria had her fastest GDP growth in 2003-2007 and 2011-2015, under the hand of an Igbo woman named Ngozi Okonjo Iweala. It can’t be a COINCIDENCE! The Igbo are an African ethnic nationality that have produced more US dollar multimillionaires, per capita, through their apprenticeship system, than Harvard Business School. Igbos prove that WHO you know takes you farther than WHAT you know”. We bring the news to you as it comes.....

With the call to stop further movements of cattle into their region by foot except through trucks to specific cow markets to avoid herders and farmers clash, Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, on Saturday threatened the governors in the South-East, noting that ‘if anything happens to any of its members, they (South-East governors) would be hold responsible’. Recall that South-East Governors Forum, through its Director-General, Prof Simon Ortuanya, had recently warned that movement of cattle into the zone by foot would no longer be tolerated, advising herdsmen to behave. But in a riposte, the National Secretary of the group, Saleh Alhassan, in an interview with Punch, asked its members to defend themselves against any ethnic militia group in the country, saying herders should exercise their rights to free movement as Nigerians. His words, “We are Nigerians and we have a history. Anybody that thinks he can wake up and take on the Fulani pastoralist is making a grievous mistake; we are well

Governor of Kano State, Abdullahi Ganduje has called on the President Muhammadu Buhari-led Government to abolish the movement of Fulani herdsmen from the Northern region to the Southern part of the country. Ganduje spoke in an interview with Channels Television on Saturday in reaction to bloody clashes between Fulani herders and farmers. He said that only the establishment of Ruga settlement for Fulani herdsmen across the country would solve the security issue. Ganduje also spoke about the 16-man committee he inaugurated in Kano to identify critical areas of setting up Ruga across the state. “This settlement is a must and to us in Kano state, it’s a task that must be done, because we must improve the quality of lives of the herdsmen so that they become full Nigerians and behave like any other good Nigerian, so that the conflict we are having all over the country can be reduced and at the same time, they can improve the way they breed their cattle. “The Federal Government sho

A former Nigerian and Biafran soldier, Colonel Emmanuel Nwobosi, has warned that history may repeat itself as Nigeria has failed to learn from the events of 1967. Nwobosi, who was one of the officers that truncated the nation’s first republic in the January 15, 1966 coup, said that President Muhammadu Buhari was sleeping on the wheels. He further warned that the planned settlement of Fulani herdsmen across the country, otherwise known as Ruga would surely set Nigeria ablaze or bring it to its knees. “The thing is that they said that if you don’t learn from the history of war of the past; something will repeat itself,” he told Sun. “That thing they said would repeat itself is what is about to happen now. The latest is with this Ruga, which would surely set Nigeria ablaze or bring it to its knees. “Sometimes, I would like to think that Buhari has lost control of the Government like he said the other time that he didn’t know about the Ruga idea. “If it’s true that he didn’t

Samson Siasia, the Former Super Eagles coach whose aged mother, Madam Beauty Ogere was kidnapped has begged the release her unconditionally. It would be recalled that Ogere, 76-year-old, one Florence Donana and her 17-year-old daughter were abducted on July 15th at their apartments in their Odoni community, Sagbama Local Government Area, by unknown gunmen. It was also gathered that the kidnappers established contact with Siasia’s family and demanded N70m to release their victim. But Siasia, who spoke on telephone, begged the kidnappers to set his mother free unconditionally. The football star, who is currently out of the country, said his cousin spoke with the kidnappers, who demanded the ransom. He, however, said he was currently out of job and did not have such money to pay as ransom. He appealed to the kidnapper to set his mother free because of her old age and failing health adding that the victim might not survive the cold weather. He said: “The kidnappers I just want

The Arewa Consultative Forum, ACF, has reacted to the open letter to President Muhammadu Buhari by former President Olusegun Obasanjo. Obasanjo in the letter on Monday, July 15, 2019, released by his media aide, Kehinde Akinyemi, had expressed worry over high level of insecurity in the country. He called on the President to take decisive action to prevent the situation from escalating into a full-blown crisis. According to the letter: “I am very much worried and afraid that we are on the precipice and dangerously reaching a tipping point where it may no longer be possible to hold danger at bay. “Without being immodest, as a Nigerian who still bears the scar of the Nigerian civil war on my body and with a son who bears the scar of fighting Boko Haram on his body, you can understand, I hope, why I am so concerned.” Reacting, the ACF on Monday, July 15, 2019, said it was still studying the letter and will speak on it soon. “Arewa Consultative Forum , CF, is studying Chief Olusegun

Apparently, the jostle for President Muhammadu Buhari’s successor has kicked off in earnest with different zones staking claims to power. The South West, on the basis of the APC alliance – which is essentially a North West, South West alliance – is expecting that after North West’s eight years, power will return to it. Some elements in the South East on the other hand, are also making a case on the grounds that the zone has not held power once. However, while the two Southern zones are mouthing their credentials, I have little doubt that power will remain in the North for the foreseeable future; at least till 2031, and it is probably in the best interest of everyone. Let me explain why the South’s quest for power is, if you pardon my cliche, an exercise in futility. To begin with, nobody is given power on a platter. If you want power, you must credibly challenge for it. On that call, neither the South West nor the South East – more so the latter – has what it takes to challenge for

Rasak Arogundade, the leader of the New Era group of the OPC, has warned President Muhammadu Buhari against sending soldiers to force the interests of Fulani herdsmen on Yoruba people. He said herdsmen in the South-West were expected to heed the directive given to them by the Northern Elders Forum and leave the region. According to Arogundade, “The only solution to this problem is to revisit the report of the 2014 Confab. Representatives of each of the regions met and agreed on how to resolve many issues, including this one. They should stop politicising it,  read the report and use the good ones there. “Also, each person living outside their region should respect the cultures and traditions of their host communities.  There has never been a time when Yoruba leaders outside the South-West raised their voices against traditional rulers in the places they reside. Yoruba people are accommodating. We allow visitors in our midst to do what they like but they should not see us as f

The Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, the umbrella body for Fulani herdsmen in the country, has asked Fulani herdsmen in the South to defend themselves against any ethnic militia group in the country, saying herders should exercise their rights to free movement as Nigerians. The call came barely 72 hours after President Muhammadu Buhari asked the herdsmen to ignore the call by northern elders asking them to return to the North, The National Secretary of the group, Saleh Alhassan, in a telephone interview with one of our correspondents on Thursday, also said that governors in the southern part of the country would be held responsible if any of their members was attacked. The South-East Governors Forum, through its Director-General, Prof Simon Ortuanya, had recently warned that movement of cattle into the zone by foot would no longer be allowed except through trucks to specific cow markets to avoid the incessant clashes between herders and farmers. The position of the governors was echoed

Femi Fani-Kayode, former minister of Aviation Femi Fani-Kayode, former aviation minister and a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) on Friday said he wished former presidents like Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan treated opposition members the way Muhammadu Buhari does. In a few tweets on his Twitter account, Fani-Kayode said that he wished Obasanjo supported members of the Oodua Peoples Congress(OPC) the way Buhari supports members of Miyetti Allah and “Fulani terrorists.” He said, How I wish OBJ had supported the OPC in the same way that Buhari is supporting Miyetti Allah and the Fulani terrorists. He noted also that be wished Obasanjo also “treated the leaders and proponents of political sharia in the same way that Buhari is treating the leaders and members of IPOB.” On Jonathan, he says he wished he “had treated Buhari and members of the then opposition with the same level of brutality that Buhari is treating members of the opposition today.” He further

We will not surrender one grain of sand of our sacred land to anybody. We will stand on our land and wait for you to come and carry out your threat and inshallah by the grace of God we will defeat you. Asari Dokubo, founder of the Niger Delta People's Volunteer Force has declared his support for the actualization of Biafra while calling on Niger Delta people to return home following threats from Arewa youths. His declaration came on the heels of northerners asking herdsmen to leave the South and the suspended implementation of Ruga settlements in parts of Nigeria. Dokubo made his position known in a meeting with leaders of Niger Delta states. He said: "We, the people of the Niger Delta today, resolved to be part and parcel of the actualization the United States of Biafra. "What has brought us here today is the dark cloud that is gathering. In 1967, we did not ask for war, war was imposed on us and millions of our people were killed. Our properties were destroyed a

A 37-year-old guard, Wasiu Orilonise has publicly confessed that he raped his 15-year-old daughter for verification of her virginity and protection. Wasiu who appeared in Oyo State Magistrates’ Court sitting in Ibadan, however, appealed to the court to forgive him as he did that only to confirm if her daughter was still a virgin. The prosecutor, Mr Sunday Ogunremi, told the court that the accused had sometime in December 2018 at Omo village, Agbofieti, Ibadan, in the Ibadan Magisterial District, raped the victim without her consent. Ogunremi said the offence was contrary to and punishable under Section 34, sub-sections 1 and 2 of the Child Rights Law of Oyo State of Nigeria, 2006. The plea of the accused was, however, not taken during the arraignment. When the Chief Magistrate, Mr Taiwo Olaniran, sought to know what pushed him into defiling his biological daughter, Orilonise said since he lost his wife a few years ago, he had been taking care of the victim and her siblings. He

Imo State Governor, Emeka Ihedioha, has restored the financial autonomy of the 27 local government areas in the state. Ihedioha stated this while addressing Imo Stakeholders at the first stakeholders meeting held on Thursday at the Ahiajoku Conference Centre Owerri. According to the governor, the local government election has never been conducted in the state in the past eight years. He noted that what recently took place in the name of local government election before the exit of the last administration was so patently flawed and characterized with monumental errors that it could not even meet the provisions and requirements of the law. “Acting on the approval and resolution of the House of Assembly, the state government was compelled to suspend the purported LGA chairmen and appointed an interim management committee to oversee the affairs of the local government leadership for a period of 6 months pending inquiry and resolution of legal disputes,” he said. The governor reitera

An Army Colonel, a Captain with his four escorts and a driver were killed yesterday by Boko Haram insurgents between Mainok and Jakana, along the Damaturu/Maiduguri Highway. Sources said the Colonel and his convoy ran into some fleeing insurgents, who were retreanting after a heavy gunfire exchange with soldiers at Jakana. The attack lasted for hours. A military source, who spoke with our correspondent on condition of anonymity, denied insinuations that it was an ambush. He said: “The Colonel was just unlucky to run into the insurgents on his way from Maiduguri to Damaturu. He did not know an attack was ongoing on the highway.” The source confirmed that the Colonel was from 29 Task Force Brigade of Sector II of “Operation Lafiya Dole”. Another source said two civilians were killed in the Jakana attack following stray bullets. He said the insurgents did not attack the civilian population. Contacted, spokesman for the Nigeria Army Sector II, Lt. Njoka Irabor, said: “Information

Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland, Aare Gani Adams, has said the Yoruba nation will not go to war over the spate of kidnapping, armed robbery, herdsmen invasion and banditry in the South-West region yet. However, he stressed that the region would no longer allow its people to be killed like chickens. Adams stated this in Akure, Ondo State capital, during a visit to condole with the leader of the Pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, Chief Reuben Fasoranti, yesterday, over the murder of his daughter, Mrs Funke Olakunrin. The Aare said, “It is very important that we have to react to this issue but we will not overreact. “We are being cautious so that we won’t be setup. And the law is there that we have to operate within the ambit of the law. That is one of the reasons we are being careful. “But I can tell you authoritatively that we are meeting as a group and as stakeholders to map out strategies to complement the efforts of the law enforcement agencies. “My own Aare O

The Lagos State police command yesterday announced it has arrested one of the cult leaders it said had been terrorizing the Oworonsoki and Bariga areas of the metropolis. The suspect, identified as Diri Oyelesi, 20, was arrested by detectives from the Anti-Cultism unit of the command. The police said that Oyelesi had confessed to cultism and involvement in the murder of some rival cult gang members in Oworonsoki. The police said they nabbed the suspect when the Anti-Cultism squad, led by its commander, Chief Superintendent of Police Uduak Edom, acting on a tip-off, stormed the hideout of a secret cult group, the Eiye confraternity, in Oworonsoki. Oyelesi was said to have confessed that he killed his first victim, a member of another cult group, for his role in the death of his (Oyelesi’s) brother. The police quoted the suspect as lamenting that since he joined the Eiye cult in 2014, he had not benefited anything meaningful, but had rather been more involved in crime, rape, kil

BENIN CITY-A 39 year-old man has been arrested with a decomposing head of his bossom friend, having vandalized his grave for suspected ritual purposes. The suspect, Odiase Uyi had on Saturday, July 30, 2019 sneaked into his friend’s uncompleted building, exhumed his corpse and heartlessly detached his decomposing head. He had taken the head in a bucket to be sold to a native doctor for N200, 000.00, when he was apprehended by vigilant group in Uwusan Community in Ikpoba-Okha local government area of Edo State. The suspect and his exhibit were thereafter handed over to the police. The deceased Mr Friday Ewemade, aka Ikpiha, 42, father of two, was said to have died under questionable circumstances on Monday, January 21, 2019. He was buried in his yet-to-be completed three-bedroom flat at his home town, Uwusan Community on Tuesday, February 5, 2019. The suspect Odiase Uyi was said to have joined two others to dig the grave and laid him to rest as a way of paying last respect to a

The Fulani community in the South-East on Thursday rejected the proposed plan for Ruga settlements in the region. The leader of the Fulani community in the South-East, Ardo Sardu Bardo, stated that “the Fulani in the South do not support Ruga”. Bardo further disclosed that even the Fulani community in southern Nigeria, especially in the South-East did not support the Ruga programme of the Federal Government to be cited in the South- East. Bardo said, “I don’t support that project. For instance, in Enugu State now this is farming session. If people are cultivating an area, let them allow our cattle go to the areas that the people are not cultivating.” Bardo added that the call by the Northern Elders’ Forum (NEF) and the Coalition for Northern Groups (CNGs) for herdsmen to leave the South was irresponsible. He said the Fulanis would not leave the South-East geopolitical zone and asked the northern leaders to stop fanning the embers of discord. Relatedly, the Assistant Secretar

The Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG) has said President Muhammadu Buhari and his government would be held responsible should any northerner fall victim of the consequences of the concerns they raised about the safety of Fulani herdsmen in the southern part of the country. DAILY POST reports that Buhari told Fulani herdsmen to ignore Northern elders’ instructions to leave southern Nigeria. The group’s spokesman, Abdul-Aziz Suleiman said in a statement made available in Abuja that while they welcome the assurance by the President, they were not lost in the fact that the lives of their kinsmen was under threat in the southern part of the country. “CNG wholeheartedly welcomes the assurance given by Mr. President and his government to protect and guarantee the safety of all Nigerians anywhere they are including the threatened herdsmen in the South. “We, however, wish to remind Mr. President and the government that Northerners would hold them fully responsible should any one of t

The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi on Thursday met with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Aso Presidential Villa. Speaking with State House correspondents at the end of the meeting, the monarch noted that the drum of war is sounding loud across the country. The royal father however said that the South-West region does not want to experience any other war. He said: “I came to speak on behalf of other traditional rulers. The issue at hand in the south west is real. The issue of insecurity, we that live in the remote and rural areas of the south western part of the country, most of the bushes are occupied by strange people and we decided to work with the government to fish them out. “Everybody is beating the drum of war, we don’t want war, who can stand war, we want something better for our youths. “We should better use them for something good other than shouting war and anarchy. We don’t want that. “We told the President that and he is on the same page with us. Politicia

Ayuba Wabba, the president of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, has said that the Congress has not issued any strike notice over the implementation of the new national minimum wage by the government. Wabba told journalists in Abuja that discussion over the implementation of the minimum wage and the consequential adjustment was going on smoothly, pointing out that when the time comes for a strike ultimatum, Nigerians will be informed accordingly. The NLC President also commended President Muhammadu Buhari for signing the Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement, saying organised Labour were initially against Nigeria signing the agreement because there was no consultation. He disclosed that only Nigeria and South Africa carried out extensive consultation on the agreement, adding that the observations of organised labour have been reflected in the agreement, part of which is that goods to benefit from the trade agreement must be produced in Africa. He said “our own case is going on w

President Buhari with 7 state governors in the State House on 12th Jan 2018 where the Northern governors endorsed the president for a 2nd term President Buhari with R-L: Governor of Adamawa H.E. Jibrilla Bindow, Governor of Yobe State H.E. Ibrahim Geidam, Governor of Kogi State H.E. Yahaya Bello, Governor of Kaduna H.E. Mallam Nasir El-Rufai and Governor of Kano State H.E. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje at the State House on 12th Jan 2018 | State House Photo Facts have emerged on the rationale behind the lukewarm disposition of governors in the South-West geo-political zone towards the damning security challenges in the region, especially the aggression of suspected herdsmen. According to reports published on Tuesday, July 16, 2019, through investigation that governors in the zone might not take any definite step in response to criminality going on in their domains mainly because of covert political considerations and interests. A reliable source in the region, who did not want to be quo

NeWS  Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Beyonce had earlier announced that she worked with African artists and producers to retain the authenticity of the sound. The artists’ features were unveiled in the track list which she described as “a love letter to Africa” with Nigerian and African stars including Shatta Wale lending their vocals. The 14-song album will include several original Beyoncé tracks, as well as collaborations with the likes of JAY-Z, Kendrick Lamar, Childish Gambino, and Pharrell. Other African acts on ‘The Lion King: The Gift’ notably are Moonchild Sanelly, Busiswa, Salatiel and Shatota Wale often in collaboration with the other artists on the album. The album contains ‘Don’t Jealous Me’ (a collaboration between Tekno, Yemi Alade and Mr. Eazi), ‘Brown Skin Girl’ (Wizkid with Blue Ivy Carter, Beyoncé, and Saint Jhn) and ‘Already’ (Beyoncé and Shatta Wale). Others are ‘My Power’ (Busiswa, Yemi Alade, Moonchild Sanelly, Tierra Whack with Beyoncé), ‘Water’ (Sa

Nigerian singer and songwriter, Simisola “Simi” Ogunleye a.k.a Simi has taken a playful dig at rapper, singer and comedian Falz The Bad Guy, advising to` go and Marry’. Simi and Falz Photo credit: IG Simi had revealed on her Instagram handle that she’d be dropping the video for her hit song ‘By You’ featuring her husband, Adekunle Gold on Wednesday. The cover for the video showed Simi and Adekunle Gold in the front of a convertible. However, Falz in his playful mood took to the comment section and asked: “Eez there spaize in the back seat (Is there space in the back seat)?” Replying to the comment, Simi wrote “No sir. Go and marry“. Recall before Simi’s marriage to Adekunle, Falz was rumoured to be romantically involved with Simi but both singers rubbished the claims on different occasions, insisting that they were mere friend We bring the news to you as it comes.....

petitioner insists he defeated Buhari in a Referendum with 50million votes By Ikechukwu Nnochiri ABUJA—-In a dramatic twist on Thursday, the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Abuja, rejected a strange motion that sought to sack President Muhammadu Buhari and declare Chief Ambrose of the Hope Democratic Party, HDP, President. Owuru, who was the presidential candidate of the HDP, had in the motion dated June 17, adduced reason why the tribunal should invoke its powers and order the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Tanko Muhammad, to within 48 hours, swear him in to replace Buhari. In the motion he predicated on eight grounds, Owuru, told the tribunal that he defeated Buhari with over 50million votes in a Referendum he said was coordinated on February 16, by Citizen and Observer Networks. He said the Referendum took place after the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, upon realising that President Buhari would be defeated at the poll, unilaterally pos

Nigerians from South East and South-South residing in the Northern parts of the country, have been asked to leave the region and return home. The call was made by the Biafra Nations Youth League (BNYL) in a statement its chief press secretary, Comrade Kufre Obot, made available to newsmen on Thursday. The group was reacting to the recent call by Northern Elders Forum (NEF), and Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG) asking Fulani people in the South to leave the region and return to the North. It also hinged its call on the July 30 ultimatum earlier handed to governors of the South, by CGN, to either accept the now suspended Ruga project or face their next line of action. In its statement, BNYL said South East and South-South people living in the North should return home to avoid being killed after the 30th July ultimatum by CNG. “We met at a closed door today after reading the statement from northern elders and their CNGs, we resolve to equally call on the Igbo, Efik-Ibibio, Ejagha

President Muhammadu Buhari has replied former President Olusegun Obasanjo who accused him of not doing enough to address the high level of insecurity in the country. In an open letter on Monday, Obasanjo criticised  Buhari’s government, saying the killings could not be swept under the carpet. “To be explicit and without equivocation, Mr. President and…” President Muhammadu Buhari has replied former President Olusegun Obasanjo who accused him of not doing enough to address the high level of insecurity in the country. In an open letter on Monday, Obasanjo criticised  Buhari’s government, saying the killings could not be swept under the carpet. “To be explicit and without equivocation, Mr. President and General, I am deeply worried about four avoidable calamities,” he wrote. “Violent uprising  beginning  from one section  of the country  and spreading  quickly  to other areas  and leading to dismemberment  of the  country.” But speaking with national executives of the Buhari Ca

The General Overseer of Omega Fire Ministries International, Apostle Johnson Suleman, has said former president Olusegun Obasanjo spoke the mind of Nigerians in his open letter to President Muhammadu Buhari on the current security situation in the country. Apostle Suleman, who cautioned that Nigeria was sitting on a keg of gunpowder, said urgent steps must be taken to avert looming crisis in the country. The cleric spoke yesterday when he visited Governor Samuel Ortom in Makurdi, the Benue State capital. According to him, all was not well with the country and there was urgent need to have the challenges tackled headlong. He said, “In Obasanjo’s letter, I did not see what he wrote there that has not been happening. People must draw a line between politics and reality. He spoke the mind of Nigerians and should not be castigated. “I learnt some people are calling for his arrest, but before anybody arrests Obasanjo they should first arrest those who threatened the government

The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has said it is ready to face the youth wing of Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) over the 30-day ultimatum on the implementation of the RUGA settlement scheme. IPOB stated that southeastern states will not succumb to the demand for land for establishing rural grazing areas. A statement by IPOB Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, said the group would support ranching business but in their private lands, not through forcing people to release their ancestral land to anybody. IPOB urged the federal government and those behind the plan to retrace their steps before it turned uncontrollable and claim more innocent lives. “IPOB is a peaceful movement and must remain so but cannot allow anybody to trample on us by forcing our people to release their ancestral land to them,” the statement read. “We are aware that cattle business remains personal business in Nigeria and cannot change today. “The community’s ancestral lands are gifts from God

The Yoruba socio-cultural group, Afenifere and the Ohanaeze Ndigbo have condemned the recall order handed Fulani herdsmen back to the northern part of the country by the Northern Elders Forum, NEF and the Coalition of Northern Groups, CNG, as arrogant, irresponsible and unpatriotic. It would be recalled that the NEF and the CNG had at a press conference on Tuesday ordered Fulani herdsmen staying in the southern part of the country to immediately return to the North where their safety and that of their property will be guaranteed. The two groups hinged the recall order on alleged declaration of war against the herdsmen by leaders of the southern part of the country. Reacting to the order on Wednesday, Afenifere accused NEF of heating the polity with its claims that Fulani herdsmen were not safe in the South, describing the statement as insensitive and arrogant. According to the group, it was disappointed by NEF Chairman, Prof. Ango Abdullahi’s utterances, stating that the directiv