Author: Chief Editor

•Senate demands sacking of service chiefs •NEF tells president to resign •North-east govs support use of mercenaries against Boko Haram •We will review ways of dealing with security challenges, says Osinbajo The pan-Yoruba socio-cultural group, Afenifere, Northern Elders Forum (NEF) and the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), have backed the moves by the two chambers of the National Assembly to ensure that the executive take immediate step to address the rising wave of insecurity in the country. They supported the House of Representatives’ motion inviting President Muhammadu Buhari to explain what his administration is doing to combat the worsening…

•Our electoral processes far from perfect, says APC The Senate yesterday confirmed the reappointment of Prof. Mahmood Yakubu by President Muhammadu Buhari, as Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for a second term of five years. The president has also sought the approval of the Senate to appoint two commissioners for the commission. The All Progressives Congress (APC) welcomed Yakubu’s confirmation, saying that although the country’s electoral processes are not perfect, marked improvements have been recorded in a series of recent elections conducted by INEC. Yakubu, who was confirmed after the consideration of a report by the Senate…

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has refuted social media reports that he said: “Nigeria is at the mercy of Boko Haram.” At a meeting with online publishers on Tuesday in Lagos, the minister described the reports as “social media abuse, sheer fabrication and abuse of the platform.” “While in Makurdi, Benue State, on an official visit, I was asked by journalists to comment on the killing of farmers in Borno State over the weekend. “I said terrorism is a global problem that requires collaborative efforts among nations to combat. “I said Nigeria needs the support of…

The federal government will review conventional ways of handling security challenges, Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo said Tuesday. The vice-president who was reacting to last weekend’s massacre of 43 farmers on their farms in Borno State by Boko Haram, made this remark in Lafia, while on a one-day official visit to Nasarawa State. Answering questions from reporters on the development, Osinbajo echoed the president who had earlier described the Boko Haram insurgents who killed the farmers as insane. According to a statement by his media aide, Mr. Laolu Akande, Osinbajo described the attack as tragic. He said: “As the President said, this…

Once again, the face-off between the Minister of Works and Housing and the Senate Committee on Media highlighted the major challenge of adequate funding and administration of roads in Nigeria. Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN) was summoned to make clarifications, about remarks alluded to him when he received a delegation from the Middle Belt on the state of roads in that geo-political zone. The minister was reported to have implored the delegation (led by Retired Air Vice Marshall Morgan Monday) to lobby their National Assembly members for favourable allocations to roads. That was construed, rightly or otherwise, by the law makers…

Kaduna State Governor, Malam Nasir El-Rufai, yesterday disclosed that the Nigerian governors were frustrated by the security challenges in the country, saying their roles as provided for in the Nigerian Constitution were not satisfactory. El-Rufai, who is in Dubai, suggested the way to go to ensure the country surmounts its various security challenges such as insurgency, banditry, and kidnapping among others during an interview with Channels Television. He stressed that the recent #EndSARS protest by youths against police brutality in parts of the country has exposed the inability of the governors despite being called the Chief Security Officers (CSOs) of…

The Southern and Middle Belt Leaders Forum (SMBLF) has risen in strong defence of the former Head of State, General Yakubu (rtd), who was accused by a British parliamentarian of looting the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) while in office from 1967 to 1975. Gowon was accused of looting half of the CBN by a United Kingdom member of parliament, Tom Tugendhat, during the hearing of a petition against the Nigerian government at a committee meeting of the parliament. The Forum in a statement issued yesterday and jointly signed by Chief Ayo Adebanjo (South-west), Chief Edwin Clark (Chairman) South-South, Chief…

Operatives of intelligence service in a collaboration with men of anti-corruption agency in Nigeria on Monday evening, arrested Mr. Abdulrasheed Maina, in a town in Niger Republic. A top intelligence officer said the arrest was made possible due to an existing mutual relationship and security agreement between the two neighbouring countries. Maina, a former Chairman of the Pension Reform Task Team (PRTT), is facing a 12-count money laundering charge levelled against him and a firm by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). EFCC, alleged that Maina, as Chairman of the defunct Pension Reform Task Team, used the account of…

Chelsea are reportedly monitoring Matthew Bondswell. The Blues currently sit in third place in the Premier League table. Reports have emerged that RB Leipzig left-back Matthew Bondswell is a potential transfer target for Chelsea in the future. The left-back position had been a problematic one for the Stamford Bridge outfit in recent years but the summer acquisition of Ben Chilwel has turned out to be a masterstroke, with the England international settling in nicely. Frank Lampard is, however, keen to further strengthen the position as neither Marcos Alonso nor Emerson Palmieri have impressed and both have been linked with a move away from…

Barcelona captain Lionel Messi delivered a beautiful tribute for his late compatriot and football icon, Diego Maradona. The club will reportedly be fined for the celebration as the 33-year-old took his shirt off. Barcelona are set to face a fine from the Spanish football authorities after Lionel Messi’s heartwarming tribute to the late Diego Maradona, as per reports. The football world was shocked by the news of Maradona’s passing away last week after the legendary Argentine suffered a cardiac arrest. The former Napoli and Barcelona great was widely regarded as one of the greatest footballers to have played the game, for whom tributes…