ONE WORD

The Lagos State Building Control Agency, LASBCA, said it has pulled down 30 out of the 80 distressed buildings marked for demolition on Lagos Island. General Manager, LASBCA, Mr. Olalekan Shodehinde, told the News Agency of Nigeria, that the demolition would come in phases because some of the buildings are subjects of litigation. He said the demolished buildings were located at Elegbata Street, Apongbon; Tokunbo Street, by Glover; Inabiri Street, Egatin Street, Ojo Giwa and John Street, among others. The Lagos State Building Control Agency, LASBCA, said it has pulled down 30 out of the 80 distressed buildings marked for demolition on Lagos Island. General Manager, LASBCA, Mr. Olalekan Shodehinde, told the News Agency of Nigeria, that the demolition would come in phases because some of the buildings are subjects of litigation. He said the demolished buildings were located at Elegbata Street, Apongbon; Tokunbo Street, by Glover; Inabiri Street, Egatin Street, Ojo Giwa and Joh...

Nollywood actress, Eniola Badmus, has reacted to reports from various nigerian media outlets that she is dead. The news of her rumoured death Tuesday surfaced on social media with so many Nigerians writing RIP on her pictures. But, reacting, the Eniola in an incisive statement via her Instagram account on Wednesday debunked the reports. According to her, she is not dead or in any terrible situation as claimed in the report. Her words ; “Great people kindly disregard everyone saying Eniola Badmus is dead or in a terrible situation. “I am hale and hearty, the pictures and video online are from my new movie. Bless.” source:https://samueljackson12.blogspot.com/2019/04/i-am-not-dead-eniola-badmus-dispels.html

Atletico Madrid Striker Diego Costa has been handed an eight-match La Liga ban by the Spanish Football Federation’s Competition Committee for abusing the referee after he was shown red card during last Sunday’s 2-0 defeat by Barcelona. The official report stated that the 30-year-old swore and shouted at referee Jesus Gil Manzano and also grabbed him “on numerous occasions” after he had been given his marching orders in the 28th minute. The ban, which ends Costa’s season as there are only seven games remaining, consists of four games for being found in breach of Article 94 of the league’s code of conduct for using insulting or offensive words towards a match official and another four matches for breaching Article 96, which refers to the use of light violence towards referees. Atletico were fined 2,800 euros (2,413.70 pounds), while Costa was fined 6,010 euros over the incident. They have 10 days within which they can lodge an appeal. source:https://samueljackson12.blogspot...

The Federal Government has entered into negotiations with Pan Ocean Oil Corporation to resolve the issues surrounding Oil Mining Lease, OML, 98 in the Niger Delta. From left: Senator Albert Akpan, Chairman Senate Committee on Gas; Igala E.A, Pan Ocean Gas Plant Manager; Senator Foster Ogola, Member Senate Committee on Gas; Senator Barnabas Gemade, Member Senate Committee on Gas; during the visit of the Senate Committee on Gas to Pan Ocean Ovade-Ogharefe Gas Plant in Delta State. According to a source close to the matter, another meeting had been scheduled by both parties, for early next month to iron out all matters regarding the asset. The source noted that Pan Ocean had agreed to work with the government to ensure smooth resolution of the issue as soon as possible. The source disclosed that, “As a matter of fact, representatives of the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources led by the Hon Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Mr. Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu and Pan Ocean ar...

Everything you need to live well Chinese scientists have implanted human brain genes into monkeys, in a study intended to provide insights into the unique evolution of human intelligence. Researchers inserted human versions of MCPH1, a gene that scientists believe plays a role in the development of the human brain, into 11 rhesus monkeys. They found the monkeys’ brains — like those of humans — took longer to develop, and the animals performed better in tests of short-term memory as well as reaction time compared to wild monkeys. However, the monkeys did not grow bigger brains than the control group. The test, the latest in a series of biomedical experiments in China to have fuelled medical ethics debates, has already drawn ethical concerns, and comparisons with dystopian sci-fi “Planet of the Apes”. It was conducted by researchers at the Kunming Institute of Zoology and the Chinese Academy of Sciences, working with US researchers at the University of North Carolina. The ...

The Federal Government in 2018 spent a total of N79.2 billion on the payment of monthly pensions to pensioners. The Executive Secretary of the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD), Sharon Ikeazor, made this known at the stakeholders forum for pensioners from North Central Zone in Abuja on Thursday. According to her, “N6.8bn monthly pension was paid to Customs, Immigration and Prison Pension Department (CIPPD), N45 billion was paid to pensioners in Parastatals Pension Department (PaPD), about N21.2 billion was paid to pensioners under Civil Service Pension Department (CSPD) and N6.1 billion was also paid to pensioners with Police Pension Department (PPD). “Under the CSPD, 30,770 pensioners who had not been on the payroll had their benefits computed and put back on the payroll with their arrears paid. “As at March 2019, an additional 1,655 have also been computed and put back on the payroll. “Under PaPD, an additional 14,678 pensioners from various agencies ...

President Muhammadu Buhari has warmly congratulated Emeritus Professor David Adedayo Ijalaye (SAN) on his 90th birthday, rejoicing with his family, friends and associates as they mark the milestone. Buhari, in a statement read by the Special Adviser on Media and publicity, Femi Adesina, joined the Nigerian Bar Association(NBA), National Judicial Council and the academia in celebrating Emeritus Professor Ijalaye for his contributions to the teaching and practice of law in Nigeria for more than 34 years before retirement in 1998 and his consistency in ensuring competitive standards by supervising post-graduate thesis. The President believed the legal luminary has left his footprints indelibly in the sands of jurisprudence in the country, and generations to come will continue to extol his virtues. As Emeritus Professor Ijalaye turns 90, President Buhari commended his dedication and discipline to delivery of best results, which attracted many awards and enviable positions within a...

President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday charged security agencies to put their acts together and deal ruthlessly with bandits, kidnappers and other security challenges in the country. The Chief of Defence Staff, Gabriel Olonisakin, briefed State House correspondents at the end of about two hours meeting with Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. According to him, the President said that no stone should be left unturned towards securing every part of the country. The Acting Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, said that the frequent kidnapping on the Abuja-Kaduna road have been tackled. He said that the route is now very safe. source: https://samueljackson12.blogspot.com/2019/04/deal-ruthlessly-with-bandits-kidnappers.html

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission ( EFCC ) at about 11am today released a former 2nd Vice-President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Monday Ubani after 23 days in its custody. Ubani was arrested and detained on March 19, along with ex-Senator Christopher Enai for allegedly failing to produce a former Managing Director of Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund, NSITF, Mrs. Ngozi Olejeme, who both men stood for as sureties. Olojeme is facing a N6.4billion fraud charge preferred against her by the EFCC. Ubani had maintained his innocence over Olejeme’s disappearance insisting that she absconded after the EFCC raided her home source:https://samueljackson12.blogspot.com/2019/04/23-days-after-efcc-frees-monday-ubani.html

An FCT High Court Maitama on Thursday fixed May 23, for hearing a N500,000 aggravated damages suit filed by a former spokesman of the insurgent group, Boko Haram, Ali Sanda Konduga. Konduga dragged the Director-General, Department of Security Services (DSS) and the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, over alleged breach of his fundamental rights. Konduga through his counsel, Mr Mohammed Tola, filed a suit before Justice Samira Bature alleging that he was kept in detention for an extra three years after serving his three-year jail term before he was released in 2016. Konduga was convicted by a Chief Magistrates’ Court in Abuja and sentenced to three years imprisonment for criminal intimidation in 2011. In the suit, Konduga claimed that he was kept in the custody of the DSS instead of the conventional prison to serve his term because the government wanted him to serve as a key witness to prove a terrorism charge against Sen. Ali Ndume in a Federa...

Everything you need to live well Twitter is taking a major step ahead in cleaning in its platform, in order for it to look more legit. In achieving this, it will start by eliminating spammers. “Follow, unfollow, follow, unfollow. Who does that? Spammers. So we’re changing the number of accounts you can follow each day from 1,000 to 400. Don’t worry, you’ll be just fine”, tweeted the company from its official account. According to Twitter’s Help Center, once you hit the follow limit you’ll get a message saying “You are unable to follow more people at this time.” However, that number doesn’t apply to Verified accounts. If you’ve got the blue check mark, you can still follow up to 1,000 accounts per day, ostensibly because the site knows you’re not a spammer. Likewise, Twitter also limits the total number of accounts you can follow to 5,000. Further explaining the rationale behind the decision, Twitter’s head of site integrity, Yoel Roth, said that the company decided 400 was...

The Supreme Court has struck out three appeals filed by the All Progressives Congress (APC), Tonye Patrick Cole and members of his faction of the party, against the judgment that excluded the APC from fielding candidates in the last elections in Rivers State. A seven-man panel of the apex court, led by Justice Ibrahim Muhammad, held that three appeals were defective, incompetent and could not be heard by the court. The appeals are: SC/295/ 2019 filed by APC, with People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) listed among respondents; SC/266/2019 filed by APC, with Magnus Abe and others as respondents and SC/267/2019 filed by Tonye Patrick Cole, with Magnus Abe and others as respondents. Justice Muhammad, in the first ruling delivered on SC/295/2019, upheld that argument by PDP’s lawyer, Emmanuel Ukala (SAN) to the effect that the notice of appeal filed by the APC was defective. he judge noted that rather than heading a portion of the n...

A flower tribute is seen outside Al Noor mosque where more than 40 people were killed by a suspected white supremacist during Friday prayers on March 15, in Christchurch, New Zealand March 27, 2019. REUTERS/Edgar Su New Zealand’s new gun laws were officially signed into effect Thursday, formally banning military-style semi-automatic weapons less than a month after a white supremacist gunman killed 50 worshippers inside two Christchurch mosques. Governor General Patsy Reddy signed the legislation late Thursday, with the Royal Assent the final stage before it becomes law at midnight. The new rules are aimed at removing semi-automatic firearms from circulation through a buy-back scheme, prohibition and harsh prison sentences. They prohibit “semi-automatic firearms, magazines, and parts that can be used to assemble prohibited firearms.” New Zealand police on Thursday began preparations for the mass buy-back scheme, advising the amnesty is now in place for the newly prohibited ...

Nigeria’s Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Mohammed Rimi, said about of 446 Nigerians are currently serving different jail terms in the middle-east prison facilities. Rimi made the disclosure at a town-hall meeting between Nigeria President Muhammadu Buhari and Nigerians in the UAE. The ambassador said the Nigerians are in jail for possession of hard drugs and engagement in robbery activities. “It is disheartening to state that 446 Nigerians are currently serving different terms in prisons across UAE on account of committing various crimes including possession and consumption of hard drugs and engagement in armed robbery,” Rimi said. Rimi also disclosed that over 5000 Nigerians were granted amnesty by the UAE government. The ambassador said the amnesty granted to Nigerians is an expression of UAE’s tolerance and accommodation to all irregular residents in the country. He noted that Nigerians in the UAE have been supported by the government to live and pursu...

Justice Hakeem Oshodi of an Ikeja High Court has ordered alleged kidnap kingpin, Chukwudimeme Onwuamadike alias Evans and three other defendants to ensure they have legal representation by June 14. Evans is standing trial alongside Uche Amadi, Ogechi Uchechukwu, Chilaka Ifeanyi, Okwuchukwu Nwachukwu and Victor Aduba over the alleged kidnap of the Chief Executive Officer of Maydon Pharmaceutical Limited, Mr Donatius Dunu. NAN reports that the six were arraigned on Aug. 30, 2017 on two counts of conspiracy and kidnapping. According to the prosecution, they allegedly kidnapped Dunu and collected 223,000 Euros (N100m) as ransom.Evans and his co-defendants had pleaded not guilty to all the charges. At resumption of the trial on Thursday, proceeding was stalled due to the absence of defence counsel for Evans, Amadi, Uchechukwu and Ifeanyi. Following the development, Justice Oshodi mandated Evans and the three other defendants to ensure they have legal representation by June 14, th...

Wikileaks co-founder Julian Assange has been arrested at the Ecuadorian embassy in London. Assange has been living at the embassy in London’s plush Knightsbridge district since 2012 when he sought refuge there after being accused of sexual assault in Sweden. Assange was initially detained for “failing to surrender to the court” over a warrant issued in 2012 and was in custody at a central London police station, Metropolitan Police said. He will appear before Westminster Magistrates’ Court in London as soon as is possible, police added. Mr Assange set up Wikileaks in 2006 with the aim of obtaining and publishing confidential documents and images. The organisation hit the headlines four years later when it released footage of US soldiers killing civilians from a helicopter in Iraq. source:https://samueljackson12.blogspot.com/2019/04/police-arrest-wikileaks-founder-julian.html

A Lagos based nurse and mother of four, explains how she found her death certificate in the vehicle of her husband and father of her children. She shared this experience with a Nigerian OAP Toke Makinwa who posted it on her Twitter account. The message reads: “I am in a very sad mood, I feel used and rejected, I feel so terrible, I am married with four kids and I always felt I am married to the best man in the world. I am a registered Nurse in a Government hospital here I Lagos, while he is a dentist. Our plan has always been that when our first child finishes primary school, we will relocate to the US. About a year ago, my husband started dating a lady in her late 30s. I saw her messages and challenged him after which he appologised and I forgave him. However, to my surprise, he came home late on Friday night and slept very early on Saturday. I drove his car out to refill the gas. I saw an envelope in his car. Inside this envelope, was his passport with US visa on it...

Mr Edward Kallon, the UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, has called on Federal Government to protect up to 10,000 women, men and children who were forced to relocate to Maiduguri, the capital of Borno, from a town 40km. Kallon in a statement by Samantha Newport, Head of Communications, UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), on Thursday in Maiduguri, the Nigerian military ordered the immediate departure of and relocation of up to 10,000 civilians in the middle of the night, without prior warning, from Jakana town. He said that the military transported the IDPs by bus or truck to Bakassi camp for internally displaced people. According to the military the civilians were relocated for security reasons ahead of planned operations in the area. “The entire town of Jakana was emptied, and people were forced to move to Maiduguri with very little time to collect personal belongings, some of them said they arrived in Maiduguri with nothing, not even with sh...

Politicians and their agents are responsible for the large scale malpractices and widespread violence that marred the 2019 general elections. This was the submission of the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof Mahmood Yakubu; Acting Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu and President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Ayuba Wabba among other stakeholders. They spoke on Wednesday in Abuja at the Forum of Anti-corruption Situation Room organised by the Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA). In a keynote address, Yakubu said vote buying and selling have become a source of great worry to the Commission, the Nigerian people and the international community. The INEC chair, who was represented by the National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education, Mr. Festus Okoye, narrated how politicians and their agents devised various methods to compromise the electoral process. According to him, one of the methods em...

The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the last election, Atiku Abubakar has denied paying a United States lobby group $30, 000 to persuade the US Congress to stop the May 29 inauguration of President Muhammadu Buhari. The Buhari Campaign Group had alleged that Atiku paid the group to push for his recognition as the winner of the February 23 presidential election, which he lost to incumbent President Buhari. In a statement yesterday by his media adviser, Mr Paul Ibe, the PDP candidate accused the Buhari group of fabricating what he described as “shameless lies and dirty propaganda” against Atiku. The statement said lying has become a culture to the All Progressives Congress (APC) administration and therefore, adding that the Atiku camp was not surprised by the latest diversionary allegations. It added that since Atiku resisted pressure not to go to court, the APC has been behaving like “a cat on hot bricks” because the outcome of the 2019 elections...

A police officer who slapped and destroyed an iPhone belonging to a Delta State University student has been arrested. The police officer   After a video emerged yesterday showing a police officer destroying the phone of a Delta State University student, the officer has been arrested.   It was gathered that the angry officer had destroyed the iPhone reportedly worth N250,000 out of annoyance.    The officer who was angry that after serving the police force for about 13 years, he is stiil not able to afford such an expensive phone, smashed the phone on the ground.   According to an update by the Nigeria Police Force on Twitter,  the officer has been arrested and an orderly trial has commenced. source:https://samueljackson12.blogspot.com/2019/04/police-officer-who-destroyed-iphone.html

Executive Director, Junior Achievement Nigeria, Simi Nwogugu (left); Board Chairman and Managing Partner, Verraki Partners, Niyi Yusuf; Head of Programmes, Aspire Coronation Trust Foundation, Ndifreke Okwuegbunam; Board Member and CEO, Agile Communications Limited, Rufai Ladipo; during a media parley to announce plans for JAN’s 20th anniversary celebrations held at the Elion Hotel, Lagos. A non-profit economic education organisation, Junior Achievement Nigeria (JAN) has concluded plans to train one million youth on entrepreneurial education to address the growing rate of unemployment in the country JAN’s Executive Director, Mrs. Simi Nwogugu who disclosed this while briefing journalists in Lagos on the group’s 20th anniversary celebration said they are prepared to train young people and impact them with the knowledge to operate in the global economy as well as equip adults with the tools to earn and keep their job in the present dispensation.She noted that the programme would br...

Officials from world football –ruling body, FIFA have arrived in Nigeria with the original FIFA Women’s World Cup for a trophy tour scheduled for today, in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. FIFA Women World Cup Acting President of the NFF, Barrister Seyi Akinwunmi received the officials in company with Ademola Olajire (Director of Communications), Sunday Okayi (Assistant Director, Competitions), Ruth David (Head of Women’s Football), Emmanuel Adesanya (Competitions) and other Federation officials. While Nicole Fisch (lead for women’s football project) and Sarai Bareman (chief women’s football officer) flew into Abuja aboard an Ethiopian Airline flight, Vanessa Marques (lead for marketing project) arrived aboard an Emirates Airline flight. The Women’s World Cup trophy is on a tour of all 24 countries qualified to participate at the 8th FIFA Women’s World Cup finals taking place in nine cities in France, 7th June – 7th July this year. African champions Nigeria, Cameroon...

Juventus’ Portuguese forward Cristiano Ronaldo (L) and Ajax’s Dutch midfielder Jurgen Ekkelenkamp jump for the ball during the UEFA Champions League first leg quarter-final football match between Ajax Amsterdam and Juventus FC at the Johan Cruijff ArenA in Amsterdam on April 10, 2019. EMMANUEL DUNAND / AFP Ajax and Juventus draw 1-1 in the first leg of Champions League quarter-final. Cristiano Ronaldo’s flying header on the stroke of half-time gives Juventus a slight edge over Ajax after Wednesday’s breathless first-leg draw in Amsterdam. Ronaldo subdued the 50,000 home fans in the Johan Cruyff Arena when he headed Juventus in front on the stroke of half-time to take his record goal tally in the competition to 125. Brazilian winger David Neres conjured a stunning equaliser almost immediately after half-time to give Ajax a draw that was the very least they deserved. However, it is Juventus — for whom substitute Douglas Costa struck a post late on — who hold the upper hand h...