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Saturday, 21 January 2017 02:15

Saudi Arabia restores Nigeria’s Hajj quota to 95,000

Nigeria’s slot for the 2017 Hajj has been restored to 95,000 by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. This declaration was made by the Saudi Minister of Hajj during a Ministerial Meeting between officials from the two countries on Wednesday in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The Kingdom had in 2013 reduced Nigeria’s quota from 95,000 to 76,000. It said the cut, which affected all countries participating in the annual ritual, was necessitated by development projects going on in the Grand Mosque and other holy sites in the Kingdom. The meeting of Wednesday kick-started preparatory meetings with Saudi agencies in respect of Hajj…

Friday, 20 January 2017 18:13

Group: 11 killed at Nigeria pro-Trump rally; police deny it

Eleven people were killed when Nigerian security forces cracked down on a demonstration supporting the inauguration of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, a separatist group said Friday, though police denied there were any deaths. The demonstration was organized in southern Rivers state by the Indigenous People of Biafra, whose members want Trump to support the creation of an independent Biafran state for the Igbo people. Ugochukwu Chinweuba, a member of the group, said police and soldiers used live rounds and that "scores" were wounded in addition to the dead. Nnamdi Omoni, a spokesman for Rivers state police, said the claim was…

Friday, 20 January 2017 17:58

Boko Haram attacks camp bombed by Nigeria's Air Force

Boko Haram extremists attacked a refugee camp in northeast Nigeria just days after Nigeria's air force bombed it, witnesses said Friday, as reports emerged that the death toll from the bombing could be as high as 170. More than 100 Boko Haram fighters launched the attack Thursday evening, and soldiers battled for hours trying to repel them, witnesses said. One witness said eight Boko Haram fighters were killed and one soldier was injured, though others said the toll was still being determined. The witnesses, who included aid workers and camp residents, spoke on condition of anonymity because of safety fears.…

Friday, 20 January 2017 17:56

Kano on security lockdown after civil disturbances

Joint patrol teams of the military, police and state security service have been deployed to strategic streets in Kano following Wednesday’s clashes between motor park touts and officers of the state traffic control agency, KAROTA. Roads adjacent to the Government House have been blocked by the security personnel, forcing motorists to divert to Abacha House Gidado road. Spokesman of the police in the state, Magaji Majiya, said the development was a show of force to weed out criminals from the state. “We are simply on a show of force to chase out criminals elements from their hiding abodes so that…

Friday, 20 January 2017 15:44

Women protesters want Fayose arrested

Some protesters under the aegis of “Patriotic Mothers Without Borders”, on Friday stormed the EFCC Abuja headquarters calling for the “arrest, investigation and prosecution” of Ayo Fayose, Governor of Ekiti State, over his alleged involvement in the $2.1 billion arms deal scandal. Chanting “Fayose must go”, the women numbering about 300 carried various placards and banners with inscriptions like: “EFCC Must Prosecute Fayose”, “Corruption is Corruption”, “Fayose is being tormented by the blood of innocent Nigerians slaughtered by Boko Haram”. The convener of the group, Nnenna Jideofor, accused Mr. Fayose of stealing part of funds meant to equip the military…

Friday, 20 January 2017 02:54

Our revenue so low that we have no choice but to borrow $30bn — FG

Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, on Thursday said that the inability of the Federal Government to generate enough revenue to meet its obligations had left it with no other choice than to turn to international financial institutions for loans to finance critical infrastructure projects. She said that with a huge monthly personnel expenditure of about N210bn, coupled with additional debt service burden of N120bn, making a total of N330bn every month, it had become difficult with the low receipts from oil to generate enough revenue to meet these obligations as well as fund capital projects. The minister stated these…

Friday, 20 January 2017 02:52

Gambia: Senate accuses Buhari of constitutional breach

Senators have faulted deployment of troops to the Gambia without recourse to the Senate. Raising a constitutional point of order yesterday, Senator Chukuwuka Utazi (PDP, Enugu) said the executive violated sections of the 1999 Constitution by deploying troops without approval of the Senate. Quoting section 5 (4) of the Constitution, Utazi said, “Going on a warfare in another country without a recourse to this constitutional provisions is affront to 1999 Constitution and it is a breach of the Constitution.” Supporting Utazi’s point of order, Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu said the president needed the approval of the Senate before deploying…

Friday, 20 January 2017 02:49

Benue govt. cedes land in Agatu for cattle grazing

Gov. Samuel Ortom of Benue has provided land in Agatu Local Government Area of the state for use as cattle routes. This is contained in a communique issued at the end of a two-day meeting between Mr. Ortom, the Nasarawa State Governor, Tanko Al-Makura, Chief of Agatu, Godwin Onah, and Fulani Agatu, Ardo Boderi Tuja in Makurdi on Thursday. The communiqué, which was signed by community representatives, said that both parties had agreed to give peace a chance and forgive one another. Reading the communiqué, Mr. Ortom said both parties agreed to designate Oguto Adanyi-Ogumagbo-Bagana as cattle routes in Agatu…

Friday, 20 January 2017 02:47

Police bow to pressure, release detained Premium Times journalists

Police in Abuja have released the two Premium Times journalists arrested Thursday afternoon. Dapo Olorunyomi, publisher of the newspaper, was arrested alongside judiciary correspondent, Evelyn Okakwu, at around 5:00 p.m. They were released on bail and instructed to report at the FCT Police Command Headquarters by 8:00 a.m. Friday morning. But a highly-placed police source said the invitation could be a ploy to detain the journalists for an extended period. The police source said there are chances that the two could be taken before a Magistrate’s Court. “From what I understand, if they report tomorrow morning, they will be taken…

Friday, 20 January 2017 02:42

Images show Nigeria refugee camp hit multiple times: Group

Human Rights Watch says satellite imagery supports witness accounts that Nigeria's air force struck a refugee camp with "multiple air-dropped munitions," even though tents should have been easily visible. The New York-based group on Thursday again called for a thorough investigation of Tuesday's bombing of the camp, which one Nigerian official said killed more than 100 refugees and aid workers. The Red Cross says at least 70 people were killed. Nigeria's military has called the bombing accidental, saying it was trying to target Boko Haram Islamic extremists. The camp's thousands of inhabitants had been displaced by the insurgency, which has…

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Friday, 20 January 2017 02:36

Reps propose bill to jail Ministers, others who defy them

A bill that could see officials of the executive arm of government thrown into prison if they fail to honour a summon by the legislature has passed second reading in the House of Representatives. The bill also recommended an alternative fine of up to N1 million for any official found guilty of contempt of the National Assembly. Sponsor of the bill, Sunday Karim, said during plenary on Thursday that lawmakers were frustrated by frequent refusal of members of the executive arm of government, especially ministers and directors-general, to honour invitations of investigative committees in both the Senate and the House.…

Thursday, 19 January 2017 17:17

Buhari leaves for Britain until Feb. 6 for medical checkups

The Presidency says President Muhammadu Buhari is taking leave for more than two weeks in Britain for medical checkups. A statement Thursday from Buhari's special adviser Femi Adesina calls the medical checks "routine" and says the leave is part of Buhari's annual vacation. Buhari, who is in his 70s, was leaving Thursday and is expected to return on Feb. 6. Like many Africans, Nigerians have pointed out the irony of leaders going overseas for medical issues while ordinary citizens struggle to get adequate care from local health systems. AP

Thursday, 19 January 2017 17:12

MMM participants lose patience, attack each other, guiders

The cracks within the MMM community in Nigeria have continued to widen with many of the three million participants in the Ponzi scheme losing patience and trading accusations due to their inability to get their money out of the scheme after waiting for more than a month. After being mocked Nigerians opposed to the scheme and fed excuses by those behind it for over a month, confidence in the scheme is declining with participants questioning its mode of operation and faulting explanations offered by guiders. The discontent with MMM became evident this week after all payment (Get Help) requests by…

Thursday, 19 January 2017 03:20

Garri N10k, rice N17k, kerosene N450… Nigerians groan as cost of living soars

“If not for her, I would have left this country,” Moses Chukwudi, a foodstuff trader at Mile 12 Market, Lagos, says of his new marital status as he discusses the economic downturn in Nigeria. Chukwudi got married in November 2016 and planned to lavish his income – made from selling rice, beans, garri, palm oil, vegetable oil – on his bride, but in just two months, he wished he held back on that plan. He is not making money anymore. He said his business had deteriorated so much that he could have left the country if he were not married…

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