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Thursday, 23 January 2020 05:31

What we know about the new coronavirus spreading in China and beyond

An outbreak of a new coronavirus that began in the central Chinese city of Wuhan has killed 17 and infected nearly 600 people globally. Global health authorities fear the transmission rate will accelerate as hundreds of millions of Chinese travel at home and abroad during the week-long Lunar New Year holiday. KNOWN CASES China’s National Health Commission confirmed 571 cases and 17 deaths at the end of Jan 22. Thailand reported four cases, and South Korea, Japan, Taiwan and the United States one each. Patients in these cases were either residents of Wuhan or recent visitors to the city. AUTHORITIES…

Wednesday, 22 January 2020 06:25

Trump plans to add Nigeria, six other nations to travel ban list - Reports

The Trump administration is planning to add seven countries - Belarus, Eritrea, Kyrgyzstan, Myanmar, Nigeria, Sudan and Tanzania - to its travel ban list, U.S. media reports said on Tuesday. Some countries will face bans only on some visa categories, the Wall Street Journal reported. The list of countries was not final and could yet change, website Politico said. U.S. President Donald Trump said in an interview with the Journal that he was considering adding countries to the travel ban, but declined to state which ones. Politico said an announcement was expected as early as Monday. The move is likely…

Wednesday, 22 January 2020 06:19

Amotekun: Presidency, govs’ meeting called off as southwest holds rallies

A scheduled meeting between the Presidency and South-West governors on Western Nigeria Security Network, Operation Amotekun, was called off on Tuesday. It is now rescheduled for Thursday (tomorrow). While South-West governors could not meet the Presidency on Tuesday, various groups in the zone held rallies in state capitals in support of Amotekun. In Lagos, police barricaded the venue of a pro-Amotekun rally. South-West had launched the operation on January 9 in Ibadan to help address rising security challenges, particularly kidnapping and banditry, in Ogun, Osun, Oyo, Lagos, Ekiti and Ondo states. South-West governors, who made 120 patrol vehicles available to…

Wednesday, 22 January 2020 06:17

NiMet predicts early, ‘above normal’ rainfall in Nigeria

Nigerian Meteorological Agency on Tuesday released 2020 Seasonal Rainfall Prediction (SRP) report to guide various sectors of the country. The agency predicted in the SRP Report in Abuja that the onset of the growing season expected to be near-normal to earlier than normal in most parts of the country. It forecast earliest onset date likely to occur on February 24 around coastal zone of South-South states while Sokoto, Kebbi, Zamfara, Katsina, Jigawa, Yobe and Borno, are likely to have their onset from June 2. “On cessation, a ‘normal to later than normal’ cessation is expected across the country. “The earliest…

Tuesday, 21 January 2020 06:26

Buhari meets UK PM, seeks extradition of fugitives

President Muhammadu Buhari has sought the cooperation of National Crime Agency of the United Kingdom in the investigation of fugitives from Nigeria finding accommodation in that country. In a statement yesterday, presidential spokesman, Mr Femi Adesina, said Mr Buhari made the call during a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Boris Johnson in London. The two leaders met on the sidelines of the UK-Africa Investment Summit 2020. Buhari said the ongoing anti-graft war needed the cooperation of the Agency. Former minister of Petroleum, Mrs Diezani Alison-Madueke, and other Nigerian fugitives in the UK had fled into exile since 2015 when the…

Tuesday, 21 January 2020 06:12

Over 60m Nigerians can’t read, write - FG

National Commission for Mass literacy, Adult and Non-Formal Education says over 60 million Nigerians are unable to read and write in any language. The executive secretary of the commission, Mr Abba Haladu, said this in Abuja weekend at the literacy roundtable discussion tagged “Literacy and Multilingualism: A Bedrock for Sustainable National Development.” Haladu said in addition to the challenge of out-of-school children, Nigeria was also faced with high illiteracy rate amongst its adults and youth population. He said this had remained a major impediment to the country’s developmental aspirations, given the millions of adults and youths affected. He said for…

Monday, 20 January 2020 05:28

Massive shake-up in FIRS as new boss settles in

A massive shakeup in Nigeria’s tax agency, FIRS, is underway with about 50 directors affected. About 50 directors, deputy directors, assistant directors and over 100 other staff of FIRS have been transferred by the new Executive Chairman, Mr Muhammad Nami. Sources at the tax agency said the movements were means of shaping FIRS along the lines Nami believes could fetch him the N8.5 trillion target for 2020. While some of the directors were said to have moved up in relevance and ranking, one senior management staff got a tacit boot away from the agency. A new director also joined the…

Monday, 20 January 2020 05:26

17 soldiers, scores of Boko Haram insurgents killed in fierce two-day battle in Borno

No fewer than 17 soldiers were killed, while many others were abducted in two confrontations on Friday and Saturday between the military and Boko Haram insurgents on Bama-Gwoza highway. It was, however, gathered that the number of casualties on the Boko Haram side were high, although it could not be ascertained as of press time. The insurgents were said to have initially attacked Firgi, 20 kilometres north of Pulka along the road from Gwoza to Bama on Friday. They were said to have killed 13 soldiers in the crossfire that took over two hours. The insurgents were said to have…

Monday, 20 January 2020 05:25

Pipeline fire kills three in Lagos

A fire on a pipeline owned by Nigeria’s state oil company in Lagos killed three people on Sunday, a Reuters witness said. The blaze broke out in Abule-Egba, Lagos. Residents said it started shortly before 8 p.m. A Reuters television camera operator counted three dead bodies at the scene. The fire burned nearby houses and vehicles. Another witness, Ayo Adewale, said there were “many dead people”. Reuters was unable to verify the claim. Many fires on pipelines in Nigeria, Africa’s biggest crude oil producer, are caused by theft and sabotage. The methods used to steal oil often result in accidents…

Sunday, 19 January 2020 06:34

Trump gives dramatic account of Soleimani's last minutes before death

U.S. President Donald Trump gave a minute-to-minute account of the U.S. drone strikes that killed Iranian military commander Qassem Soleimani in remarks to a Republican fund-raising dinner on Friday night, according to audio obtained by CNN. With his typical dramatic flourish, Trump recounted the scene as he monitored the strikes from the White House Situation Room when Soleimani was killed. The president spoke in a ballroom at his Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida, at a Republican event that raised $10 million (£7.7 million) for Trump’s 2020 re-election campaign and for the Republican National Committee. Reporters were not allowed in…

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Sunday, 19 January 2020 06:33

Harry and Meghan drop royal duties and HRH titles

Prince Harry and Meghan will no longer use their HRH titles and will not receive public funds for royal duties, Buckingham Palace has announced. The couple will also no longer formally represent the Queen. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex intend to repay £2.4m of taxpayer money for the refurbishment of Frogmore Cottage, which will remain their UK family home, the statement added. The new arrangement comes into effect in spring this year, the palace said. The statement comes after the Queen held talks with the couple on Monday about their future, following their announcement that they wanted to "step…

Saturday, 18 January 2020 06:02

Nigeria’s public debt has more than doubled under Buhari - DMO

From the N12.118trillion level of indebtedness at takeover by June 2015, the current administration of President Muhammadu Buhari has grown Nigeria’s public debt to a new height of N26.215 trillion as at the end September last year, the country’s debt agency, Debt Management Office (DMO) announced yesterday. The new level represents a growth of over N14 trillion of additional borrowings by the Federal and State Governments in the country in less than five years of the current administration in Nigeria. The new debt stock represents the country’s almost thee years fiscal spending, going by this year’s fiscal plan. Presenting the…

Saturday, 18 January 2020 06:01

Buhari meets security chiefs, reiterates support for community policing

President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday had a closed door meeting with heads of the nation’s security agencies at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. The meeting came ahead of the takeoff time of the President’s scheduled visit to London later in the day, to participate in the inaugural UK-Africa Investment Summit. The summit itself opens on Monday, January 20. Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the President, Mr Femi Adesina, in a statement on Thursday said that Mr Buhari is expected back in Nigeria on Thursday, next week. Addressing State House Correspondents after the meeting, Chief of Air Staff, Mr Sadique Abubakar…

Saturday, 18 January 2020 06:00

Emir whose convoy was attacked by gunmen narrates how he escaped while 30 people died

Emir of Potiskum, Mr Umaru Bubaram Ibn Wuriwa Bauya, has revealed how he escaped being killed in an attack against his convoy by Boko Haram. The royal father said he trekked in the bush for about two hours to escape the deadly attack. The emir said this in an interview with Emergency Digest when he returned to his palace in Potiskum, Yobe State. He lamented the attack on his convoy which left four of his aides dead in addition to 26 others killed. The royal father, who underwent medical checks in a hospital in Kaduna after the incident said the…

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