BREAKING NEWS ....NIGERIA

A group of suspected Muslim youths, yesterday, attacked St. Philip’s Catholic Parish, Baki Iku, close to Zuma Rock in Niger State, destroying properties worth thousands of naira. This is coming just some days after a female Evangelist in the Redeem Christian Church of God, Mrs. Eunice Olawale, was brutally killed by suspected Muslim extremists. According to the Vicar-General of Parish, Revered-Father Gobep Luka Sylvester, about 200 Muslim youths stormed the Church premises yesterday and destroyed properties of the church. According to Thisday newspaper, some Catholics had gone to the church to pray and were attacked by the Muslims who claimed that Friday was their day of prayer and that the Church only had right to worship on Sundays. According to Reverend Sylvester, “Sometime around 2pm, some Muslim youths in numbering 200 left their Mosque after their Friday Jumat prayer and rushed to the Church premises, climbed the wall and destroyed everything in the Church: the windows, t

ne of the militant groups in the Niger Delta, the Ultimate Warriors, on Saturday rejected the position taken by the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta to lead the agitators’ negotiations with the federal government. The group, in a statement by its spokesman, Sibiri Taiowoh, accused MEND of lacking the credibility to take on such a huge task, noting that the ex-militant group would only worsen the current situation. “Furthermore, MEND should stop playing itself up as if they are one credible body to reckon with in respect to the renewed agitations. “We did not embrace the dialogue initiative because of MEND; so, it is not for MEND to dictate and set the pace for us. Let them not give us or any of our affiliates bogus criteria… otherwise, they would only succeed in worsening the situation”, the group said. But MEND, while recently accepting the dialogue option, held that the aegis under which all militants would negotiate should be its Aaron 2 Peace Initiative to be

It was looting on an epic scale; a month’s worth of food aid for over 220,000 South Sudanese, all stolen in just two days along with the giant warehouses that stored it. As fighting raged between rival forces in the capital Juba last week, the UN’s World Food Programme’s main logistics hub was picked clean. WFP says it is “outraged” by the theft of more than 4,500 tonnes of food “intended for the poorest and most vulnerable people” in a country trying to stave off famine. At least 300 people were killed in the city between July 8 and 11 during clashes pitting government forces against former rebels, and in the anarchy of war, many took advantage to steal what they could. On Saturday, an angry soldier waving a gun stopped anyone entering or photographing the fenced compound, but it was clear to see that nothing of value remained.

The United States would consider an extradition request for the Pennsylvania-based cleric blamed for the attempted military coup in Turkey, Secretary of State John Kerry said Saturday. In a televised speech, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the U.S. should extradite Fethullah Gulen, a Muslim cleric who self-exiled from Turkey to the Poconos in 1999. Erdogan and the Turkish government say Gulen is behind the clashes that broke out Friday night when the military attempted and failed to usurp the government. At least 194 people were killed in the turmoil. But Gulen denied any involvement with the coup, telling reporters Saturday that he thinks it may have been "staged." Erdogan has long accused Gulen, a former ally, of trying to overthrow the government. Washington has never found any evidence particularly compelling. A Turkish official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told The Associated Press that Turkey "has been preparing a formal application with de

A Niger Delta group, Urhobo Monitoring and Development Group, on Saturday called on President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration to fix the country’s ailing economy from sliding into total collapse. Prince Kingsley Oberuruaria, National President of UMDG, told journalists that Nigerians are hungry noting that the economy needs proactive measure to prevent it sliding into eminent ‘recession.’ Oberuruaria stressed that there was nothing wrong for a government to wedge war against corruption but the same attention should also be accorded to the nation’s dying economy where the average Nigerian can hardly afford a meal per day at present The group said it has observed that the APC-led federal government was not doing enough to tackle the economy which it reminded the government that hunger knows no political or religious affiliations. It also expressed reservation with the ongoing diversification into economy and other sectors saying that the Niger Delta region was being ignore in

Troops of the 29 Brigade Reaction Force, QRF, in conjunction with Civilian Joint Task Force during a mop up operation on Friday killed two suspected Boko Haram members in Marguba, Kaga Local Government Area of Borno State. Disclosing this in a statement, the Army spokesperson, Col. Sani Usman said the two insurgents were killed while several members of the group escaped with gunshot wounds. The statement reads, “In their bid to clear the remnants of Boko Haram terrorists hiding in some parts of the North East of the country, troops have intensified efforts in clearance operations. “It is in this regards that the 29 Brigade Quick Reaction Force (QRF), in conjunction with Civilian JTF carried out an ambush against Boko Haram terrorists east of Marguba village in Kaga Local Government Area of Borno State yesterday, Friday. “The troops killed two of the Boko Haram terrorists, while some of them sustained gun shot wounds as could be seen from traces of blood during mopping up.” Usm

Following the attempted regime overthrow attempt in Turkey on Friday, Barcelona have reassured the public that Arda Turan, along with former players Carles Puyol, Deco, Eric Abidal, Samuel Eto’o and past executive Alejandro Echeverria are all safe. All of them were on Turkish soil set to participate in Eto’o’s charity match that is scheduled to take place on Saturday in Antalya. Lionel Messi and Andres Iniesta, also expected to play in the event set up by their Cameroonian ex-teammate, had not yet travelled to the country, and now won’t. Other football personalities whose presence is in doubt for the Eto’o Charity Match are Xavi, Fabio Capello, Diego Maradona, Jose Mourinho, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Karim Benzema, Didier Drogba, Demba Ba, Geremi, Eden Hazard, Nwankwo Kanu, Kolo Toure, Lassana Diarra, Louis Saha, Marcel Desailly, Michael Essien, and Jay-Jay Okocha. Turan, arguably the most recognisable Turkish player at the moment, uploaded a photo of his national flag to his In

The UFC released a statement Friday evening that Lesnar and the promotion had been notified by USADA of a potential Lesnar anti-doping violation. The potential violation comes from the failure of an out-of-competition drug test June 28, the release said. The UFC said USADA received the testing results July 14 — five days after Lesnar defeated Mark Hunt at UFC 200 in his MMA return. The sample was tested at UCLA Olympic Analytical Laboratory, a WADA-accredited lab. USADA, as is its policy, did not release the name of the substance Lesnar tested positive for. The UFC's anti-doping partner will conduct a full adjudication process before any sanction is levied. The Nevada Athletic Commission (NAC) also has jurisdiction, because of the test's proximity to UFC 200 in Las Vegas. Lesnar, the former UFC heavyweight champion and current WWE star, had not fought since 2011. The UFC waived the four-months notice an athlete is required to give before coming out of retirement to be

The Barcelona striker has withdrawn from Samuel Eto’o’s World Stars vs Turkey Stars charity match due to the volatile situation in the country Lionel Messi has cancelled a scheduled flight to Turkey on Saturday after the country was the subject of an attempted military coup. The Barcelona striker was due to take part in former teammate Samuel Eto’o’s benefit match in Antalya along with a host of other stars. Messi was set to be joined by Roma icon Francesco Totti as well as a number of Barcelona players past and present, including Diego Maradona, Neymar, Luis Suarez, Xavi, Andres Iniesta, Carles Puyol, Eric Abidal, and Deco.

The Islamic State group claimed responsibility Saturday for an attack in which a Tunisian drove a truck through a crowd in Nice, killing 84, prompting hard questions in France over security failures. In a statement via its Amaq news service IS said one of its “soldiers” carried out the attack on Thursday night “in response to calls to target nations of coalition states that are fighting (IS)”. Tunisian Mohamed Lahouaiej-Bouhlel, 31, smashed a 19-tonne truck into crowd of people in the Riviera city who were celebrating Bastille Day — France’s national day. Police said he had no known connection to jihadist groups. French President Francois Hollande met with his defence and security chiefs and cabinet ministers as criticism from the opposition and media mounted over security failings after the third major attack in France in 18 months. “If we are at war, as the government tells us, then the currency of war is intelligence, learning from experience, analysing failures and victories,”

Turkish loyalists report arresting 1,563 soldiers and officers implicated in an overnight coup attempt; 29 colonels and five generals have been sacked. At least 90 people have been killed and 1,154 injured in military action in Istanbul and Ankara. Pro-government forces have seized control of the top military HQ building, but there are still some groups of rebels resisting, a Turkish official said on Saturday, as cited by Reuters. The official told the agency 1,563 military personnel were arrested following the coup attempt. But according to Milliyet, a Turkish daily, 1,374 were detained. General Hulusi Akar, who heads Turkey’s armed forces, has been rescued from rebel captivity. He was the most senior military official in their hands. The rebels reportedly have several helicopter gunships in their disposal, but loyalists have threatened to shoot them down as they downed at least one aircraft carrying out attacks on government buildings. A faction of the Turkish military attempted

Africa richest woman, Folorunsho Alakija has been named among one of the 100 Most Powerful Women of 2016 according to a list released by Forbes. The magazine released its annual, and Folorunsho Alakija’s whose net worth as of yesterday, June 6, 2016 is $1.72 billion was among those listed. The 66-year-old married mother of four is the vice chair of Famfa Oil, a Nigerian oil exploration company that has a 60% participating interest in block OML 127, part of the larger Agbami field, one of Nigeria’s largest deepwater discoveries, about 70 miles offshore. It partners include Chevron and Petrobras. Her first company was a fashion label that catered to Nigeria’s elite women, including the wife of former military president, Ibrahim Babangida, who awarded Alakija’s company an oil prospecting license. Alakija’s net worth has fallen in the past year as a result of lower oil prices. German Chancellor Angela Merkel topped the list for the second time in a row, while US White House hopeful Hil

1. Chief Ade Ojo. Source of wealth – Car Dealership Chief Michael Ade Ojo was born on June 14, 1938 and was one of the pioneer students of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka where he graduated from with a degree in Business Administration in 1965. In 1975, he cofounded Elizade Independent Agencies, with his late wife, Chief (Mrs.) Elizabeth Wuraola Ojo. The name originated from the first four letters of his wife’s name “Eliz” as well as the first three letters of his own name “Ade.” Today, the company has grown into ELIZADE Group of Company with as much as seven subsidiaries. He is also solely involved in the construction of a polytechnic; Elizade Polytechnic, Ilara Mokin which is aimed at giving the average Nigerian child quality education 2. Jim Ovia. Source of wealth – Banking Mr. Jim Ovia was a co-founder of Zenith Bank Plc and he served as its Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer for 10 years. In July this year he returned as chairman of Zenith

President Buhari today visited Zamfara state and was pictured in an Army uniform today during the flag off of the 2016 Army celebration in Gusau,the state capital.

Theresa May became Britain’s prime minister on Wednesday with the task of leading it out of the European Union, and quickly named key positions in her new government. The former Conservative interior minister, 59, said after being appointed by Queen Elizabeth that she would champion social justice and carve out a bright new future for Britain after last month’s shock referendum vote to quit the EU “We will rise to the challenge. As we leave the European Union we will forge a bold new positive role for ourselves in the world, and we will make Britain a country that works not for a privileged few, but for every one of us,” she said outside 10 Downing Street, vacated hours earlier by David Cameron.

Niger Delta militants hit south-west : Crisis in Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife : Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, is in deep crisis. Right now the University has no Governing Council, no Vice Chancellor – substantive...

Niger Delta militants hit south-west : EFCC seals First Group office for ‘fleecing’ Niger... : EFCC recalled that it was this reason that made its officials storm First Group office in Abuja two months ago. “Investigations into the ...

EFCC recalled that it was this reason that made its officials storm First Group office in Abuja two months ago. “Investigations into the scam revealed that the company originally known as TFG Real Estate Limited operates in Nigeria in the guise of being The First Group Company, a Dubai-based real estate firm, which is not registered in Nigeria,” the source said. “The modus operandi of the company is to lure innocent Nigerians interested in owning properties in Dubai, into parting with their hard-earned money. “They are mandated to make the payment in instalments. However, the payment is deliberately structured in such a way that the debt is difficult to offset, and as soon as one defaults, the money will be ‘seized’ by the company “The company is implicated in a phony real estate scam in which innocent Nigerians were duped to the tune of $200 billion. “EFCC operatives had in May 2016 raided the office as part of investigations in the alleged property fraud. Several implicati

Niger Delta militants hit south-west : Niger Delta militants hit south-west : Niger Delta... : Niger Delta militants hit south-west : Niger Delta militants hit south-west oil pipeline : The gas facility has exploded in the south-west O...

Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, is in deep crisis. Right now the University has no Governing Council, no Vice Chancellor – substantive or acting – and, at least, no active Deputy Vice – Chancellor. Only the registrar still retains his position but he, too, dare not come near his office. This is because members of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and Non-Academic Staff Union of Universities (NASU) have laid siege on the University administrative building. They have been doing so since June 7, the day after the Governing Council, following a meeting held at a secret location in Abuja, announced Professor Ayobami Salami as Vice Chancellor elect for the University. On Thursday June 23, and in an apparent attempt at averting tragic confrontations, the registrar announced the closure of the University, asking students to immediately vacate their halls of residence. He never indicated any date when they could return to resume their studies. The crisis has

Niger Delta militants hit south-west : Niger Delta militants hit south-west oil pipeline : The gas facility has exploded in the south-west Ogun state, the first attack in the region under the incumbent administration – The local po...

The gas facility has exploded in the south-west Ogun state, the first attack in the region under the incumbent administration – The local police command will investigate the incident, however, some people blame Niger Delta Avengers for the attack Suspected Niger Delta militants have extended the territory of their attacks and blown up a gas facility in PZ Estate in the Ogijo area of the Ogun state. The attack comes weeks after killing and maiming innocent residents while raiding communities in the state. Channels Television reports that locals described the incident as the first known attack on oil facility in the south-west under President Muhammadu Buhari. The suspects in Ogun were said to have bombed the pipeline late on July 12, Tuesday while pretending to be officials of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) on maintenance patrol. The affected facility is said to serve an 11.4 distribution line for some companies in Ikorodu, Lagos state. The site of the attack has b