Monday 26 March 2018

14 EU states expelling 30 Russian diplomats over UK spy attack


Fourteen European Union countries announced Monday they are to expel a total of 30 Russian diplomats in a coordinated international response to the nerve agent attack on a former spy in Britain.

Germany, France and Poland led the way in Europe with four expulsions each, while across the Atlantic, the White House announced it was throwing out 60 alleged spies and closing the Russian consulate in Seattle.

First Nation Airlines chief gets N10m bail in alleged N1.7 billion theft trial

Kayode Odukoya, Managing Director of First Nation Airlines, was on Monday granted N10 million bail by an Ikeja Special Offences Court in Lagos.

Mr. Odukoya had on March 15 pleaded not guilty to fraud and a N1.7 billion theft allegation against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Enyimba’s Ikouwem Udoh named Flying Eagles skipper


Coach Paul Aigbogun has named Enyimba defender Ikouwem Udoh as the Flying Eagles captain.

Udoh shone at leftback at the recent CHAN in Morocco when he made the final squad in the absence of Chima Akas.

57 Council Chairmen endorse Ambode for second term

Ambode

The Chairmen of 20 Local Government Areas and 37 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) of Lagos State on Sunday unanimously endorse the State Governor, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode for a second term in office.

Rising from a meeting with the Governor at Lagos House in Alausa, Ikeja, the council chiefs said their decision to support Governor Ambode for another term was on account of the need to allow him continue with the massive infrastructural renewal and transformation of all parts of the State.

MMM founder Sergey Mavrodi dies of heart attack in Moscow hospital

MMM

Sergey Mavrodi, the founder of MMM, a Russian company that perpetrated one of the world’s largest Ponzi schemes of all time, is dead.

According to a report by Moskovsky Komsomolets, the founder of the MMM series of financial pyramid schemes, Mavrodi, died in Moscow at the age of 62.

NAIJ.com gathered that Mavrodi was taken to a city hospital from a bus stop overnight Monday, March 26, after he felt weakness and pain in the chest area.

Sacked presidential aide, Boroh speaks on $9million ‘found in his apartment’

Boroh

Embattled former Special Assistant to the President on Niger Delta and Coordinator of Amnesty Programme, Brig. Gen. Paul Boroh (retd) has reacted to reports of $9 million cash being found at his residence.

The former presidential aide dismissed the reports as untrue.

Miyetti Allah’s call for state of emergency in Benue, Taraba, untenable –Ortom


Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State on Monday said the call for the declaration of a state of emergency in Benue and one other state by the leadership of Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore is tantamount to punishing those states that have performed their legitimate constitutional responsibilities of enacting laws for good governance.

Ortom said, “The call is unrealistic, untenable and unacceptable because many other states across the six geopolitical zones of the country have been affected by similar crisis, sometimes at a greater magnitude than the two states, yet the call does not include them.”

My Fetish Wife Makes Love To Her Concubine Our Bed – Man Tells Court


A five-year-old marriage is on the brink of collapse as Musilimat Olasuyi told an Igando customary court in Lagos that her husband, Oluwagbemiga, permitted another man to sleep with her in their matrimonial home.

The 48-year-old trader said initially she objected to the act but consented when  her husband encouraged her.“It was not my fault. I did not voluntarily submit myself but the man in question charmed me to make love to me with my husband’s agreement all because of his selfish ambition,” she said.

EFCC Arraigns POS User For N1.2bn Fraud


The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Lagos Zonal office, on March 21, 2018, arraigned one Ifeanyi Nwaneri before Justice Olusola Ajibike Williams of the Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos on a five-count charge bordering on stealing to the tune of N1.2billion.
The defendant, a customer with Access Bank Plc, was alleged to have fraudulently carried out several transactions on Point of Sales (POS) terminal issued to him by the bank.

Prince Harry & Meghan Markle to enjoy honeymoon in Namibia

Prince Harry & Meghan Markle to enjoy honeymoon in Namibia lailasnews

It has been reported that Prince Harry has his heart set on a honeymoon in Namibia with Meghan Markle.

Contrary to reports suggesting that he will whisk his wife to-be, Meghan Markle off to the Caribbean after their wedding on May 19, Dailymail reports that Prince Harry plans to have an adventure organised fo him and his bride in the huge south-west African country.

Boxing legend Mike Tyson eyes return to WWE

Tyson

Former undisputed World Heavyweight Champion Mike Tyson has hinted he could stage a return to the World Wrestling Entertainment after his last appearance in 2010.

Tyson revealed this to WWE.com at the Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards at the weekend.

The boxing legend made headlines in 1998 when he helped Stone Cold Steve Austin beat Shawn Michaels for the WWE title as a special enforcer at WrestleMania 14.

I’m a victim of age discrimination – Arsene Wenger

Arsene Wenger

Arsene Wenger has suggested some of the criticism he has faced as Arsenal manager has been because of age discrimination.

The 68-year-old has faced calls to leave the Gunners – who face Stoke on Sunday – after their failure to qualify for the Champions League last season, as well as their 14-year wait to win another Premier League title.

Mobile phone subscription in Nigeria hits 147m – NCC


The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) said that the country’s phone subscriptions have reached 147 million as at January 2018.

The Executive Vice Chairman, NCC, Prof. Umar Danbatta disclosed this during the NCC Special Day at the ongoing 29th Enugu International Trade Fair.

The fair was organised by the Enugu Chamber of Commerce, Mines, Industries and Agriculture (ECCIMA).

Dino Melaye petitions IG, UN, US, UK, alleges threat to life


The embattled lawmaker representing the Kogi West Senatorial District, Dino Melaye, has petitioned the Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, and several global bodies over what he described as a threat to his life.

In the separate petitions, copies of which were obtained by our correspondent on Sunday, Melaye alleged that there was a plan to murder him “extrajudicially” by his “political enemies” in collusion with the men of the Kogi State Police Command.

Danjuma’s self-defence call, evidence of Buhari’s failure - PDP


Danjuma had, on Saturday at the maiden convocation of the Taraba State University, told Nigerians to defend themselves against killers, saying the Nigerian Armed Forces were not ready to defend them.

He had said, “There is an attempt at ethnic cleansing in the state (Taraba) and of course, some rural states in Nigeria, we must resist it. We must stop it. Everyone of us must rise up. Our armed forces are not neutral. They collude with the bandits to kill people, kill Nigerians… If you are depending on the armed forces to stop the killings, you will all die one by one.”

We’re discussing possible ceasefire with Boko Haram - Lai Mohammed


The Federal Government on Sunday vowed to deal with any persons or groups attempting to trivialise or politicise security issues for politically motivated ends, saying that security agencies would not hesitate to deal with such characters.

The Minister of Information and Culture, Mr. Lai Mohammed, who said this during a press conference in Lagos, also revised upwards the number of kidnapped and freed Dapchi schoolgirls.

700 pipeline breaches disrupt petroleum supply – NNPC


The Group Managing Director, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Maikanti Baru, has lamented the incessant vandalism of the Aba-Enugu products’ pipeline, which has suffered about 700 breaches.

According to him, this has hampered efficient supply and distribution of petroleum products not only in Enugu State, but in the entire South-East, and partly in the North-Central and North-East.

UNILAG to set up refinery soon — VC


There are strong indications that University of Lagos, UNILAG, would soon set up conventional and standard locally-built refineries to boost the nation’s refinery capacity.

The institution’s Vice-Chancellor,  Professor Oluwatoyin  Ogundipe,  who made this known at the 1st Annual General Meeting, AGM,  and 2nd Alumni Lecture of the UNILAG Faculty of Engineering Alumni Association, said as an institution that produced graduates in Chemical Engineering,  students of the school needed to be exposed to refining process.

Asset forfeiture: Ekweremadu tells supporters to be calm


Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekwereamdu, has asked his constituents and supporters not to lose sleep over the ex-parte motion for assets forfeiture filed against him by the Special Presidential Investigation Panel for the Recovery of Public Property.

Ekweremadu also said he would not be silenced or intimidated by the actions of the panel.

In a statement by his Special Adviser on Media, Mr. Uche Anichukwu, after the people of Mgbidi community paid him a solidarity visit, Ekweremadu said the investigation would not stop him in his effort to serve the country.

Goodluck Jonathan blasts 'faceless' persons trying to defame him


Former President, Goodluck Jonathan has warned Nigerians of an impending accusation against him by people he claimed were out to ruin his reputation.

The former President, who is in Sierra Leone, made this known yesterday in a post on his Facebook page.

Blessing Okagbare breaks 22-year-old African record


Blessing Okagbare on Saturday started her outdoor season with an impressive 22.04secs in her 200m race at the Wes Kittley Invitational Track and Field Meet at the Abilene Christian University, which erased the 22-year-old previous African record of 22.07secs set by Mary Onyali at a Meet in Switzerland in 1996.

Cierra White followed in second place in 23.26secs while Natasha McDonald settled for third in 24.23secs.

TI rating: Corruption fighting back - Magu


Chairman of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission EFCC, Ibrahim Magu, weekend said the 2017 low rating of Nigeria by the Transparency International, TI, in the global corruption perception index, was a case of corruption fighting back.

Magu rather boasted that the Muhammadu Buhari administration and the EFCC had done better in the  fight against corruption more than ever before.

Finance ministry, EFCC harmonising data on recovered funds – Adeosun


The Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, on Sunday said that the letter that she wrote to the Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ibrahim Magu, was to improve control over recovered funds.

Adeosun said in a statement issued by her Media Adviser, Oluyinka Akintunde, that contrary to media reports that she had ulterior motives, the letter was written to enable the reconciliation and harmonisation of funds recovered by the Federal Government.

9-Year Old Girl Donates Bone Marrow To Baby Sis


A nine-year-old girl has helped save the life of her two-year-old sister after undergoing a bone marrow transplant.

Lyla-Mae O'Rourke was given just weeks to live when she was diagnosed with leukaemia when she was just a baby.