The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Nigerian news

  • BREAKING: Delay in landing rights approval shifts evacuation of Nigerians

    The second batch of 320 Nigerians billed to arrive Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos on Tuesday from South Africa has been moved to Wednesday following a delay in securing landing permit from South African aviation authorities for Air Peace.

    Chairman of the airline, Allen Onyema disclosed this in a telephone interview.

    Onyema said following the late approval for landing rights the Boeing 777-300 will now depart Lagos for Johanesbourg midnight to arrive with the second of 320 Nigerians by noon Wednesday.

    He said the airline was committed to the project to ensure it follows laid down procedures as set by South African authorities.

    Read Also: Xenophobia: S. African authorities again frustrate evacuation of second batch of Nigerians

    He told The Nation in a telephone interview:” Air Peace less than an hour ago just secured landing rights permit from South African aviation authorities. Our aircraft will now depart by midnight today ( Tuesday ) to evacuate Nigerians already cleared to return. The whole idea is to ensure the returnees arrive here during the day for enhanced logistics. Bringing in middle of the night may not be very convenient, that is why we moved it to Wednesday. ”
    Scores of journalists, security agencies and others waiting at the airport had mobilized for the operations.

  • JUST IN: Buhari re-appoints Adeyemi, Adeleye Special Assistants

    President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the re-appointment of Mr Segun Adeyemi and Mr Williams Adeleye as his Special Assistants (Media) attached to the Office of the Minister of Information and Culture.

    Mr Joe Mutah, the Chief Press Secretary to information and culture minister, Alhaji Lai Mohammed disclosed this in a statement issued in Abuja on Tuesday.

    He said the re-appointment letters of the two SSAs, which were signed by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr Boss Mustapha, stated that their appointment took effect from Sept., 6 2019.

    Adeyemi and Adeleye served in the same capacity between November 2015 and May 2019.

     

  • Five die in Ondo auto-crash

    No fewer than five people, including two children, have died in a road crash involving a bus and a truck on Tuesday morning in Ore Odigbo Local Government Area of Ondo State.

    Mr Olusegun Ogungbemide, the Head of Operations, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in the state, confirmed the incident to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in a telephone interview.

    Ogungbemide said that five out of the 13 passengers involved in the accident died instantly while seven other people sustained various degrees of injury.

    He said that FRSC operatives had taken the victims to Adeola Hospital, Kajola and Opeyemi Hospital, Ore in the area.

    “On Sept. 17, 2019 at about 7:15 a.m. along km 46, Adekunle area in Ore, a bus, Toyota Hiace, marked AKL 930 YY and one articulated vehicle, Man Diesel, marked FGB 747 XA, were involved in a crash”.

    In the accident, “five people died instantly while seven others sustained injuries,” he said.

    The head of operation, who explained that excessive speeding and wrongful overtaking were the causes of the accident, said that efforts had been made to clear the road.

    Read Also: Three die, five injured in auto crash on Lagos – Ibadan expressway

    He, therefore, warned motorists to be more careful and shun speeding and wrong overtaking, especially during these “ember” months.

    “The motoring public should be more careful during these “ember” months. There is increase in vehicular movements on the highways and unnecessary agitation by drivers, mostly commercial drivers.

    “The passengers too, have major role to play in cautioning their drivers. Commuters are advised to be vigilant and avoid sleeping during a trip.

    “Never allow a reckless driver to waste your life. All hands must be on deck to keep safe from all these carnage,” Ogungbemide advised.

     

    (NAN)

  • Iran’s Supreme Leader rejects talk with U.S.

    Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei on Tuesday, said that Iranian officials had unanimously ruled out talks with the U.S.A at any level.

    Khamenei was quoted by his official website as saying that“Through negotiations, the Americans are seeking to impose their demands on Iran and prove the effectiveness of maximum pressure campaign.’’

    He said Washington’s maximum pressure campaign against the Iranian nation had failed to achieve its goals.

    According to him, talks with the U.S. will only be possible within the framework of P5+1 group consisting of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany.

    Khamenei said Washington should return to the 2015 Iranian nuclear deal that it abandoned in 2018, if the U.S. wants any talk.

    Read Also: U.S. to groom 15m women entrepreneurs in Nigeria, others

    “Otherwise, no talks at any level will be held between Iranian and American officials, neither in New York nor in other places.’’

    Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman on Monday also ruled out the likelihood of any meeting between the Iranian and U.S. presidents in the upcoming UN General Assembly meeting in New York.

    U.S. President Donald Trump withdrew the U.S. from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal in May 2018 under the pretext that the deal was not comprehensive.

    Subsequently, the U.S. administration launched a “maximum pressure campaign’’ and reinstated sanctions on Iran’s economy, mainly on Iran’s oil exports.

  • Neymar’s European suspension reduced from three to two games – CAS

    The Court of Arbitration for Sport has reduced Paris St Germain striker Neymar’s suspension from three to two UEFA games for insulting match officials, CAS said on Tuesday.

    PSG and the Brazilian had appealed against the three-game ban imposed by European governing body UEFA in June, and CAS partially upheld the appeal.

    Neymar labelled the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system “a disgrace” after PSG were eliminated from the Champions League last 16 by Manchester United after the Premier League side were awarded a decisive last-gasp penalty in a 3-1 win at the Parc des Princes.

    Read Also: Barcelona set to dump Neymar interest for Kylian Mbappe

    Neymar will be eligible to play in the Champions League in the third round of matches, when PSG travel to Club Brugge on Oct. 22.

    The 27-year-old made his PSG season debut last Saturday after his failed transfer to Barcelona, scoring the only goal in stoppage time against Racing Strasbourg in Ligue 1.

    He is suspended for PSG’s Champions League start against Real Madrid on Wednesday. (Reuters/NAN)

  • Nasarawa downsizes 18 existing ministries to 13

    Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa state has downsized the eighteen existing ministries in the state to thirteen.

    Governor Sule made the announcement during a Stakeholders meeting in Lafia.

    The five affected ministries which have been scrapped and merged with re-established ones include Special Education, Science and Technology; Higher Education; Housing and Urban Development; Community Development and Water Resources.

    The Thirteen new ministries are Education, Health, Land and Urban Development, Environment and Natural Resources, Youths and Sports Development, Justice, Finance and Economic Planning.

    Read Also: Stop consuming non-iodised salt, NAFDAC advises Nigerians

    Others include, Local Government, Community and Chieftaincy Affairs; Women and Social Development; Works, Housing and Transport; Agriculture and Water Resources; Trade Industries and Investment; and information culture and tourism

    Governor Abdullahi Sule said the development is to ensure that ministries are reduced into a manageable size and avoid conflicting roles

    Governor Sule said government is working towards strengthening MDAs for effective service delivery and appealed for the support of stakeholders.

     

     

  • Woman killed by suspected ritualists in Delta

    A yet to be identified woman has been reportedly murdered by suspected ritualists in Sapele, Delta State.

    The woman said to be in her twenties was found on Monday morning, along Ogorode Road, with a white rope tied around one of her ankles.

    Sapele, it will be noted has been in the news for killings of two other young ladies, in unexplained circumstances.

    The Nation also reported the death of one Godwin Iwere, who was found dead in another part of the town barely three days ago.

    The Commissioner of Police, Delta Command, while confirming the incident, stated thus: “Yes. She was killed by suspected ritualists. We think so because of the white rope tied around her leg.”

    Read Also;  Several persons abducted on Delta expressway

    Witnesses, however, claim that the corpse of the lady was found with bloodstains and with severe cuts in a shallow swamp along the road.

    They alleged that some of her vital organs were missing at the point of discovery.

    A source said, “The lifeless body was found Monday morning with blood all over her body seemingly stabbed to death by unknown persons.”

    Council boss of Sapele, Hon Eugene Inoaghan, had recently issued new modalities to hotel operators in the council to address the increasing killings in the area.

  • BBNaija: ‘I felt so much peace around Gedoni’ – Khafi

    Evicted Housemate, Khafi Kareem says she loves her partner Gedoni Ekpata and felt so much peace around him whilst in the BBNaija Reality show.

    News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that actress and presenter said this in her first major interview with host, Ebuka Obi-Uchendu following her exit from the show.

    Khafi who spoke on the intensity of her relationship with Gedoni, reiterated that they never had sex in the house.

    “I felt such peace around him. I didn’t think I couldn’t be myself around him.

    “We did not have sex. You know sex is a natural thing. If I did, I would actually say that’s what happened.

    “I wouldn’t want to be given the penalisation or punishments for things I didn’t do,” she said.

    She said, “I just feel like in the house, everything is so intense so where you will get to in a relationship over three months seeing somebody and been on a date with them is like a week in the house.

    “The intensity seeing everybody when you wake up and when you go to sleep. I think it was after the eviction in the first week, after we were almost up that’s when our bond really grew.

    Read Also: #BBNaija: Khafi Kareem the ‘controversial’ constable and self-acclaimed ‘celibate’

    The bubbling personality also revealed plans to host a Nigerian tourism show as part of her post-BBNaija plans.

    When asked if she would fully concentrate on acting, Khafi said, “I love acting, I feel like it will be a given. I can do that with my eyes closed.

    “I definitely want to do presenting. I would like to have a travel show where I showcase different states in nigeria and just do some tourism stuff,” she said.

    Ebuka also asked Khafi how she maintained her bubbly demeanor when her eviction was announced. She noted that she felt grateful for the experience.

    She said, “I felt grateful. When my name was called, I would have been grateful to stay in the house.

    “When I was leaving, I was like it had been an amazing last week in the house and I felt grateful and now I can begin the rest of my life,” she said.

    On her relationship with fellow housemate Tacha, Khafi also described her relationship with Tacha as genuine, adding that they were naturally pulled towards each other.

    She said, “interestingly I want to be friends with the person I think has no friends or who felt alone.

    “I also felt alone in the house when I first came. We just gravitated to each other and we have been cool since the first week,” she said.

    The police officer also noted that Ike Oyeama, who nominated her for eviction, was playing the best game in the house.

    NAN reports that with Khafi’s eviction, there are ten housemates left to compete for the Grand prize worth 60 million Naira.

  • BREAKING: Many cows dead as lorry, passenger bus collide in Lagos

  • BREAKING: Many feared dead in Lagos-Ibadan crash

    Many passengers were dead on Tuesday as a bus crashed into a truck around the Foursquare camp axis inbound Lagos of Lagos/Ibadan Expressway before Fidiwo bridge.

    Details shortly…