The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Popular Nigeria Newspapers

  • Gunmen kill 1, injure 3 others in Plateau

    Gunmen on Wednesday killed a 42 year-old man, Mr Mahan Ishaya, and injured three others in Daffo town of Bokkos Local Government Area of Plateau.

    DSP Terna Tyopev, the Police Public Relations Officer of the state Police Command confirmed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Jos.

    “Yesterday at about 9:45 p.m, we received information that about 8:30 p.m, some unknown gunmen attacked Daffo town in Bokkos LGA.

    ” As a result, one Mr. Mahan Ishaku, a 42-year old man, lost his life, while Ahmadu Sale, Faiza Sale and Ishaya Maju, sustained various degrees of injuries,” he said.

    Read Also: Police: kidnappers on the prowl in Plateau

    The spokesperson said the injured persons were currently being treated at the Cottage Hospital in Bokkos.

    He said efforts had been intensified to track the perpetrators and penalise them in accordance with the law.

    He said the command had intensified patrol in the area to avert break down of law and order, and therefore called on residents of the area to be law-abiding.

  • Senate to SPDC: pay N6.9bn to Niger Delta oil host communities

    Oil producing communities in the Niger Delta region Thursday lamented the refusal of Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) to comply with the resolution of the Senate to pay them the sum of N6.9 billion.

    The Senate resolution was sequel to a petition on the non-payment of accumulated rentals and expired leases by the SPDC.

    A petition by “Bekele Jones and Associates” to the Senate, lamented the non-payment of outstanding rentals for the Port Harcourt Oloibiri pipeline, the Oloibiri field, and the entire Utapate/Akwa Ibom fields.

    A letter dated 4th March, 2019, the National Assembly in separate letters by the Clerk, Alhaji Mohammed Sani-Omolori, addressed separately to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mustapha Boss and Managing Director, Shell Petroleum Development Company, the Senate resolved that, SPDC pay a uniform rate of N600, 000 per hectre of land as rent per annum for all loss of use of surface rights from 2014.

    Read Also: Senate backs SON on local goods campaign

    The upper chamber also directed the multinational oil company to “cancel all long term leases of 99 years already imposed on landowners and comply with the provisions of the Oil Pipeline Act which stipulate a term of 20 years only.”

    It also resolved that SPDC should respect powers of attorney donated by landowners to their agents/consultants to negotiate for them and receive their rentals from the multinational company.

    The Senate in its resolution mandated SPDC to pay N6, 936,899,900, which is the total outstanding amount for all unpaid rentals, expires leases and re-acquisition fees stated.

    The host communities are insisting on full compliance by SPDC which they said has not be done by SPDC.

  • Celebrities react to ‘Do Good’ actor, LinChung’s death

    Nigerian celebrities have expressed their condolences on the death of actor LinChung Duke Oliver, an actor in the hilarious sitcom comedy, ‘Do Good’ .

    The celebrities including Kate Henshaw, Uzor Osimkpa, Junior Pope, Kemi Lala Akindoju, Chioma Akpotha, Iretiola Doyle, Vivian Ada Ameh Ejike, also paid tributes to their departed colleague.

    The two leading movie stars and co-stars of hilarious sitcom, ‘Do Good’, Henshaw and Osimkpa wrote on their instagram pages some heartbroken tribute.

    “Goodbye “Sylvanus” May the Lord receive your soul…Your role in “DOGOOD” brought smiles to many.

    “You were a lively person, full of humour despite the obstacles life threw your way.

    “RIP bro… Please help me say a prayer for his soul. God bless you all my dears.”she wrote.

    Read Also: Celebrities sets to fund girl sent home for non-payment of school fees

    Similarly, Osimkpka wrote: “This one enter me o! My Oga Sylva!!! Not sure of what else to say… What a painful loss. REST!”

    Junior Pope simply stated, “Sad,” while Ejike said, “May his soul find rest with the Lord”.

    `The Johnson’ actress, Ada Ameh who was left out also stated, “Oh my God!! May his soul rest in peace.”

    “Wow! May his soul Rest In Peace. Death where is your sting?” were the words of Nkem Ike,”she said.

    Late Duke Oliver, was known as LinChung in the comedy world and Sylvanus for his role in Basorge Tariah Jnr produced series, ‘Do Good’.

    Tariah announced LinChung’s death on Tuesday, April 2.

    He was involved in a car crash on his way back to Lagos after the burial of his aged mum.

    Oliver died on the spot.

  • Rivers APC primaries: Supreme court fixes April 8, 11 to hear 4 appeals

    The Supreme Court on Thursday adjourned hearing in the four appeals on Rivers State All Progressive Congress(APC) primary election, for nomination of candidates for 2019 general election, until April 8 and 11.

    The apex court adjourned hearing in the matter for various reasons, but mainly for the absence of the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) counsel.

    The appeals are; those of Sen. Magnus Abe against INEC and others, Mr Tonye Cole against Sen. Abe.

    Others are the APC against the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) and the APC seeking for consolidation on all the pending appeals.

    Abe in his appeal, is praying the apex court to make a pronouncement on the authenticity of the direct and indirect primary elections by the APC, on Rivers nomination of candidates.

    The appellant specifically wants the court to determine which of the two appeals is known to law and to be recognised by the INEC.

    However, when the matter came up, Abe’s counsel, Mr Henry Bello, informed the court of his motion seeking to amend his appeal.

    Read Also; Supreme Court dismisses NSCDC’s appeal against judgment voiding sack of staff

    But the matter was stalled, due to the absence of the INEC’s counsel who was the first respondent.

    Bello sought for order to stand down the matter to enable the arrival of the INEC’s counsel but the acting Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Mohammed Bello declined.

    The acting CJN who presided over the matter ruled that the apex court does not stand down matters for anybody or group.

    This therefore, prompted the CJN to adjourn hearing until April 8, for the parties to present their cases.

    In the two other appeals by Mr Tonye Cole, a factional governorship candidate and APC, Mohammed adjourned hearing until April 11 to enable parties to file and exchange their processes.

    The acting CJN who led a seven-man panel of the apex court also abridged time for the parties to file and exchange papers since pre-election matters are time bound.

    In the fourth appeal by the APC seeking a consolidation of all existing appeals, relating to the primary election, the court adjourned hearing indefinitely for the party to regularise their processes.

  • Sokoto police arrest Nigerien gun fabricator, Alhassan

    The Sokoto state police command on Thursday confirmed the arrest of a gun fabricator, Ibrahim Alhassan.

    Alhassan who was arrested in Runbukawa village in neighbouring Niger republic was found in possession of two locally made Revolver Pistol with 18 rounds of live ammunition.

    In a release issued to press, the command’sr PPRO, DSP Muhammad Sadiq said a team of police patrol attached to Sabon Birni division in Sabon Birni local government on Tuesday arrested Alhassan in possession of two locally made Revolver Pistol with 18 improvised live ammunition.

    According to the police image in the release” Alhassan confessed to have sold two of the revolver pistol at Mailalle village of Sabon Birni LGA, Sokoto state at the rate of N10,000 each and confessed that he is the manufacturer of the said Revolver Pistols.”

    In a related development, the police on Wednesday recovered one Toyota Hilux of Mr. Tabia Muller, Head of Technical section Glo office, Sokoto, who was robbed at gunpoint.

    ” Muller was trapped by three armed men at his residence located at Bafarawa estate in the state metropolitan, which as a result was robbed of his official vehicle.

    ” Upon receive of the information a team of policemen went on a hill of the hoodlums and as a result of hot chase they had no option than to abandon the vehicle and run”, explained the police.

    Read Also: NAF, Police, DSS plan joint action against bandits, kidnappers in Northwest

    Meanwhile, efforts were being intensified to apprehend the hoodlums for possible arrest and subsequent prosecution.

    In the same vein, the police enjoined members of the public to always volunteer useful information that could assist to apprehend suspected criminals in the state.

    The police further assured that the command under the leadership of CP Ibrahim Kaoje will continue to ensure coordinated search and surveillance aimed at protecting lives and properties as well as rid Sokoto state of criminals and reduce crime.

     

     

  • Court orders Saraki, Melaye, Murray-Bruce to honour Police invitation

    The Federal High Court, Abuja has ordered Senate President, Bukola Saraki, Sen. Dino Melaye and Sen. Ben Murray-Bruce to honour the Police invitation of Oct. 5, 2018 in connection with the protest staged by members of the People’s Democratic Party, (PDP).

    Justice Okon Abang gave the order on Thursday while delivering judgment in a fundamental human rights suit filed by the trio alleging intimidation, harassment and threat by the police.

    “It is my view that the police invitation to the applicants is still valid and subsisting; the applicants shall respond or report to the police invitation without fail.

    “It is how the police treat them upon their having honoured the application that would determine whether their fundamental rights was violated not before they honour the invitation,” the judge said.

    The judge held that even though the applicants were not on trial, where there were allegations against them, they had an obligation to report to the police upon been invited.

    He insisted that the court could not restrain the police from discharging its duties as long as it was done within the confines of the law.

    According to the judge, the suit of the applicants lacks merit and is accordingly dismissed with a cost of N50,000 awarded in favour of the police.

    The trio had filed an application asking the court to nullify the Oct. 6 and 8, 2018 letters of invitation to them by the Police.

    They claimed that the Police invitation was an attempt to harass, intimidate and unlawfully detain them.

    The senators also asked the court to declare that the act of dispersing their procession with tear gas was a violation of their fundamental rights, and asked the court to award N500 million to them as damages.

    The three senators were part of the PDP leaders who led a protest on Oct. 5, 2018 asking the Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC) to conduct free and fair elections.

    Read Also: Promissory Notes: NASS approved figures sent by Executive for Delta, Taraba States, says Saraki

    The protest was sequel to the Osun governorship election which was declared to have been won by the All Progressives Congress.

    They carried placards which read; “Police is an arm of APC, we demand free and fair elections amongst other inscriptions.

    They were on their way to the Force Headquarters when policemen dispersed them with teargas.

    The police stated that the applicants and about 100 hoodlums riotously blocked Shehu Shagari way preventing motorist and other road users going about their lawful duties for several hours.

    They further claimed that they forcefully attempted to enter into the Police Headquarters and became totally hostile.

    They also said that they rushed violently in an attempt to force their way into the force headquarters to cause damage to police equipment and government property.

    The police said they were warned to disperse but they refused and the police had to use the minimal force allowed by law to disperse them.

  • Nigeria moves up to 42 in latest FIFA ranking

    Nigeria has just moved 7 places up in the latest FIFA ranking for senior men football teams of registered members.

    The ranking was released on FIFA.com on Thursday where Nigeria bagged 42nd position in the ranking as against its 49th position in December 2018.

    It should be noted that teams inactive for more than four years do not appear on the table. Below are the top 100 best teams in the world as at April 4th 2019:

    1 Belgium
    2 France
    3 Brazil
    4 England
    5 Croatia
    6 Uruguay
    7 Portugal
    8 Switzerland
    9 Spain
    10 Denmark
    11 Argentina
    12 Colombia
    13 Germany
    14 Sweden
    15 Chile
    16 Netherlands
    17 Italy
    18 Mexico
    19 Wales
    20 Poland
    21 Peru
    21 IR Iran
    23 Senegal
    24 USA
    25 Romania
    26 Japan
    27 Ukraine
    28 Tunisia
    29 Serbia
    29 Venezuela
    29 Republic of Ireland
    32 Slovakia
    33 Northern Ireland
    34 Austria
    35 Bosnia and Herzegovina
    36 Paraguay
    37 Korea Republic
    38 Costa Rica
    39 Turkey
    40 Iceland
    41 Australia
    42 Nigeria
    43 Greece
    44 Scotland
    45 Morocco
    46 Congo DR
    46 Russia
    48 Czech Republic
    49 Ghana
    50 Norway
    51 Bulgaria
    51 Hungary
    51 Montenegro
    54 Cameroon
    55 Qatar
    56 Jamaica
    57 Egypt
    58 Burkina Faso
    59 Ecuador
    60 Finland
    61 Honduras
    62 Albania
    63 Slovenia
    63 Bolivia
    65 Mali
    65 Côte d’Ivoire
    67 United Arab Emirates
    68 FYR Macedonia
    68 Guinea
    70 Algeria
    71 El Salvador
    72 Saudi Arabia
    73 South Africa
    74 Panama
    74 China PR
    76 Cape Verde Islands
    76 Iraq
    78 Canada
    79 Uganda
    79 Zambia
    81 Belarus
    82 Curacao
    83 Syria
    84 Israel
    85 Uzbekistan
    86 Luxembourg
    86 Lebanon
    86 Oman
    89 Cyprus
    90 Gabon
    91 Benin
    92 Congo
    93 Trinidad and Tobago
    94 Georgia
    95 Kyrgyz Republic
    96 Estonia
    97 Jordan
    98 Vietnam
    99 Palestine
    100 Haiti

  • Court didn’t decide in favour of Omo-Agege – SAN

    To rest the controversies being generated by contradicting interpretations being peddled on ruling given on Tuesday by the Federal High Court in Warri in a suit filed by Olorogun O’tega Emerhor.

    The court, presided over by Justice Emeka Nwite, had struck out the suit, which sought to disqualify Senator Ovie Omo-Agege as the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the Delta Central Senatorial election, on grounds of fair hearing.

    Justice Nwite had held that that the persons whom his decision would directly impact, being Senator Omo-Agege and Rev. Francis Waive, were not joined in the action.

    By his decision, the Judge upheld the position of the plaintiffs, who had earlier sought to withdraw the case, based on the Federal High Court, Asaba’s earlier judgment, which had granted all reliefs that were being sought in the Warri case.

    However, various interests had read different meaning suiting their purposes to the ruling on Tuesday evening, with some claiming that the ruling had affirmed the candidacy of Senator Omo-Agege and therefore he was the winner in the matter.

    Interpreting the ruling as offered by the judge, counsel to Olorogun, George Igbokwe (SAN), who spoke during a telephone chat in Warri, said the judge’s decision simply meant that the earlier judgment by the Federal High Court in Asaba, which decided the matter of the authenticity of the executive councils of the party in the state, had overtaken the need for the reliefs being sought in Warri.

    Read Also: Buhari not against card reader – Omo Agege

    “The Federal High Court Warri stated clearly that the issue of nomination of who is APC’s candidate for Delta Central Senatorial District has been decided by his learned brother in Asaba. He said in as much as we are claiming the same thing here and did not join Ovie Omo-Agege, the suit here was struck out. That just all he said.

    “The implication is that the judgment of Federal High Court Asaba, stands, which says that Omo-Agege and his people from their own faction, are no longer the candidates of the APC. That’s the simple interpretation, any other persons giving you any other interpretation is trying to suit his purpose. I was in court, I heard the whole rulings, all the rulings went against them”, he said.

  • Updated: 9mobile:Court nullifies sale of Etisalat

    A Federal High Court in Abuja has set aside the sale of telecommunication firm, Etisalat International Nigeria Limited (9mobile) to Teleology Nigeria Limited.

    Justice Binta Nyako, in a ruling, voided all steps taken in relation to the exchange of ownership of Etisalat despite pending orders for maintenance of status quo, restraining parties to a suit, involving investors and other stakeholders in the company, from destroying the res (subject matter).

    Justice Nyako, who noted that parties were all aware of the existence of the suit, the defendants having been served between April 24 and 27, 2018 with the originating process, faulted the sale, as claimed by the plaintiffs in a motion filed on November 16, 2018

    The judge held: “Any action that has been taken concerning the rest of this litigation from the 25th day of April, which is earlier in time, should revert to the position, as of the res, to its 25th day of April 2018.”

    The ruling, given on April 1, 2019 (a copy of which was sighted on Thursday) was in a suit, marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/288/2018 filed on April 6, 2018 by two major investors in Etisalat, Afdin Ventures Limited and Dirbia Nigeria Limited.

    Afdin and Dirbia, whose investments in Etisalat is estimated at $43,033,950, had sued to retrieve their investments on the grounds that they were aggrieved, having been excluded from the decision making process of the company.

    Defendants in the suit are: Karington Telecommunication Ltd, Premium Telecommunications Holdings NV, First Bank of Nigeria Plc, Central Bank of Nigeria, Etisalat International Nigeria Ltd and Nigeria Communication Commission (NCC).

    The plaintiffs stated, in a supporting affidavit to the motion dated November 16, 2018, that they resorted to praying the court to void the sale of Etisalat, upon learning that the defendants have proceeded to conclude the transfer the company’s ownership despite the restraining orders made earlier by the court.

    Read Also: Court warns CBN, NCC on Etisalat

    They said: “In 2009, the plaintiffs/applicants purchased a total of 4,303,391 class “A” shares from the 1st, 2nd and 5th defendants (Karlingtton, Premium Telecommunication and Etisalat International) at the rate of $43,033,950 only, and were issued with share certificates.

    “In 2010, the defendants rebranded Etisalat Nigeria Limited to 9mobile and entered into negotiations with Smile.com and Glo Network to transfer its licence without recourse to the plaintiffs.

    “When the plaintiffs became aware of the purported transaction, they filed this suit along with two applications namely: motion ex-parte and motion on notice, seeking for an order of injunction to restrain the defendants from going ahead with the transaction.

    “When this suit came up for hearing on the 17th of April, 2018, this honourable court ordered parties to maintain status quo-pending the determination of the motion on notice.

    “Notwithstanding the aforementioned order, the defendants continued negotiations with

  • ‘Exceptional’ Foden, key to Man City future – Guardiola

    Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola says he expects 18-year-old Phil Foden to play key role in the side over the next decade, and will be more involved in the first team next season.

    The Stockport-born teenager, who has been with the club since eight years made his first Premier League start in City’s 2-0 win over Cardiff City on Wednesday.

    “I’m happy with the way he plays. He could have scored two goals, he’s exceptional,” Guardiola told reporters.

    Several highly-rated teenagers, frustrated at limited involvement, have moved on in search of regular first-team football.

    However, Foden signed a new City contract until 2024 in December and Guardiola said the midfielder would get his chance.

    “It’s not easy for him with (David) Silva, Bernardo (Silva), (Ilkay) Gundogan, (Kevin) De Bruyne, but he wants to be here, he’s delighted to be here,” he said.

    “I assure you, next year, he will play more minutes. That’s the process. For the next decade, he will be important.”