The Nigeria Railway Corporation has suspended indefinitely train services along the Abuja –Kaduna route.
The NRC in a statement on its website on Thursday said the services were suspended for the safety of passengers and crew members.
According to the corporation efforts were being put in place to ensure absolute safety along the route.
It added that further information concerning the suspension will be conveyed to the public shortly.
The Federal Government has declared Tuesday, October 19, as Public Holiday to mark this year’s Eid-ul-Maulud Celebration in commemoration of the birth of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him).
Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, who made this declaration on behalf of the Federal Government, congratulated all Muslim faithful both at home and in the Diaspora for witnessing this year’s occasion.
He admonished all Nigerians to imbibe the spirit of love, patience and perseverance which are the virtues of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), adding that doing so would guarantee peace and security in the country.
Mr Aregbesola enjoined Nigerians, particularly Muslims, to refrain from violence, lawlessness and other acts of criminality. As the indisputable leader of our race, we must show responsible leadership in Africa.
“While calling for a stop to all divisive tendencies across the country, the Minister urges all Nigerians and the youth in particular, to embrace the virtues of hard work and peaceful disposition to fellow humans, irrespective of faith, ideology, social class and ethnicity and cooperate with President Muhammadu Buhari’s led-Administration in its effort to build a progressive and enviable nation that all citizens would be proud of,” Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Dr. Shuaib Belgore, disclosed in a statement on Friday.
THE Nigerian Police Force said it would deploy more than 34,000 of its officers to provide security during the November 6 Anambra governorship election.
This was stated by the Inspector-General of Police Usman Baba during a meeting with officers on Thursday.
The IGP said the deployment would consist of conventional Police officers, Police Mobile Force, the Counter-Terrorism Unit, Special Forces, Explosive Ordnance Unit, Force Intelligence Bureau, Interpol, Special Protection Unit, and a medical team.
He said three helicopters would be deployed for aerial surveillance while detachments of marine Police operatives would also be handy to ensure a safe, secure, and credible electoral process.
“Based on the outcome of the analysis, we have developed a strategic election security operation plan which will involve the mobilisation of 34,587 police personnel,” he said.
He assured all citizens and stakeholders, including the international community, of the Police’s determination to work with other security agencies to stabilise the prevailing situation in Anambra.
He said the idea was to create a conducive and enabling environment that would guarantee the peaceful conduct of the election.
Baba said the Police were committed to partnering with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) within the dictates of the Electoral Act to deliver a credible election in Anambra.
He warned disruptors and political actors who would want to adopt undemocratic and illegal means to achieve their aspirations to do away with such plans.
Baba also called on the commissioners of Police to strengthen security architecture in their commands.
INEC had expressed concern over what it described as escalating security threats in Anambra ahead of the election.
INEC Chairman Mahmood Yakubu, who expressed the concern at an emergency meeting of the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) last week Tuesday in Abuja, had said that during the last ICCES quarterly meeting on September 9, a major concern was raised by the committee on the security situation in the state and the adjoining states.
He said the concern was raised on how the situation might affect preparations and possibly the conduct of the election.
He said that the situation had deteriorated since the last meeting, as many innocent lives had been lost and properties destroyed in the state.
Yakubu said that INEC was particularly concerned about the safety of voters and election duty staff, including security officials who had also become targets of the attacks.
He said that INEC was also concerned about the safety of thousands of young Nigerians from the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) and university students who were to be engaged in the conduct of the election.
Yakubu, while assuring that the process of the election would proceed as scheduled, said that INEC would continue to work with security agencies and respected opinion leaders in the state to ensure the success of the election.
The assailant, Luchiano Lewis, alongside two other teenagers of 16 and 13 murdered the victim Tessa Majors in 2019.
As at the time of the murder, Lewis was 14 years old and the Manhattan District Attorney’s office decided to charge him as an adult
Earlier last month, Lewis pleaded guilty to murder and robbery and was consequently sentenced on Thursday, Oct 14.
The family of the deceased described the immeasurable pain they were going through.
The statement was read by Assistant District Attorney on behalf of Inman Majors, Tessa’s father.
The statement read: ‘Nearly two years later, we still find words inadequate to describe the immeasurable pain, trauma, and suffering that our family has endured since her senseless murder.
‘Tess was a brilliant student, a voracious reader, a poet and a fledgling journalist. She had big dreams.’
Tessa Majors who was 18 when she was murdered was from Charlottesville, Virginia and was finishing her first semester at Barnard College, Manhattan.
At about 8 pm in the evening of her murder, Lewis and 16-year-old Rashan Weaver and an unnamed 13-year-old attacked Tessa and tried to take her phone ABC 7 reported.
The Teenagers stabbed her multiple times. A video was played in court showing her in her final moments before her death. A security camera caught her struggling up a flight of stairs dripping blood. When she got to the street she collapsed and died.
Spiritual Director of Adoration Ministry, Enugu, Nigeria, Rev. Fr. Ejike Mbaka, has warned President Muhammadu Buhari to stop buying jets.
He gave the warning in fresh prophecies released while delivering a sermon at Adoration Ministries on Sunday.
In a video post on the ministries social media pages, Father Mbaka stated that such jets would be used to collapse the country.
According to the controversial cleric, President Buhari should instead build industries that will offer jobs to young people.
Father Mbaka urged Buhari to listen to the agitations of individual to bring lasting peace to the country.
Mbaka said: “The president should take this message, the jets you are buying are going to be used to be used to collapse Nigeria. Please the first person to meet President Buhari after this message should tell him that all these jets they are buying are going to be used, God told me to tell him that all these jets are going to be used to destroy Nigeria, let him stop buying more jets and begin to build more industries.
“We don’t want to hear that our children are being killed, those that are being bombed are Nigerians. Nobody is going to give an award to a father or a mother for killing his or her children,
“The solution is simple, put the round peg in a round hole and banditry will die – people are not agitating for nothing, listen to the reason for the agitation because even in the military there is agitation, in the police there is agitation, in the church there is agitation, in the families people are agitating, drivers are agitating, businessmen are agitating, use the money to solve the problem, otherwise you are buying jets that aggrieved people take up and scatter you people, if it doesn’t happen soon it will happen later.
“Do you know how many billions that are used to buy these jets? If they put some of these billions in job creations the youths will be busy, parents will be happy that their children are going to work and coming back, stop dashing money, we don’t need the money dashing syndrome.
“We have young men who can do any type of work in abroad. It’s (buying of jets) an avenue to create opportunity to swindle money without explanation. Who is fooling who actually? The spirit of God is not happy with our leaders no matter how they want to paint it, if the whole men of God will be silent the spirit of God cannot be silent.
“When the poor masses are crying we men of God should be crying with them because they are our children, they call me father and if I am a father I cannot be calm and my children are being killed.”
A boerboel dog by the name of charlie has been arrested for biting the penis of an Adekunle Ajasin University Akungba, Akoko(AAUA) student.
The unfortunate incident occurred in the student’s hostel, the dog bit the student’s penis who was subsequently rushed to the hospital for treatment.
The Ondo State Police were later called in to apprehend the dog.
Some Nigerians found the news funny while others expressed their condolences. Read the reactions below:
This is disheartening
Bad boy Charlie
This is really sad. Get well soon
Justice for Cha cha
Security arrest security na still family issues
As in, Police had to arrest Charlie the dog?
WtF! What an unholy place to attack. I can’t imagine the pains the young man would feel.. doctors in the house, will his gun still be able to shoot??
What are you guys laughing at ? Somebody’s generation has just been cut off and you dey laugh?
Painful situation, we play too much in this country
Wetin the dog fine go there na na ashewo dog be that
Which prison d dog go de?
The Jonathan camp made the fresh denial on Wednesday after rumours emerged again that the Bayelsa born politician has dumped the PDP for APC.
Severally, there have been rumours that Jonathan will dump the PDP for APC and contest the 2023 presidential election on the platform of the ruling party.
On Wednesday, the rumour mill went into overdrive that he has finally joined the APC, sparking anxiety from various quarters.
But when contacted for a reaction, the former president’s spokesperson, Ikechukwu Eze said there is no truth in the defection rumours.
He added that his principal is very busy with other activities and should he decide to defect, it will be communicated through appropriate channels, and not the rumour mill.
“The report is Fake News, if he defects it would be announced through the proper channels.
“This is a man that’s very busy with other things,” he said.
In a statement on Tuesday, Powerful Emma, the publicity secretary of the group, revealed that apart from the one enforced today, September 14 to commemorate the people murdered during the invasion of Nnamdi Kanu’s home in 2017, no other sit-at-home was enforced.
The statement reads: ”We the global family of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) ably led by our great leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, wish to reiterate once again, that we have no other sit-at-home order atfer 14th September. Any other purported sit-at-home including the suspended weekly sit-at-home on Mondays does not exist in the dairy of IPOB. In fact, after September 14, there is no other sit-at-home this week. Any contrary news or speculations to this effect should be ignored.
“Anybody trying to enforce any sit-at-home order using the name of IPOB is a saboturer, and does so at his peril. If we catch anybody disturbing the peace of Biafrans or residents in Biafra land under the guise of enforcing non-existent sit-at-home order, such a person regret his actions because he will receive the reward of traitors.
“IPOB is a responsible organization with reasoning and empathy. We cannot be part of the problem we are trying to solve. We cannot join the enemies to compound the woes of our people we are fighting to liberate. That was why we suspended the ghost Mondays that we earlier declared because of the economic implications to our people. We listened to appeals by the people and reviewed our stance on the matter then. That was why we reduced the sit-at-home protests to the days our leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu will be making appearances in court. That is enough for now and we stand by it. Anybody trying to impose another sit-at-home order on our people or enforce illegal or imaginary sit-at-home is not IPOB, and must be dealt with. Such a person(s) are working with the enemies to disrepute IPOB, and we won’t tolerate such stupidity.
“On this note, IPOB strongly condemn the barbaric act by hoodlums and mentally deranged fellows who disrupted a WAEC exam in a school in Imo State on Monday. What a stupid madness! Whoever was behind such barbarity must be made to pay for their actions.
''IPOB leadership is hereby promising to replace those motorbikes burnt in the school to their owners and rebuild school blocks burnt by hoodlums in the name of ESN and IPOB volunteers, this is not to portray or indicate that IPOB committed the heinous crimes against our people and promise to set up taxforce to chechmate those parading themselves as IPOB volunteers and those committing this crime against humanity and our people, we plead to Biafrans to bear with us for this dastardly act against humanity they are using to disrepute and demormize IPOB in the world. We are calling on the school management and those their properties were destroyed to contact any IPOB office near to them for possible payments of their properties.”
The President and founder of Living Faith Church Worldwide, Bishop David Oyedepo, has described the church as a 'dreadful place' warning worshippers to desist from committing atrocities in the church.
He stated this while narrating how a worshipper who participated in one of the church’s programmes, Shiloh ran mad while trying to steal from the church.
Speaking at the ongoing International Youth Alive Convention 2021 in Canaanland Ota in Ogun State, the clergyman said the incident was sequel to his warning against such attitudes.
“In one of the Shilohs, I warned people and somebody was found trying to pick something that was not his and he ran mad immediately,” he said.
Oyedepo, who stated that it is a risk to steal in the “house of God”, warned youths participating in the programme to deviate from such character.
He said, “I waited so as to sound this note of warning. ‘How dreadful is this place. This is none other but the house of God and this is the gate of heaven.
“Be warned against picking anything that is not yours. Be warned, be warned. It’s a risk. Should anyone have an ulterior mission for being in camp? Be warned, it’s a dreadful place.
“How dreadful is this place. This is none other but the house of God and the gate of heaven.
“I waited to give you this message before blessing you to go for the night. See it and look away. And don’t try it yourself.”
He made the revelation after he was arrested by operatives of the Nigeria Police Force.
Identified as Sadiq Abubakar, an indigene of Kogi state, he revealed that he uses a fake name on Facebook known as Samuel Johnson.
In a video posted on Instagram via Linda Ikeji Blog the online kidnapper said that sometimes he would send the ladies friend request and at other times, they would be the ones to send him a request.
He would then chat them up and they would become friends, after a while he invites them over, capture them and ask for a ransom.
He said: ”Sometimes they (the women) do send online request and sometimes I do send them friend request, We become friends. I invite them and from there I capture them and ask for a ransom. So that is what I do.”
He also said that it is quite easy to deceive these women. He advised women to be careful.
My advice to young women out there is that they should be careful., trust nobody. Women are very easy to deceive. They should be careful and very sensitive.”
Simon Ekpa, a Finnish-Nigerian has been arrested in Finland alongside four other individuals for alleged terror-related offenses. Ekpa is a...
