Author: Safiu Kehinde

Agency Report Online taxi firm Bolt has restricted “inter-country” requests between Nigeria and South Africa after the two countries’ social media rivalry reached an all-time high – or low – with people booking and then cancelling rides in the other nation as a prank. The drivers were pawns in this malicious game as they were sent on a wild goose chase to find passengers who weren’t even in the same country. Munyaradzi Chinyama, a Zimbabwean Bolt driver based in Cape Town, told the BBC he received three ride requests before he realised they were not genuine. He said he wasted…

Agency Report  Manchester City have completed a deal to re-sign Ilkay Gündogan from Barcelona. The German midfielder has signed a one-year contract to return to the club he left for the Catalan giants in 2023. The 33-year-old won 12 major trophies, including five Premier Leagues and the Champions League, in seven years during a hugely successful first spell at the Etihad Stadium. “My seven years at Manchester City were a time of pure contentment for me, both on and off the pitch,” Gündogan said upon his return. “I grew as a person and a player, developed a special relationship with…

Safiu Kehinde  Nigerian President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has sworn-in Kudirat Kekere-Ekun as the acting Chief Justice of Nigeria, pending the approval of the Senate. Kekere-Ekun was sworn in at the Council Chamber of the State House, Abuja, yesterday, following the retirement of her predecessor, Olukayode Ariwoola. Having been nominated for the apex judicial position last week, Kekere-Ekun is set to become the second ever female Chief Justice of Nigeria, providing the Senate grants formal approval of her appointment. She will also be the 23rd CJN in Nigeria’s history once officially approved by the Green Chamber.

Safiu Kehinde  The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), has reaffirmed its commitment towards oil exploration in Northern Nigeria. Olufemi Soneye, NNPCL’s spokesperson, made this reaffirmation in a recent publication authored by him. He said the project is a strategic engagement which will not be compromised. As against claims of a halt in the search for oil in the North, Soneye disclosed that the company is making relentless effort and progress in Northern oil exploration project. He said the discovery of hydrocarbon deposits at the Kolmani River Well II,  Gongola Basin in the North East alongside other crude oil reserves…

Agency Report The Nigerian Copyright Commission(NCC has confiscated suspected pirated books worth N50million in Yaba area of Lagos state. Mr Charles Amudipe, the Deputy Director of Operations/Head of Operations of the commission in Lagos office, who led the team, said that the NCC carried out an anti-piracy action in Yaba Book Market, Lagos. “During the said anti-piracy operation, five bookshops and three warehouses(parking stores, where suspected pirated books were stored around Yaba market were visited. “Materials suspected to be pirated were seized and owners of those bookshops were arrested, ” he said. Amudipe also said that the team visited warehouse(parking…

Agency Report  The Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA) on Friday issued an urgent warning to the public regarding the rising water levels of the River Niger system. Mr Umar Mohammed, the Director-General of NIHSA, in a statement, noted that floodwaters from these countries are gradually moving towards Nigeria, starting with Kebbi. According to agency, the development is attributed to upstream activities in Niger and Mali, with reports from the Niger Basin Authority (NBA) in Niamey, Niger Republic. “NIHSA has assured that dam operators at Kainji and Jebba, situated on the River Niger, have been informed and are on standby. “As…

Safiu Kehinde A 40-year-old woman,(name withheld) has, yesterday, set herself on fire after her husband divorced her in Jigawa. The incident, as confirmed in a statement issued by Jigawa Police Spokesperson, Lawan Shiisu, earlier today, occured at Guri Local Government Area of the state. According to the statement, the woman, who resides in Garin Mallam village, poured petrol to her body and set it on fire. “On Thursday at about 0740hrs, the command, received a heartbreaking and pitiful news of an incident from Guri which indicated that a 40-year-old woman at Garin Mallam village poured petrol on her body, set…

Agency Report A reckless driver on Thursday killed a final year student of the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, throwing the institution into a gloomy state. The victim, a student of the Department of Foreign Languages, was at the school to submit her project when she was knocked down while crossing the road to enter the school, according to a statement by the institution’s spokesman, Mr Abiodun Olarewaju. The student, identified as Esu Rita Ema, was crossing the Ife-Ibadan axis of the road at the campus gate when the accident happened. “Members of the Federal Road Safety Corps came to…

Agency Report  Vice-President Kamala Harris pledged a “new way forward” for all Americans as she formally accepted the Democratic nomination for president on Thursday night, delivering a message of unity and urging voters to reject Donald Trump. November’s election is a chance to “move past the bitterness, cynicism and divisive battles of the past”, she said, bringing her party’s convention in Chicago to a close as balloons rained down and supporters cheered. Ms Harris’s speech capped off a four-day spectacle designed to highlight her backstory and shape the contours of what remains a vague policy agenda. She made history as…

Safiu Kehinde  The National Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) has confirmed the collection of N50 billion recovered funds from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to the students’ loan scheme. This was disclosed in a statement signed in NELFUND’s spokesperson, Oseyemi Oluwatuyi, and post on its official X handle on Thursday. As contained in the statement, the release follows the directive of President Bola Tinubu in his speech on 4th August, 2024, directing the EFCC to transfer the funds to NELFUND to further boost the student loan program. NELFUND stressed that the released fun will boost the body’s ability to…