Author: Safiu Kehinde

Safiu Kehinde The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, has revealed plan to embark on forensic auditing of the mining sector. He made this known during a meeting with Plateau State governor, Caleb Mutfwang, yesterday. As contained in a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media, Segun Tomori, the Minister disclosed partnership with the Ministry of Science and Technology to aid satellite imaging necessary to monitor activities at mining sites. “I can reveal that we are going to embark on a forensic audit of the entire sector. “We are collaborating with the Ministry of Science and Technology on…

Agency Report The Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) has made a case for a specialized court to try culprits of oil theft in the country. Mr Michael Uzokwe, the Chief of Staff to the Chairman of the commission, Mr Ola Olukoyede said this during the investigative hearing of crude oil theft in Abuja. Uzokwe said that the delay in prosecution through regular courts was hampering prosecution and militating against elimination of crude oil theft and other financial crimes. He therefore made a strong case for the establishment of Specialized Courts to try cases of those apprehended for oil theft…

Agency Report The Jigawa State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), has confirmed 16 persons killed and 3,936 houses destroyed to flood disaster. It said the flood also submerged 2,744 hectres of farmlands following torrential rainfalls since the commencement of the 2024 rainy season. The Executive Secretary of the agency, Dr Haruna Mariga, who stated this in Dutse on Wednesday, said the disaster affected 10 local government areas of the state. Mairiga said the deaths were as result of building collapse, drowning and canoe mishaps. “The disaster resulted in 16 deaths with 3,936 persons displaced while 2,744 hectares of farmlands submerged,” he…

Safiu Kehinde Lagos Bus Services Limited has condemned recent attack on Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) passengers by hoodlums along Orile axis. As contained in a statement signed by LBSL Public Affairs Officer, Afolabi Olawale, the attack on BRT buses is has become alarming and unacceptable with the state keen on bringing perpetrators to book. LBSL’s Managing Director, Idowu Oguntona, according to the statement, recounted how the Mile 2-Leventis bound bus was halted by mobs as it approached Ore-Ofe bus stop. He described how the hoodlums attacked the bus passengers, inflicting various degrees of injuries on the victims while robbing them…

Agency Report North Korea will reopen one city to foreign tourists in December after nearly five years of border closures due to the Covid pandemic. At least two China-based tour operators have announced that tourists will soon be allowed to visit the mountainous northern city of Samjiyon. Reclusive North Korea sealed itself off at the start of the pandemic in early 2020. It started to scale back restrictions only in the middle of last year. The border closures also cut off imports of essential goods, leading to food shortages that were made worse by international sanctions because of the country’s…

Agency Report The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the mpox outbreak in parts of Africa a public health emergency of international concern. The highly contagious disease – formerly known as monkeypox – has killed at least 450 people during an initial outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo. It has now spread across parts of central and east Africa, and scientists are concerned about how fast a new variant of the disease is spreading and its high fatality rate. WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the potential for further spread within Africa and beyond “is very worrying”. “A co-ordinated…

Safiu Kehinde Labour Party’s 2023 Presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has again made move to settle the rift between P Square brothers as he visits Peter Okoye popularly known as Mr. P . As seen in a post on X, Obi visited the embattled Peter Okoye at his house yesterday having made similar visit to Paul Okoye (RudeBoy) earlier this week. The P Square brothers are renown for their seasonal breakup and reconciliation. Their recent break-up, however, attracted the attention of Peter Obi who had ever since stepped in to once again bring the popular Nigerian sensational music duo together. NPO…

Safiu Kehinde Former Kano State governor, Ibrahim Shekarau, has, yesterday, claimed he never engaged in bribery during his tenure. Shekarau made this bold claim during a news briefing in Abuja at the 70th anniversary of the Muslim Students’ Society of Nigeria (MSSN). In his effort to inspire the MSSN members, the former governor disclosed he indulged in bribery during his eight years tenure and 44 years of public service- a virtue he said to have emulated from the students community. “I may not be the only one but you may be very sure I’m one of very few governors that,…

Agency Report The Joint Committee of the ECOWAS Parliament has proposed new budget reforms for consideration by leaders of the subregional bloc. The committees are those of Administration, Finance, Budget, Public Accounts, Macroeconomic Policy and Economic Research. The lawmakers also recommended the amendment of the 2016 Supplementary Act, which bothers on parliamentary autonomy and powers to the bloc’s leadership. This follows the adoption of the Community’s budget report by members of the Joint Committee at the end of a 3-day technical session of its delocalised meeting in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, on Wednesday. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that…

Safiu Kehinde Nigerian Activist, Aisha Yesufu, has declared her preference to spend 20 years jail term than sing the new national anthem. Prior to the withdrawal of the controversial Counter Subversion bill disclosed by the House of Representatives yesterday, Aisha had taken to her X handle to reaffirm her decision not to recite the anthem as she chose jail term as suggested in the bill. Aisha had posted the video, where she refused to acknowledge the new anthem at an event, with a caption labelling the anthem as ‘Tinubu’s anthem’. “Will choose 20 years in prison than sing Tinubu’s anthem…