Author: Safiu Kehinde

Safiu Kehinde Super Eagles goalkeeper, Stanley Nwabali, has lost his father. Less than 12 hours after celebrating Nigeria’s qualification for the 2025 African Cup of Nations, Nwabali took to Instagram on Friday to mourn his father, sharing a post accompanied by a tearful emoji. The goalkeeper, however did not disclose the cause of his father’s death as he only wrote “R.IP Dad” on his Instagram page. Meanwhile, tribute has began to pour from fans and fellow Super Eagles teammates in condolence with the goalkeeper. Leading the pack was Super Eagles captain, William Troost-Ekong who expressed his solidarity to Nwabali in…

The sister of a 16-year-old boy who drowned while swimming naked at a Christian holiday camp in Zimbabwe run by child abuser John Smyth blames the Church of England for his death. “The Church knew about the abuses that John Smyth was doing. They should have stopped him. Had they stopped him, I think my brother [Guide Nyachuru] would still be alive,” Edith Nyachuru told the BBC. The British barrister had moved to Zimbabwe with his wife and four children from Winchester in England in 1984 to work with an evangelistic organisation. This was two years after an investigation revealed…

Whistles, Boos at France-Israel Football Match Some football fans attending the European Nations League match in Paris between France and Israel whistled and booed as the Israeli anthem played at the start of the game. Thursday’s match was played in front of scant crowds and heavy security a week after violence in Amsterdam between pro-Palestinian demonstrators and visiting Israeli fans. Despite fears of a repeat of the Amsterdam violence, there were just a few brief scuffles in the stands during the first half of the game, which ended in a 0-0 draw. President Emmanuel Macron – who attended the match…

Agency Report The Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE) has emphasised the need to reduce the importation of farm tools and promote local manufacturing for sustainable agricultural development. NSE President, Margaret Oguntala, made the call at an event preceding the 2024 NSE annual conference, scheduled for Nov. 19. According to Oguntala, engineers are committed to improving Nigeria’s infrastructure development and providing solutions to the nation’s challenges. She said the NSE signed a memorandum of understanding with the National Centre for Agriculture and Mechanisation (NCAM) in 2014 to develop farming tools. Oguntala stressed that investing in local content was crucial, citing the…

Safiu Kehinde The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has partnered with the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to tackle illicit products Both agencies signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the aim of strengthening collaboration in combating the influx of illicit pharmaceutical products and other harmful substances into Nigeria. The MOU was signed at the Comptroller General of Customs (CGC) conference on Thursday in Abuja. In his remarks, the Comptroller-General(C-G ) of NCS, Adewale Adeniyi, described the MoU as the culmination of years of dedicated dialogue and coordination between the two agencies. “This partnership is a…

Agency Report The Federal Government has commended Chief Akai Egwuonwu, an Anambra based industrialist, for complying with the new national minimum wage for his employees. Mrs Benedene Oji-Ogbuehi, State Controller, Federal Ministry of Labour, presented the commendation letter to Egwuonwu in his Awka office on Thursday. Egwuonwu is the Managing Director of Stine Rice Mill and Zara Departmental Stores among others. Oji-Ogbuehi said the recognition was in appreciation of his efforts to enhance the welfare of his workers and to encourage others to follow suit. She said that it was necessary to commend the industrialist for leading the way for…

Safiu Kehinde The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) has issued the Mandatory Conformity Assessment Programme (MANCAP) certificate to 15 local companies in Enugu state. The companies that got the certificates include JOMAP Consul, Aqua Rapha Investment, De-Caspian Construction, NK-JOE Enterprises, Salome Angel Coy Ltd, Carlzy and Sharon Paints & Chemical Company. Presenting the certificates in Enugu on Thursday, Director General of SON, Dr Ifeanyi Okeke, said that MANCAP is a mandatory product certification scheme that ensure that manufacturers deliver quality goods and services to consumers. Okeke, represented by Chukwuma Aharanwa, Director, SON South-East Regional Operation, noted that MANCAP ensures that…

Safiu Kehinde An Ikeja Special Offences Court has, on Thursday, sentenced one Musa Jimoh to one year and four months imprisonment for defrauding hospital staff of N8 million. Justice Rahman Oshodi sentenced Jimoh after he pleaded guilty to the sole charge of possession of fraudulent documents levelled against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). Oshodi, in his judgment, held that the circumstances of the case were particularly grave as Jimoh’s conduct indicated a calculated and sophisticated approach to criminality that warrants serious consideration by the court. According to him, what makes this offence especially egregious is its…

Safiu Kehinde Few hours to the Ondo governorship election, three gubernatorial candidates have stepped down from the Saturday’s election Ondo State while endorsing Lucky Aiyedatiwa, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC). The candidates made the disclosure during a solidarity visit to Aiyedatiwa. They include Ajibola Falaye, the candidate of the Accord Party, Jenyo Ataunokon of the National Rescue Movement (NRM), and the deputy governorship candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Olaide Rasheed Ibrahim. Prior to the development, governorship candidate of the ADC, Adeyemi Nejo, had earlier declared support for Aiyedatiwa. Meanwhile, speaking of of the the candidates,…

Safiu Kehinde Kano State Police Command has engaged on crackdown of criminal syndicates across the state, arresting 82 suspects in connection with various crimes committed in the state from Nov. 1 to Nov. 14. The suspects included kidnappers, armed robbers, thugs, phone snatchers and drug dealers. Addressing newsmen at the command’s headquarters, Bompai, Kano, the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Abdullahi Kiyawa, said the arrests were a result of a crime busting strategy adopted by the command. He also disclosed the recovery of firearms from the arrested suspects. “The implementation of these strategies have yielded positive results as they led…