Author: Safiu Kehinde

Safiu Kehinde Nigeria and France have rich of collaboration across various sectors, President Bola Tinubu says as he commenced his three-day State Visit in France. Tinubu stated this in a post on his official X handle on Thursday following a guard of honour organized by Emmanuel Macron to honour his first day of the visit. Macron received the Nigerian leader who was accompanied by First Lady Remi Tinubu at the Foyer of the National des Invalides — a military museum. While appreciating the French President for the performance, Tinubu expressed his anticipation for the bi-lateral discussion between both countries in…

Safiu Kehinde The International Press Institute, Nigeria Chapter (IPI Nigeria) has announced the dates and venue for the 2024 annual general congress and election. This was contained in a statement issued on Sunday by the Institute’s Press Secretary, Ahmed Shekarau. According to the statement made available to NPO Reports in Thursday, the annual general congress will hold on the 11th and 12th December at Abuja Continental Hotel (formerly Sheraton Hotel). According to Shekarau, the annual congress would be a three-part event comprising a conference on 11 December, an annual general meeting and election of new officials on 12 December, and…

Safiu Kehinde The Kogi State Government has said it has invested about N9bn on agribusiness between January to October of this year. The state’s Commissioner of Information, Hon. Femi Fanwo, disclosed this on Tuesday at the 2024 NPO Reports Annual Dialogue. Representing the state governor, Usman Ododo, at the event held in Banquet Hall, Merit House, Maitama-Abuja, Fanwo stated that the investment was spread across the 21 local government areas in the state in an effort to boost agriculture. He further disclosed the state government’s plan to improvise the agricultural value-chain which he considered as very key to job creation…

Safiu Kehinde Embattled former Kogi state governor, Yahaya Bello, is again set to appear before the Federal High Court in Abuja today on a 19-count charge bordering on alleged N80bn fraud. This is coming under the heels of his appearance at the court before Justice Maryann Anenih yesterday. Despite the judge’s adjournment of his case till December 10, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), sought his arraignment before Justice Emeka Nwite today. Recall that Justice Nwite had on April 17, issued a warrant for the arrest of the former governor following his repeated failure to appear before the court…

Safiu Kehinde Osun State governor, Ademola Adeleke, has explained reasons behind the relocation of the MKO Abiola International Airport from Ido-Osun to Ede. Sequel to the protest by Ido-Osun residents on Tuesday over the governor’s decision to relocate the airport from its historical site, the airport project technical Committe disclosed that technical issues, especially inadequate runway forced it to relocate the state airport project to Akoda, Ede. Speaking on behalf of the committee and the state government at stakeholders meeting yesterday, Lai Oriowo explained that the decision was base on viability and technicalities rather than politics. Oriowo explained that the…

Sean “Diddy” Combs has been denied bail for the third time by a judge in New York City. Two judges previously denied Mr Combs’s release from custody, primarily due to concerns about potential witness tampering, deeming it a significant risk if he was freed before trial, which is scheduled for May 2025. Mr Combs is being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, New York, charged with racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking, and transportation for prostitution. He has entered a plea of not guilty and has also denied more than two dozen sexual assault accusations lodged in a flurry of…

Several of Donald Trump’s cabinet nominees and picks for his White House team have been targeted by bomb threats. The FBI said it was aware of “numerous bomb threats” as well as “swatting incidents”, in which hoax calls are made to attract a police response to the target’s home. Threats were made against at least nine people chosen by Trump to lead the Departments of Defence, Housing, Agriculture and Labor, as well as his pick for US ambassador to the United Nations, among others. Police are investigating the incidents, which happened on Tuesday night and Wednesday. Karoline Leavitt, a spokeswoman…

Researchers say they have found the first new treatment for asthma attacks in 50 years. The injection dampens part of the immune system that can go into overdrive in flare-ups of both asthma and a lung condition called chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Benralizumab is already used in the most severe cases, but the latest research suggests it could be used routinely for around two million attacks in the UK each year. The research team at King’s College London said the drug was a “game-changer” that could “revolutionise” care. The findings stem from the realisation that not all asthma or…

Agency Report The United Kingdom on Wednesday said a new Visa Application Centre (VAC) has been opened in Ikeja, through its new commercial partner, VFS Global. The British Deputy High Commission, which made this known in a statement, said it was the largest in Africa. It noted that VFS Global also opened United Kingdom VAC in Abuja and Victoria Island, Lagos State. The mission said Nigerians travelling to the UK could book appointments to submit visa applications through new VAC centre. At the launch of the new application centre in Ikeja, British Deputy High Commissioner, Mr Jonny Baxter, said Nigeria…

Safiu Kehinde In support of Nigeria’s fight against human trafficking, the Republic of Germany has organised a seven-day basic training course for officials of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) in Abuja. Mrs Annett Gunther, the German Ambassador to Nigeria, speaking at the opening session on Wednesday, stated that the training aimed to enhance the Nigerian government’s fight against human trafficking, stressing the European nation’s support of NAPTIP. “The German government, through the German Mission in Nigeria and the German Federal Criminal Police (BKA), has consistently supported NAPTIP since its inception.” Gunther commended NAPTIP’s dedication…