Author: Safiu Kehinde

Safiu Kehinde  Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has sued the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio and Speaker of House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, over alleged fixing of the National Assembly’s running cost. This was disclosed in a statement issued today by the body’s Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare. As contained in the statement made available to NPO Reports, the socio-economic transparency and accountability group accused the NASS Leaders of their failure to end the apparently unlawful practice by the National Assembly of fixing its allowances and running costs, and the failure to account for the monthly running costs paid to members. SERAP…

Safiu Kehinde Former Super Eagles player, Odion Ighalo, has backed embattled Napoli’s player, Victor Osimhen, after failed transfer saga and demotion from Antonio Conte’s squad list for the 2024/2025 Serie A season. Amid heavy criticism from football fans across the country, Ighalo took to his X handle earlier today to drum support for Osimhen while condemning his critics. Ighalo said being criticized by his fellow countrymen is undeserving, considering his commitment and sacrifice to the national team. “No human being is perfect and we have all made mistakes in life, but seeing comments about this young man from his own…

Temitope Lakisokun Grief and gratitude are holding hands in my heart as I write this. Gratitude for who he was, and grief for what we have lost. When I think of Ogbenyi Egbe, I am reminded of the words of Benjamin Franklin: “The noblest question in the world is: ‘What good may I do in it?’ ” I’m convinced Ogbenyi woke up every single day asking himself this question and proceeded to do all the good he could. Here was a man who gave freely of himself—his time, his energy, his resources, his boundless creativity. Ogbenyi was “Google” before googling…

Agency Report  Israel says its forces have recovered the bodies of six hostages held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip. In a statement, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said the bodies were located on Saturday in an underground tunnel in the Rafah area. The IDF named the hostages as Carmel Gat, Eden Yerushalmi, Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Alexander Lobanov, Almog Sarusi and Master Sgt Ori Danino. Spokesman Rear Adm Daniel Hagari said an initial assessment was they were “brutally murdered by Hamas terrorists shortly before we reached them”. After the death of Mr Goldberg-Polin – an American citizen – was confirmed, US…

Agency Report  A building has collapsed in Nigeria’s megacity, Lagos, once every two weeks on average so far this year. Whereas the commercial cost can be calculated, a figure can never be put on the value of the lives lost underneath the rubble. The gaps among the buildings, replaced by piles of debris, represent a failure of governance as well as giving rise to allegations of contractors trying to cut corners to save money. There are regulations, there are maintenance schedules, there are inspectors – but the system does not work. Those responsible are never held to account, and so…

Agency Report  The Nasarawa State Government says it has intensified sensitisation to flood-prone local government areas to mitigate flood disasters in the state. Mr Yakubu Kwanta, the Commissioner for Environment and Natural Resources, said this during the Monthly Sanitation on Saturday in Lafia. Kwanta, who was represented by the ministry’s Permanent Secretary Garba-Rosha Mohammed, said that the ministry had gone to flood-prone communities to sensitise them to the need for early evacuation, in the event of flooding. He said that Nasarawa State was among the states that the Federal Government, in the administration of President Bola Tinubu, graciously gave N3…

 Agency Report The Federal Government on Saturday warned youths against getting involved in illicit drugs, as it is dangerous and inimical to human survival. The Minister of Youth Development, Dr Jamila Ibrahim, gave the warning in Ado-Ekiti, at the end of a two-day sensitisation on the elimination of drug and substance abuse for young boys and girls in the southern zone of the country. Ibrahim, represented by a Director in the ministry, Alhaji Alu Mohammed, said that the government would leave no stone unturned in eradicating the menace of hard drugs in the country. “This event is apt, coming at…

Safiu Kehinde  The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has explained the importance of birth registration and National Identification Number (NIN). This was disclosed by the NIMC Director General, Abisoye Coker-Odusote, at the Launch of the Renewed Hope initiative to accelerate birth registration in Abuja. As contained in a statement issued by the Commission’s Head of Corporate Communications, Kayode Adegoke, and made available to NPO Reports, the NIMC DG stressed that birth registration and NIN are essential for development of the nation and shaping Nigeria’s digital identity. She said digital birth and NIN registration will scale up access to government education,…

Safiu Kehinde  The Federal Government has ordered immediate relocation of the Chief of Defense Staff, and other military heads to Sokoto. This was disclosed in a statement issued by the Minister of State Defence, Bello Matawalle. According to the statement, the military heads are to relocate to the General Officer Commanding that oversees Sokoto, Zamfara, Katsina, and Kebbi states on account of a significant operation set to be launched in Sokoto with the aim of eliminating bandits in the North West. Matawalle condemned the surge of banditry in the region, narrating how some bandits had confidently stormed a Military Armoured…

Safiu Kehinde  Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nyesom Wike, has threatened to put fire in the states of governors backing Fubara. He made this disclosure while addressing the delegates of Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP), Rivers state chapter at their congress held in Port Harcourt yesterday. In response to PDP’s governors from other state who drummed support for Rivers state governor, Siminalyi Fubara, Wike warned them against interfering in the affairs of Rivers while threatening to throw their states into political crisis if they fail to back off. “Not While we live will anybody take away the structure of PDP from us.…