Ahmed Salkida finally arrested by security forces

Ahmed Salkida finally arrested by security forces

Regional News Unknown   09:03

At last, Ahmad Salkida, a Nigerian writer announced wanted by the military over Boko Haram's most recent video, has been captured, Nigerian media covered Monday.

It was reported by Sahara Reporters, a Nigerian news site, on Monday evening that Mr. Salkida was captured by the State Security Service at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.

Mr. Salkida went on board an Emirates Airlines flight from Dubai utilizing a crisis travel declaration and communicated reasons for alarm about his conceivable capture upon entry in the nation, Sahara Reporters cited a female traveler who sat adjacent to him as saying.

"Mr. Salkida further told the traveler that he didn't know the whereabouts of Boko Haram leader or Chibok school girls. In any case, he confessed to getting two video cuts from Boko Haram before they were discharged to the general population," the site reported.

More Nigerians regret voting President Buhari into power

More Nigerians regret voting President Buhari into power

Regional News Unknown   09:48

Residents and indigenes from Chibok community group living in Abuja along with members of the ‘Bring Back Our Girls (BB)G), crusaders on they are seriously regretting supporting and voting President Muhammadu Buhari in the 2015 presidential race.

They communicated their second thoughts on in Abuja at a rally over the failure of the administration to take measures to protect the more than 200 school young ladies kidnapped by Boko Haram, in their school in Chibok, Borno State, in 2014.

Boko Haram had a week ago discharged a video of the young ladies who are still alive and said they were willing to exchange the young ladies in return for their folks in confinement in different jails.

According to one of the young ladies, Maida Yakubu, who additionally talked in the video requested that their families ask the Nigerian government to consent to the interest of Boko Haram with the aim that they would be freed.

Talking amid the protest on last Monday, the Chairman of the Chibok Community, Hosea Tsambido said individuals and groups from the Community and BBOG voted greatly for Mr. Buhari as against his predecessor, Goodluck Jonathan, who they voted for in 2011.

Mr. Tsambido while speaking said “They tell us that our girls seen in the latest video was merely an arrangement.” “No one has spoken to the family of any of the Chibok girls since the last video was released, by the terrorists. We regret our votes. We regret it.”

Talking further, the leader of the group said, "We were guaranteed that the president would visit Sambisa, when he becomes president. We were additionally informed that inside two weeks our young girls and women would be saved.

“But over one year now, there is no tangible statement about our girls. The presidency has stated instead that it is confused.”

The BBOG team said it was setting out on a new 14-day crusade to re-invigorate the clatter for the salvage of the young ladies. 

DRAMA: As Oby Ezekwesili and CP Chucks Obasi turns protest to a shouting match at the Presidential Villa

DRAMA: As Oby Ezekwesili and CP Chucks Obasi turns protest to a shouting match at the Presidential Villa

Regional News Unknown   13:00

A range of security operatives from the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps NSCDC as well as the Department of State Services DSS today striped the Bring Back Our Girls BBOG advocacy movement from gain access to the presidential villa.

In a bid to awaken the President Buhari led federal government’s urgent attention to the plight of the girls, to help them gain back their freedom as was promised by him during his electioneering campaign, the group had set aside a 14-day line-up of activities to force President Buhari as Nigerians are running out of patience with his government.

The BBOGs protest is collaboratively led by Oby Ezekwesili and Aisha Yesufu, while the police detachment is led by CSP Chuks Obasi.

Drama evolved when Both Ezekwesili and CSP Obasi got involved in a shouting match as the officer insisted that the protesters would not cross the human barricade put together by the security operatives.

“Who is the officer in charge of this command should stop it. The problem is that we still have our members on the highway. For many years, we have been advocating, we have never engaged in anarchy”, says Oby.

She had warned the CSP to stop pointing his fingers at her while addressing her.

“Well, I have my. Mandate and my mandate is to ensure that a protest match does not assume a violent dimension”, Obasi said.

POLICE RECRUITMENT: Shortlisted candidates to begin aptitude test August 22

POLICE RECRUITMENT: Shortlisted candidates to begin aptitude test August 22

Regional News Unknown   16:29

At last, the Police Service Commission says it will conduct aptitude test for shortlisted candidates for recruitment into the Nigeria Police Force on August 22 across the country.

The head Press and Public Relations, Mr. Ikechukwu Ani made this known in a statement issued today (Sunday) in Abuja.

According to Ani coordinators for the exercise were already in their states of deployment to ensure the success of the process.

He said that the Chairman of the Commission, Mr. Mike Okiro, had advised successful applicants who had yet to receive invitation via e-mail should check their names at the state Police Command headquarters in their respective states.

He said that the list containing the names of the invited applicants had been pasted in all the state Command Headquarters.

The spokesman said the Commission would ensure that nobody who was successful and qualified for this level of the exercise was left out.

The commission shortlisted 110, 469 out of the 338,250 for the aptitude tests from the 991,438 applications received.

Obasanjo's presence in PDP meeting baffles Nigerians

Obasanjo's presence in PDP meeting baffles Nigerians

Regional News Unknown   10:49

They said wonders shall never end as Nigerians surprisingly sighted former President Obasanjo at the Shehu Yar’adua Centre, Abuja, where the inauguration of the Peoples Democratic Party national convention committee was billed to hold and wondered what he was doing there, after he publicly tore his PDP membership card prior to the last general election and pitched his tent with the APC that produced President Buhari.

Though report has it that the former President was at the centre to attend a programme on Agriculture while the PDP leaders were also at the same premises to attend their party’s event.

Interestingly, as the popular adage says, ‘old solder never dies’ leaders of the PDP rushed to pay homage to the former President when he was sighted at the venue.

According to sources, one of the administrators of the building had alerted the PDP leaders of the Obasanjo’s presence in the building.

Thus, immediately the leadership of the party got the information regarding Obasanjo’s presence, they all rushed out to exchange pleasantries with him.

National Chairman in charge of the National Caretaker Committee, Sen. Ahmed Makarfi; the Secretary of the committee, Sen. Ben Obi and a former Deputy President of the Senate, Ibrahim Mantu, were among the party leaders that rushed out to pay homage to the leader of the party.

After the greetings the former President proceeded to attend the programme he had come for.

Leaders of the party had been visiting its aggrieved members with the aim of reconciling them with the now factionalised party but they had yet to visit the former President.

Members of the Board of Trustees of the party visited former President Goodluck Jonathan in Abuja two days ago.

They had earlier visited the home of a former Minister of Finance, Adamu Ciroma.

Buhari subsidises Islamic Pilgrimage at the expense of key sectors of the economy

Buhari subsidises Islamic Pilgrimage at the expense of key sectors of the economy

Regional News Unknown   10:21

The Federal Government under President Buhari keeps telling Nigerians that they should fasten their seat-belt due to dwindling oil revenue which is the mainstay of the nation’s economy. Workers’ salaries are not being paid as at when due, pensioners are dying daily from starvation, poor funding of basic infrastructures to mention but a few.

Yet in the midst scarce foreign exchange, the President has given a matching order to the CBN to subsidise Islamic Pilgrims to Saudi Arabia at a concessionary exchange rate of N197 to $1 USD, through the various commercial banks in the country. Yet students studying overseas and those travelling abroad along with some importers of essential goods and services cannot be subsidised, rather, they source for these hard currencies at a very high rate.

The directive was contained in a circular on Thursday marked TED/FEMFPC/GEN/01/005.

The CBN said that, “Each pilgrim is entitled to purchase a minimum of $750.00 and maximum of US$1,000.00 as PTA.

“The Federal Government has approved that intending pilgrims are to be sold the PTA at a concessionary exchange rate of N197.00 to the US dollar.

“No commission shall be charged by the banks for the sale of the PTA to the intending pilgrims.

“The Central Bank of Nigeria shall sale the PTA to the designated banks in Lagos and Abuja and the accounts of the respective banks shall be debited as soon as the funds are disbursed”.

For the meantime, the Naira plunged to N400 to $1 yesterday at the parallel market.

After closing at around N378 against the dollar for most part of last week, the naira dropped to 380 on Friday before falling to 382 on Monday.

The currency closed at 315.06 (official) to the United States dollar at the inter-bank market on Thursday.

From the foregoing, Nigerians and the world at large can see that this government is indeed confused and lack sense of direction. Also, one wonders what economic benefit these pilgrims will yield to the country.

At the end of the day, most of these Pilgrims will go through the back door to sell USD at the black market rate, thereby making a mockery of the anti-corruption war President Buhari claimed to the fighting and inflict more hardship on the masses.