Report: Truce brokered in Nigeria oil fields

Nigerian media reported Tuesday the central government has brokered a 30-day truce with militants waging war on oil installations in the Niger Delta.

The Niger Delta Avengers surfaced in late spring to declare war on national and international oil companies working in the Niger Delta region. Complaining the government is putting oil interests over the interests of the people in the region, the group last claimed responsibility for an attack on an oil pipeline in the region June 15.

Small commercial drones cleared for take-off

 Routine commercial use of small drones was cleared for takeoff by the Obama administration Tuesday, after years of struggling to write rules that would both protect public safety and free the benefits of a new technology.

The Federal Aviation Administration announced the creation of a new category of rules for drones weighing less than 55 pounds. The long-anticipated rules would mean drone operators would be able to fly without special permission.

Former DR Congo vice president Jean-Pierre Bemba jailed over war crimes

The International Criminal Court has sentenced ex-rebel leader and former Congolese vice president Jean-Pierre Bemba to 18 years for murders, rapes and pillaging committed by his troops in the Central African Republic more than a decade ago.

The verdicts announced today Tuesday, June 21, focused on the actions of his troops, as Bemba commanded a private army of 1,500 men who intervened in the neighbouring Central African Republic's civil war.

"The chamber sentences Mr Jean-Pierre Bemba Gombo to a total of 18 years of imprisonment," said judge

FG orders replacement of all striking resident doctors in teaching hospitals

Minister of Health, Isaac Adewole, has ordered the replacement of all striking resident doctors in the various government teaching hospitals. In a circular released today June 21st, the Minister said the striking doctors failed to attend their training programmes despite ongoing negotiations and so their vacancies should be filled up with other doctors that have before now sent in their applications.

Read the circular signed by the spokesperson of the ministry, Boade Akintola, below;

Buhari appoints Ibrahim Kpotum Idris as acting IGP

President Buhari has appointed Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Kpotum Idris, as the Acting Inspector-General of Police. Immediate past Inspector General of Police, Solomon Arase, retired from office today after he reached the mandatory 60 years retirement age. Arase and Idris are currently in a closed- door meeting with president Buhari at Aso Rock, Abuja.

Woman who claims Donald Trump raped her files lawsuit in NY court as Trump calls claims 'untrue & politically motivated'

A lawsuit involving a California woman’s charge that Donald Trump raped her when she was an underage teen have resurfaced, this time in a Manhattan Federal Court with Trump,  denouncing the allegations  as “categorically untrue and politically motivated''.

The lawsuit was first dismissed by a Los Angeles court, but now the case has been revisited with some previous charges dropped and a new lawyer now in charge of the case.

FG Clears 12 Months Of Arrears Owed Pensioners

The Federal Government has cleared 12 months arrears out of the backlog of 42 months arrears of the 33 per cent pension increase owed pensioners in the country.

The gesture came as the beneficiaries urged the government to ensure that the balance of 30 months was completed early so that the could enjoy the fruits of their labour and other benefits while still alive.
National President of Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP), Dr A.O Afolayan and the General

Universities, Polys Adopt Fresh Measures For Post-utme

With the scrapping of the post-Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, some universities in the country have created fresh measures to screen their candidates for the 2016/2017 academic session, findings by our correspondents have revealed.

While some have merely tagged the new measures as “screening of certificates”, others insist that their candidates must sit for other written examinations.

This comes as some others have yet to roll out the modalities in place of the post-UTME.
The Minister of Education, Mr. Adamu Adamu, while declaring open a Combined Policy Meeting on admission to universities, polytechnics and other higher institutions, in Abuja, two weeks ago, announced the scrapping of the post-UTME.

Nigerian security guard who helped Nigerian woman through Stansted Airport illegally has his appeal dismissed

A security guard jailed for aiding a woman's bid to slip through overseas border controls deserved his "stern" sentence, a top judge ruled on June 17.

According to Essex Chronicle, 47-year-old Dele Uyi Akonedo, was jailed for two and a half years at Chelmstead Crown Court in June last year after he was convicted of assisting unlawful immigration to an EU state.

Akonedo, was a man of exemplary character, London's Appeal Court, before he got sucked into the scam. He and accomplices plotted to put a Nigerian woman on a plane from Stansted Airport to the Slovakian Republic, using false documents

Judge fails to appear for FFK's arraignment today

The arraignment of former spokesperson of the PDP Presidential campaign, Femi Fani-Kayode was stalled today as the judge handling his case did not attend the hearing. EFCC officials had brought FFK to the court this morning but found out the judge was absent.

FFK's wife Precious was reportedly visibly angry at the development and stormed out of the court premises as EFCC took her husband into their waiting vehicle.

Actress Selma Blair carried off plane on stretcher after screaming 'he burns my private parts'

American film, television, and theater actress, Selma Blair, was carried off on a stretcher while on first class on a plane with her son for exhibiting strange behaviour after reportedly mixing medication with wine.

The Anger Management star was forcibly removed from the Delta flight when it arrived in Los Angeles after the concerned pilot got in touch with air control to report her behaviour, which included her shouting 'he burns my private parts'.

 

Witnesses at the scene claimed the 43-year-old, who was travelling with her young son Arthur, had been sitting in first class drinking wine, when she appeared to mix something in the glass, reportedly medication.

Samson Siasia reveals Man City snubbd him over Kelechi Iheanacho's participation at Rio Olympics

Nigeria's Olympics football team coach Samson Siasia has revealed how Manchester City football club snubbed his attempts to get permission for striker Kelechi Iheanacho to participate in the upcoming Rio Olympics this summer.

According to Siasia, Man City have snubbed several NFF letters written to them.

Arraignment of Saraki, Ekweremadu for alleged forgery of senate standing rules slated for June 27th

Justice Yusuf Haliru of an Abuja High Court has said that the arraignment of Senate President Bukola Saraki and his deputy, Ike Ekweremadu, for alleged forgery of the Senate Standing rule in 2015, will hold on Monday June 27th. Their arraignment was stalled this morning because they had both not been served their court summons.

Justice Haliru has ordered that their court summons be pasted on the notice board of the national assembly and also be sent to them through other means.

Police announce $10k reward for info on 19 year old girl found naked and shot to dead in city park

Atlanta police and a councilwoman are offering a combined $10,000 reward for the killers of Bridget Shiel, 19, who was found shot dead and naked in a city park on May 31 according to reports by AJC.com.

Bridget Shiel's body was dumped in a grassy area near a basketball court in Oakland City Park after she was shot multiple times in the back, buttocks and legs.

 Before she was killed, two men were seen with her!

Job loss imminent in Ecobank as bank plans to close some of its operational centers

It appears some staff of Pan African bank, Ecobank in some African countries may soon lose their jobs as the management of the bank say they are reviewing their expansion strategy following a decline in profits and that they may pull out of some African countries to focus on its most promising markets.

In an interview with Reuters, chairman of the bank, Emmanuel Ikazoboh, said falling global commodity prices that have hit economies in countries such as Nigeria and Ghana have caused a reduction in the banks profit margin.

Sunny Ekechukwu Benjy Eke's Bail: NACOB And Accra High Court In Tango

The baron, Chief Sunny Ekechukwu Benjy Eke, who had been on remand at the Nsawam Medium Security Prisons since 2013 for attempting to smuggle 281,604 grammes of liquid cocaine with a street value of more than $12.5 million into the country, was granted bail by the Accra High Court last Thursday.

The court, presided over by Mr Justice J. K. Dorgu, granted Chief Eke and his accomplice, James Elike Chukwu, bail in the sum of GH¢200,000, with three sureties each.

Senate To Strip Buhari Of Power Of Assent

THE Senate has revealed plans to strip President Muhammadu Buhari of powers to assent the ongo­ing constitution amendment.

Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ike Ekweremadu who doubles as the chairman of the Senate committee on constitution review, made the revelation when he spoke at the ongoing retreat by the committee, holding in Eko Hotels and Suites, Lagos.

Ministry Of Finance Workers Protest, Demand Adeosun’s Removal

The Workers of the Ministry of Finance on Monday embarked on a protest.
They are demanding the removal of the Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun.
Their grouse, it was learnt, is over the non-payment of what they termed their allowances, which amounted to N1.2 billion.
The equally accused Adeosun of collecting her own allowances without any consideration for theirs.
One of such allowances, they alleged, was the N30 million for house rent annually.
They equally said she was high handed.

Niki Tobi Is Dead (Ex-supreme Court Judge)

Retired Justice of the Supreme Court, Justice Niki Tobi, has died. Tobi passed on in the early hours of Friday at the National Hospital, Abuja. His corpse was later moved to the morgue of Garki General Hospital. The retired judge had been having grave health issues since 2011. He subsequently went blind and totally lost his memory. Tobi was appointed to the Supreme Court in 2002 and retired in July 2010 after attaining the age of 70.

Death In Imushin: Niger Delta Militants Want To Invade Ogun- CP

Following the killing of no fewer than 15 persons in Ogun State allegedly by suspected militants from the Niger Delta region, the State Commissioner of Police, Abdulmajid Ali, yesterday confirmed that the militants are desperately looking for a safe haven in the state.

The police chief, who spoke with newsmen in Abeokuta on phone said militants are apparently finding it difficult to operate in the Niger Delta region following increased military deployment to check their nefarious activities.

Investors Inject N760bn Into Stock Market In Three Days

The Nigerian Stock Exchange reacted positively to the news of the unveiling of the new foreign exchange guidelines by the CBN last Wednesday as the market capitalisation soared by over N760bn, with investors committing huge sums to acquire more shares.

The move by investors to acquire more stocks at this time is hinged on their desire to re-enter the market when share prices are at their lowest, as the market is expected to recover after months of persistent fall.

Prior to the three-day straight gains last week, the NSE market capitalisation had stood at N9.284tn on Tuesday. But as of the last day of trading last week on Friday, the value of the market had soared to N10.044tn.