₦airaland Forum

Too little sleep can cause dysfunctions of the organs and kill, researchers have said in the past. Now another study says people who indulge in too much sleep, ten hours and above, have a bigger chance of dying.

A major study has found getting more than 10 hours of sleep a night increased the chances of death from stroke by 56% and heart disease by 49%.

Researchers said underlying diseases could be the cause of regular lie ins – and they urged GPs to check the sleep patterns of patients during visits in a bid to save their lives.

The study involved more than three million people from 1970 to 2017. It also found poor sleep quality was associated with a 44% increase in heart disease.

Lead researcher Dr Chun Shing Kwok said: “Our study has an important public health impact in that it shows that excessive sleep is a marker of elevated cardiovascular risk.

“Our findings have important ­implications as clinicians should have greater consideration for exploring sleep duration and quality in ­consultations.

“If excessive sleep patterns are found, particularly prolonged ­durations of eight hours or more, then clinicians should consider screening for adverse ­cardiovascular risk factors and ­obstructive sleep apnea, which is a serious sleep disorder that occurs when a person’s breathing is interrupted during sleep.”

The researchers from Keele University, Manchester University, Leeds University and the University of East Anglia reviewed 74 studies. It showed those who got too much sleep were more likely to die during the decades which were studied.

One, over 11 years, found people who reported sleeping for more than nine hours had a 25% greater chance of dying from all causes. The review found no difference between those who reported sleeping between seven and eight hours and those who got less than seven.

Dr Kwok, a clinical lecturer in ­cardiology at Keele, added: “This research began because we were ­interested to know if it was more harmful to sleep below or beyond the recommended sleep ­duration of seven to eight hours.

“We further wanted to know how incremental deviation from ­recommended sleep duration altered risk of mortality and cardiovascular risk. Sleep affects everyone. The amount and quality of our sleep is complex.

“There are cultural, social, ­psychological, ­behavioural, pathophysiological and environmental influences on our sleep.

“These include the need to care for children or family, irregular working shift patterns, physical or mental illness, and the 24-hour availability of commodities in modern society.”


https://globalsentinelng.com/2018/08/07/sleeping-for-over-10-hours-can-kill-you-new-study/

The deputy governor of Akwa Ibom State, Pa Moses Ekpo has reportedly resigned his position as the state’s number two citizen.

He is also reported to be moving with Senator Godswill Akpabio, immediate past governor of the state, to the All Progressives Congress, APC, this week.

According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), though the resignation has not been confirmed officially by the Akwa Ibom State Government, but an APC media organ (@APC Newspaper) has tweeted that Ekpo, the oldest deputy governor in Nigeria, has tendered his resignation letter.

Nine corps members have drowned in a river at Gashaka Local Government Area of Taraba state.

It was learnt the deceased perished while on a picnic at the riverside, with four bodies recovered.

Confirming the incident, the state coordinator of NYSC, Florence Yaakugh said the remaining five bodies were yet to be recovered at press time.

The recovered bodies comprising of two male and female were identified as corps members posted to Taraba state from Enugu, Imo, Delta and Edo state. Contacted, spokesperson of Taraba state police command, ASP David Misal told our correspondent the command was aware of the incident.


https://globalsentinelng.com/2018/08/05/9-corp-members-drown-in-taraba/

Former President, Olusegun Obasanjo, has reiterated his position never to support his erstwhile vice, Atiku Abubakar’s presidential ambition.
Obasanjo’s pronouncement comes barely two weeks after Mr Abubakar declared his intention to run for president in 2019 under the platform of PDP
Obasanjo said. “If i support Atiku for anything, God will not forgive me. If I do not know, yes. But once I know, Atiku can never enjoy my support. It is not a question of working with or not working with an individual. If you are working for the good of Nigeria, I am working with you. If you are not working for the good of Nigeria it does not matter who you are I am not working with you.
“Most of you do“Most of you do not understand the way I operate, I know Atiku very well. And I have mentioned my position with Atiku. My position has not changed,” he said.

On a personal note, he added, “If my children are getting married, he has sent representatives. If his children are getting married, I have sent representatives. That is social. That is not political.
But “on political ground, my position has not changed. If I support Atiku for a political office other than the one I supported him in the past when I did not know him”.
Obasanjo and Atiku came into power in 1999 with Atiku serving as his Vice President. They started on a good note but later fell out after the former president accused Atiku of massive corruption.



https://globalsentinelng.com/2018/08/04/obasanjo-vows-never-to-support-atikus-presidential-ambition/

Chairman, Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption, PACAC, Prof Itse Sagay, has accused former President Olusegun Obasanjo of having a hand in the crises rocking the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC.

Sagay noted that the defectors from the ruling APC to the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, including the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, earlier made the ruling party sick.

He, however, stressed that the Buhari government was going to be stronger now despite the defection.

He said: “There is nothing much. Everybody is truly going to where he belongs; there are too many odd fellows both in APC and the PDP; too many people who do not belong, who are ideologically different, whose social and moral obligations were different; those who do not care for the country, for the populace, but only care for their pockets and progress.

“They were all mixed up and that created a lot of tension and crises. Those who were indiscipline and totally uncontrollable were in a party headed by Buhari, who is a man of discipline and integrity. The whole thing was a mixture of odd fellows, which sparked off so many crises, so now that they have gone, there is going to be peace and progress and productivity.”

On the perception that the development might cripple the government, he said: “It is not possible to cripple or frustrate Buhari government. He was elected until May 29, 2019. Nothing on earth anybody can do about it; he will be in power until that day for certain. So, how are they going to cripple the government?

“When you have a mole; an internal enemy, who is gradually eating inside of your party out and making it sick, finally crawls out because some injection has been given to you, which destroys it or forces it out, I think it is a positive thing. In fact, Buhari’s government is going to be stronger now.”

“I don’t know ex-Generals like IBB, Danjuma, Gusau, were fuelling the ongoing crises from behind, but certainly Obasanjo has a hand, and open about it. He is not hiding it that his greatest objective now is to stop Buhari from being re-elected. He has not hidden it. So, he, I can confirm, but the other names, I have no evidence about them on this.” he stated.

At least 25 people have been killed and 40 wounded after a suicide bomber and a gunman stormed a busy Shia mosque in eastern Afghanistan, local officials and witnesses have said.

A witness told the Reuters news agency that people were performing Friday prayers at the Khawaja Hassan mosque, in Gardez city, Paktia province, when a man detonated his explosives.

A second attacker is reported to have opened fire.

“Emergency teams have collected 25 bodies from the mosque premises and 40 people have been rushed to hospital,” said Abdullah Hazrat, a senior government official who was at the blast site.

The attack comes as urban areas across Afghanistan have been rocked by an increasing number of attacks.

Shia Muslims have been targeted by groups affiliated to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) also known as ISIS) that has emerged as a force in recent years.

According to the UN, a total of 1,692 people have been killed in the first half of 2018, with another 3,430 people wounded – the highest figure since it began keeping records in 2009.


https://globalsentinelng.com/2018/08/03/suicide-bomb-blast-on-shiite-mosque-kills-25/

Incumbent Emmerson Mnangagwa has won Zimbabwe’s presidential election, according to official results, in a poll marred by deadly violence and opposition allegations of vote rigging.

Mnangagwa, of the ruling ZANU-PF party, won 50.8 percent of the votes cast, with his closest rival Nelson Chamisa, of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) alliance, garnering 44.3 percent, Zimbabwe’s electoral commission announced in the capital, Harare, early on Friday.

A candidate needed more than 50 percent of the votes to secure an outright victory in Monday’s poll.

Mnangagwa, a former vice president popularly known as “the crocodile” because of his political shrewdness, has been in power since November 2017 following the resignation of long-time president Robert Mugabe in the wake of a military intervention.

The 75-year-old has promised to bring in foreign investment and create much-needed jobs.

ZANU-PF, which has ruled the southern African country since independence in 1980, also won a clear majority in the 210-seat parliament.

The ruling party won 145 seats, followed by the MDC which took 63. The National Patriotic Front and an independent candidate also picked up one seat each.

https://globalsentinelng.com/2018/08/02/zimbabwe-elections-emerson-mnangagwa-declared-winner/

The newly constructed Abuja Light Rail which was recently commissioned by President Muhammadu Buhari, will directly or indirectly employ 100,000 Nigerians when the project begins full operation.

About 10,000 Nigerians were employed during the construction of the Abuja Light Rail Project.

The Chief Resident Engineer for the Abuja Light Rail Project, Anthony Agbakoba, disclosed this on Thursday while briefing the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, who took journalists on a tour of the project, which is now being test-run.

Mr Agbakoba said that in addition, 68 highly-skilled personnel have been trained in Malaysia and China on Railway Operations and Management in order to build the required technical capacity needed to run such a modern rail system.

“FCTA (Federal Capital Territory Administration) and Nigeria now have capacity to supervise similar railway construction projects from start to completion within 3 to 4 years of conception,” he said.

While conducting the Minister and his team round the train stations, the Secretary of Transportation in the FCTA, Mr. Kayode Opeifa, said the present administration inherited the Abuja Light Project at 53% completion stage and delivered the project within 18 months.


https://globalsentinelng.com/2018/08/02/abuja-light-rail-to-employ-100000-nigerians/

Senate President, Bukola Saraki has been appointed the national leader of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP at the party’s NEC meeting on Thursday.

Being the highest office holder in the party at the moment, Mr Saraki will replace his deputy, Senator Ike Ekwerenmadu, who held the position until his defection as well as other top APC members to the PDP.

https://globalsentinelng.com/2018/08/02/breaking-saraki-appointed-national-leader-of-pdp/

High Court in Owerri stops the swearing-in of Callistus Ekenze, Head of Civil Service of Imo, as Deputy Governor of the state.

On Monday the Deputy Governor Eze Madumere, was impeached by 19 of the 37 members of the Imo House of Assembly, the station reports.

It was gathered that the Assembly had earlier received a report by a panel set up by the state chief judge which allegedly indicted Mr Madumere of gross misconduct.

Mr Madumere has been having a running political battle with Governor Rochas Okorocha over the latter’s successor in 2019.

While Mr Madumere seeks to succeed Mr Okorocha, the governor reportedly supports his son-in-law.



https://globalsentinelng.com/2018/07/31/court-stops-swearing-in-of-new-imo-deputy-gov-ekenze/

The state House of Assembly, has confirmed Mr Calistus Ekenze, as the replacement of Madumere few hours after the Impeachment of Madumere.

The confirmation was after the Majority leader of the House, Mr. Lugard Osuji, moved the motion for the adoption of Ekenze, as Madumere’s replacement.

Until the Ekenze recognition by the state House of Assembly, he was the head of Imo state civil service.

Ekenze is from the same Mbaitoli local government area, of the impeached deputy governor.

https://globalsentinelng.com/2018/07/30/breaking-calistus-ekenze-replaces-impeached-imo-deputy-governor/

President Muhammadu Buhari has assured people of the South-East of massive infrastructural development under his administration.


He assured that he would leave the zone a better place than he met it.

Buhari’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina gave the assurance while representing the President at the inauguration and flag off of a 5.5km road in Isieketa community, Isiala Ngwa South Local Government Area of Abia State, over the weekend.

He lamented the infrastructural decay in the country, inherited by his administration.


Buhari assured that he would do all to ensure the infrastructural deficits were tackled.

He said, “One thing that is dear to the heart of President Buhari is infrastructure, roads, railway, power, etc.

Nigeria has a lot of deficits in infrastructure and President Muhammadu Buhari is determined to reverse that deficit.

“We will see that by the time this administration ends Igboland will never be the same again. Igbo will be far better beyond where it has ever been before.”

Hadiza Ali, former wife of boko haram terrorist hopes to open a shop where she can sell the bags and shoes that she produces.

In a brand new, two-story building adjacent to a sluggish stream and low-cost housing units, dozens of women, all draped in brightly colored hijabs, listen to their teacher.

He speaks to them in a mix of Hausa and Kanuri, explaining to them how they can save money and pool it together to form a cooperative. For these women, this class is the answer to helping transform their lives.

Some of the women are wives of terrorists, members of the extremist group Boko Haram, which has ravaged northeastern Nigeria and the surrounding region since 2009. Most of the women are widows, struggling to provide for their children after their husbands were killed. Others say their husbands are in government custody.

All of them say they face stigma in their communities.

“People are afraid. Some people, because of who they think my husband was, they won’t even like to help me,” says Aisha Ali, a mother of eight children.

Ali’s husband was killed by Nigerian security forces, and she wants to dissociate herself from Boko Haram. Like her classmates, she realizes that she needs to gain business skills because some in her neighbourhood are too afraid to give her financial assistance.

Ali has been coming to the Future Prowess women’s skills training center to learn weaving. She sits, stringing thread around the needles of an old-fashioned loom. All of her financial hopes lie in mastering weaving.

https://globalsentinelng.com/2018/07/27/boko-haram-wives-seek-new-start-as-they-struggle-with-stigma/

Members and commanders of Boko Haram, arrested by operatives of the Inspector General of Police Special Intelligence Response Team, IRT, have made shocking revelations about the sect and how they carried out their murderous activities, including the kidnap of over 200 schoolgirls from a government secondary school, in Chibok area of Borno State.

During interrogations, it was gathered that three commanders of the Civilian Joint Task Force, an outfit created by the Borno State Government, to assist the Nigeria Military in trailing and arresting members of the sect, were among those arrested by the IRT, for giving out operational information of the military to members of the sect.

When Vanguard interviewed the suspects, some of the commanders, foot soldiers and informants narrated their roles and the various tasks executed for the group.

Abu, a 20-year-old Boko Haram commander from Bama Local Government of Borno State, who was an uneducated farmer confessed that he took an active part in the 2014 kidnap of Chibok schoolgirls and he was equally responsible for moving young girls who were used for suicide bombings from Sambisa Forest into Maiduguri Town.

He said as a commander, he had been fighting for the sect since 2011 and assisted the group in taking over several towns, villages. He said he also participated in ambush attacks across the Northeastern states of Nigeria and some parts of Niger, Chad and Cameroon.

He disclosed that the leadership of the group usually paid each fighter the sum of N30,000 after each attack. Narrating how the group carried out the April 2014 Chibok school girls attack.

He said; “one of our commanders, who received direct orders from our leader, Abubakar Shekau, Bana Chungori, called out over 100 of us and we all assembled at the Sambisa Forest. He told us that our leader, Shekau had ordered that we should all go to Chibok Local Government and kidnap some school girls at the school. We couldn’t ask questions, because it was a direct order from Shekau and we all mounted our trucks. We had five big military trucks, three Toyota Hilux vans and two Isuzu pickup trucks. We left Sambisa Forest around 5pm that evening and arrived the school around 10pm. We surrounded the school when we arrived and when we were certain that there would be no resistance, Chungori gave orders that we should all go in and we found the girls running in fear.

We kidnapped many of them and took them away in our trucks. When we got to the entrance of the Sambisa Forest, Chungori asked all the foot soldiers and other lower commanders including me to leave the truck because he was to take the girls to Shekau, whose camp was deep inside the forest. I didn’t see the girls again because I was not close to Shekau, but I was paid the sum of N30,000 on the day of the kidnapping and I was also given the sum of N60,000 after a set of ransom was paid for the release of the girls.”

Abu further said; “sometime in December 2014, two of our top commanders; Bakura and Ibrahim, ordered me to take two girls with suicide vests to Maiduguri town and supervise them until they had detonated their bombs. But each time I got to Maiduguri, I would not go into the Metropolis with them and I would leave them at the outskirt of the town and before you knew it they would have detonated their bombs.

The first one they did was at Muna garage and the second was at Dalori which was also on the outskirt of Maiduguri town. A member of the group, Adam, who had a taxi in Maiduguri, then called our commander and told him that the suicide bombers I had been bringing in had been unable to enter into the town where they were large crowds of people and since he was a taxi driver, he could always help us locate densely populated areas where people could be killed in larger numbers, if only my commanders would pay him. They agreed on N200,000 per mission and each time I took the girls from Sambisa forest, I would take them to Adam, who would then take the girls into Maiduguri metropolis and after each successful attack, I was the person who used to take his money to him.


Read more
https://globalsentinelng.com/2018/07/21/how-we-kidnapped-chibok-girls-in-2014-boko-haram-commanders/

total of 35 governorship candidates representing 35 political parties will take part in Saturday's election in Ekiti State.

Among the candidates, two are considered the front runners. They are ex-governor Kayode Fayemi of the All Progressives Congress and the current deputy governor, Olusola Eleka of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

PREMIUM TIMES reviews the profiles of majority of the candidates.

John Olukayode Fayemi (APC)



Mr Fayemi enters the race as a former governor of Ekiti State serving (2010 to 2014) on the platform of the All Progressives Congress. He hails from Isan Ekiti, in Oye Local Government Area of Ekiti North Senatorial District.

He holds a doctorate in War Studies from the prestigious King's College, University of London, England, specialising in civil-military relations.

Before his entrance into politics, Mr Fayemi served as Director, Centre for Democracy and Development(CDD) between 1997 and 2006.

He was defeated by Ayodele Fayose of the PDP while seeking re-election in 2014. He was later appointed by President Muhammadu Buhari as Minister of Mines and Steel Development, the position he resigned to contest the July 14 election.




Kolapo Olusola Eleka (PDP)

He is the incumbent deputy governor of the state from Ikere Ekiti, Ekiti South Senatorial District.

Mr Olusola is a professor of Building Technology at Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, with a track record of excellence in his academic field. He came straight from the academic environment to become deputy governor of the state. He is running to succeed his boss, Ayodele Fayose.




Ayodeji Lawrence Ayodele (APGA)

He is a former Nigerian envoy to Greece.

Mr Ayodele is an accomplished diplomat who rose to the position of Director at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He had a brief stint with the Mega Progressive Peoples Party. He reportedly moved to APGA as the party rushed to hold primaries.

He emerged as APGA candidate under controversial circumstances.




Sikiru Lawal Tae (LP)

Mr Lawal, a former chieftain of the PDP in Ekiti State, was the deputy governor of the state under governor Segun Oni between 2007 and 2010.


He recently resigned his membership of the PDP after the crisis which occurred as a result of the choice of the party's candidate by governor Ayo Fayose.




Abiodun Aluko (AP)

Mr Aluko was a successful surveyor before venturing into politics.

He was the leader of the Ayo Fayose Movement (AFM).

He later became Mr Fayose's deputy before he was impeached after both politicians fell apart. He has oscillated between the PDP, NDP and recently the MPN, before clinching the ticket of the Accord Party.




Jeremiah Adebisi Omoyeni (MPN)

The banker hails from Ikere Ekiti. He served as deputy governor after Mr Aluko was impeached under Ayo Fayose. He was a governorship aspirant in 2014 in the PDP.




Shola Omolola (AA)

He was elected the state chairman of Action Alliance(AA), Lagos State, last year.

He has been very active in the politics of Lagos and was appointed secretary of the Inter-party Advisory Council (IPAC) in Lagos.




Ben Olaniyi Agboola (AD)

Mr Agboola is a marketing and advertising expert who has worked with different companies in Nigeria and abroad.

He was a Sales Project Coordinator at Globacom Nig Limited.

He obtained his HND, Business Administration from the Federal Polytechnic Ado Ekiti in 1992 and an MBA at Ladoke Akintola University of Technology where he studied marketing in 1999 and proceeded to South London Business College where he obtained Diploma in Information Technology in 2005.





‎Babatunde Henry Afe (ANRP)

Mr Afe is the founder and General Overseer of House of Faith Christian Centre, Ado Ekiti.

He claims to also double as a businessman and a farmer.

He is a graduate of Economics from the University of Ilorin and also runs a training consultancy. He prides himself as being among the four biggest farmers in the state with several hundreds hectares of farm.





Segun Adewale (ADP)

Mr Adewale, popularly known as Segun Aeroland, is from Ipoti Ekiti in Ijero Local Government Area.

A well known businessman and philanthropist based in Lagos, he was senatorial candidate for Lagos West on the platform of the PDP during the 2015 election.

He is the CEO, Aeroland Travel Limited.

He has been in active politics in Lagos and made efforts to be elected a member of the Lagos State House of Assembly on the Labour Party ticket, but was unsuccessful.

He defected to the Alliance for Democracy and then to the PDP in 2011 to run for the Federal House of Representative, Alimosho Federal Constituency, but lost the election to Solomon Olamilekan Adeola of the then Action Congress of Nigeria.

He is a recipient of many awards, particularly in the aviation industry.





Bode Olowoporoku (NDPC)

He is a UK-trained economist with a Phd in Economics. He was also a Minister of Science and Technology under Usman Shehu Shagari government. He was elected senator representing Ekiti South Senatorial District from 2003 to 2007.




Dare Bejide (PPN)

He was the Secretary to the Ekiti State Government under the governorship tenure of Segun Oni.

He is from Ilawe, in Ekiti South senatorial district.

He has also served as Nigeria's Ambassador to Canada.

He was a member of the Peoples Democratic Party until the crisis following the adoption of Kolapo Olusola, his deputy. He joined PPN to emerge the candidate of the party for Saturday's election.





Orubuloye Dele Lucas (AGA)

An engineer by profession, he studied at the University of Mandras, Chennai, in India.

He hails from Are Ekiti.

He represents the All Grassroots Alliance Party.





Tosin Ajibare (ID)

He is said to be below 35 years old and the youngest candidate in the Ekiti governorship race.

According to him, he represents the face of the youth in Ekiti State. Mr Ajibare is from Ikere Ekiti and a graduate of Business Administration.

He is the founder of the Movement for the Development of Youths and Children, an NGO based in Ekiti State.

He represents the Independent Democrats Party.





Olajumoke Saheed (DA)

He holds a BSc in accounting from the Ekiti State University and was voted the governorship candidate of the Democratic Alternative on May 12.





Temitope Omotayo (YPP)

The 35-year-old candidate, follows Mr Ajibade as one of the youthful candidates in the contest. A graduate of Economics from the Ekiti State University, Ado Ekiti, as well as a law degree from the University of Lagos.

He was called to the Nigerian Bar in 2013 and partner at the Fasina and Omotayo law firm.


He represents the Young Progressives Party.





Tope Adebayo (APDA)

Mr Adebayo is a legal practitioner and obtained his law degree at the Ekiti State University, Ado Ekiti, before proceeding to the University of Lagos for his masters degree also in law.

He was president of the Students' Union, and prides himself as one among a few students union leaders who emerged best graduating student. He also attended Havard where he took a leadership course in preparation for his task to govern Ekiti State.

He represents the Advanced Peoples Democratic Alliance.





Akinloye Ayegbusi (SDP)

Mr Ayegbusi, 44, before his foray into politics was an Executive Director at Eco Bank Plc. He said he only started thinking about politics in March this year, as contesting the governorship was never in his plans for the year.

He represents the Social Democratic Party.





Saheed Olawale Jimoh (APA)

Mr Jimoh, 44, was a candidate of the African Peoples Alliance for the House of Representatives seat for Ado Ekiti/Irepodun/Ifelodun Federal Constituency, Ekiti State in 2015 but was unsuccessful.

The APA found him worthy of its ticket and would be expecting Ekiti people to vote for him on Saturday.


‎Other candidates and their parties are:




Oribamise Stephen Ojo (AGAP)

Olanrewaju Olalekan (DPC)

Adegboye Ajayi (BNPP)

David-Adesua Ayodele (DA)

Sule Olalekan Ganiyu (FJP)

Adewale OlusholaAkinyele(GPN)

Akerele Oluyinka Gbenga(DPP)

Amuda Temitope Kazeem(KOWA)

Jegede Olabode Gregory (MMN)

Babatunde OladapoAlegbeleye (NDLP)

Oladosu Olaniyan (NPC)

Ayoyinka Oluwaseun Dada (PDC)

Animashaun Goke (PPA)

Adeleye John Olusegun (UDP)

Gboyega Olufemi Jacob (UPN)

Fakorede Ayodeji Ebenezer (YDP)

President Muhammadu Buhari, on Thursday, boasted that his administration had delivered on its electoral promises in the past three years in office.

Mr Buhari, who made this assertion in Abuja, while inaugurating $823 million Abuja Rail Mass Transit Project, assured Nigerians of Federal Government’s continued support for all the negotiations towards the realization of the rail system.

He said he had observed keenly other milestones his administration has achieved, especially in the areas of education, public utilities and infrastructure development, saying the inauguration of the project was another evidence that, “we are a government that delivers on its promises.”

Mr Buhari then urged the Federal Capital Territory Administration, FCTA, especially the management of the rail services, to ensure efficient operations, good customer service and maintenance culture in the operations punctuality of the rail.

He stressed that transportation is the live wire of any city, and was very optimistic that a modern rail service would bring about a boost to the FCT economy and greatly enhance social life.

According to him: “I am aware that what we have on the ground today are coaches meant to provide skeletal services as we await the main set of the rolling stock for full operations.

“The completion of this very important project is a dream-come-true. I commend the Minister of FCT for the hard work and sense of purpose towards the realization of this long-awaited modern transportation system for both FCT residents and visitors.

SEARCH

A 13-year-old boy in Tudun Markabu, Faskari Local Government Area of Katsina State has reportedly cut the manhood of an Inspector (names withheld).

The victims is said to be fond of sodomising young boys in the state.

A resident in the area, who pleaded anonymity, said the Inspector was fond of committing the act with boys in the area.

It was learnt that the victims of the Inspector’s sexual preferences, set him up for vengeance.

Confirming the incident, Katsina State Police Command’s spokesperson, Gambo Isah, said: “We received the news with dismay. We are not expecting our men to be involved in this kind of act.

“He is in the General Hospital at Faskari and has been referred to the General Hospital, Katsina, but is still in Faskari.

“The Command is investigating the matter. Immediately he recovers, we will investigate the matter and get all the witnesses.

“If found wanting, he will face necessary disciplinary action and charged to court.”

WhatsApp has announced the launch of a new feature globally that will highlight when a message has been forwarded and not composed by the sender.

The massaging application made the move public on Tuesday through its official blog following calls from various parts of the world, including India, to tackle the spread of fake news.

Inthe statement, the platform, owned by Facebook, said, “Starting today, WhatsApp will indicate which messages you receive, have been forwarded to you.

“This extra context will help make one-on-one and group chats easier to follow,” WhatsApp said in a blog.

“It also helps you determine if your friend or relative wrote the message they sent or if it originally came from someone else. “To see this new forwarded label, you need to have the latest supported version of WhatsApp on your phone,”

WhatsApp added. Recently, while replying a notice by the Indian government to take immediate measures to prevent misuse of its platform, WhatsApp had said that it was testing a new label that highlights when a message has been forwarded.

“This could serve as an important signal for recipients to think twice before forwarding messages. “Because it lets a user know if content they received was written by the person they know or a potential rumour from someone else,” it had said. In its blog, the instant messaging application added, “WhatsApp cares deeply about your safety.

“We encourage you to think before sharing messages that were forwarded. As a reminder, you can report spam or block a contact in one tap and can always reach out to WhatsApp directly for help.”

The company had last month also announced “unrestricted monetary awards” for research on spread of misinformation on its platform to address the problem.

https://globalsentinelng.com/2018/07/11/whatsapp-introduces-new-feature-to-prevent-fake-news/

A suicide bomb blast at a political rally by an anti-Taliban political party in Pakistan has killed at least 20 people including a candidate in July 25 elections.

Awami National Party (ANP) candidate Haroon Bilour was killed in the late Tuesday blast in the northwestern city of Peshawar. His father, senior ANP leader Bashir Bilour, was killed in a suicide bombing in late 2012, in the run-up to Pakistan’s last election.

The Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility for the Tuesday attack.

”The death toll from last night’s suicide attack has reached 20 while we have 65 injured, some of them in critical condition,” Zulfiqar Babakhel, a spokesman for Peshawar’s main Lady Reading Hospital, told Reuters.

The ANP is a predominantly secular, ethnic Pashtun nationalist party, which has long competed with Islamist parties for votes in Pakistan’s volatile Pashtun lands, along the border with Afghanistan.

https://globalsentinelng.com/2018/07/11/political-rally-bomb-blast-kills-party-candidate-19-others/

No fewer than 45 people including a district head have been killed as Gunmen on Tuesday invaded Tabbani village in Rabah Local Government Area of Sokoto State.

Sources revealed that the gunmen set the village ablaze and shot sporadically at fleeing villagers.

Multiple sources, including the son of the slain district head, Aliyu Ibrahim, confirmed the attack.

“The bandits first set the whole village on fire and then started shooting people fleeing from the fire.

“The village is now deserted. The lucky ones who survived the attack are now seeking refuge at Gandi town,” Iro Aminu, a local who survived the attack

The spokesman for the Sokoto Police Command, Cordelia Nwawe, confirmed the attack but said the command could not ascertain the casualty figure at the moment.

“The situation is now under control. The command will issue statement and give full details tomorrow,” she added.

https://globalsentinelng.com/2018/07/10/gunmen-attacks-sokoto-kills-district-head-45-others/

The Action Peoples Party, APP, has filed a suit before the Federal High Court, Abuja, demanding the sack of the Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun.

The APP also demanded for an order directing her to refund the salaries she had received since 2015 when she was appointed as a minister and another order compelling the Federal Government to prosecute her.

The party, through its lawyer, Kingdom Okere, asked the court to, among others, declare that Adeosun “is not qualified to be appointed a minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria or into any other public office, having not participated in the compulsory one-year National Youth Service scheme, in view of the combined provisions of sections 11, 12,13 and 17 of the National Youth Service Act. ”

The political party also prayed the court to declare that Adeosun “is not a fit and proper person to continue to occupy the office she presently occupies having presented a fake NYSC exemption certificate and made a false, untrue and misleading statement /representation material to the National Youth Service Corps; and having breached her oath of office to uphold and defend the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended).”

https://globalsentinelng.com/2018/07/10/app-drags-adeosun-to-court-over-nysc-certificate-scandal/

Former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, has condemned a picture of the Finance Minister, Kemi Adeosun wearing the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) uniform trending on social media.

Fani-Kayode, took to his Twitter page insisting the image looks photoshopped and said it was only compounding her problems.

“Whoever was stupid enough to conjure up this terrible photoshopped picture in an attempt to cover up Finance Minister Kemi Adeosun’s shameless malfeasance has just compounded her problems.

"Not only must she be removed as a Minister but she must also be prosecuted for forgery,” he wrote.

Adeosun is under the microscope, for alleged criminal forgery of her NYSC certificate.

https://globalsentinelng.com/2018/07/09/fani-kayode-reacts-to-photo-of-kemi-adeosun-in-nysc-uniform/

The Zamfara Police Command, has confirmed that unidentified gunmen killed Ibrahim Madawaki, the District Head of Kucheri in Tsafe Local Government Area of the state.

The Police Public Relations Officer, Muhammad Shehu, made the confirmation in a statement in Gusau on Saturday.

Mr Shehu said some unidentified gunmen invaded Kucheri town at about 9:00 p.m. on Friday and killed the district head in front of his house.

He said when the police visited the scene of the crime, they discovered that nothing was removed from his house.

According to him, the Commissioner of Police, Mr Kenneth Ebrimson, has ordered investigation into the incident with a view to apprehending the perpetrators.

Mr Shehu also called on the public to report the activities of suspected hoodlums promptly, so as to enable the police to effectively tackle the security challenges facing the state.

https://globalsentinelng.com/2018/07/07/police-confirm-killing-of-district-head-by-gunmen-in-zamfara/

The Reformed All Progressives Congress, R-APC has stated that President Muhammadu Buhari and his Vice, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo lacked coordination in handling issues.

The R-APC, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Kassim Afegbua, referenced the issue of the herdsmen and restructuring.

It said that Buhari and Osinbajo held different opinions on the subject.

“There is no synergy. There is no coordination on any issue. You have about three or four opinions from the same government; that is not the way to lead.

“When the Fulani herdsmen issue came up in Benue State, the Inspector General of Police came up with a different position; the Minister of Defence gave a different position; and the Presidency is giving a different position.”

“As we speak, the APC has jettisoned its own manifesto. Where is the restructuring we promised Nigerians? They hurriedly came up with a committee headed by Governor (Nasir ) el-Rufai; where has that landed us?

https://globalsentinelng.com/2018/07/07/buharis-government-lacks-coordination-r-apc/

The President of the Senate, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki has expressed gratitude to all Nigerians who have supported him since the case, which he described as a ‘tortuous journey’ began.

The lawmaker reiterated his confidence in the judicial process and the ability of the Judiciary to do justice to all manner of men and in all circumstances.

Saraki made his known in a statement he signed after the judgement of the Supreme Court.
Saraki said, “At the end of a tortuous journey of 1018 Days counting from September 22, 2015 when the case began at the Tribunal, I am happy that I have been vindicated. The Supreme Court has affirmed that there is no evidence of false declaration of assets. The court also observed that certain agents took over the responsibility of the Code of Conduct Bureau in this trial, and one can infer that this was done towards a pre-determined end.

“This outcome has gladdened my heart and further strengthened my belief in this country and as well as my faith in Almighty Allah, who is the righter of all wrongs. God has vindicated me today before the judgement of man, and I am most thankful and humbled at His grace and infinite mercies.

https://globalsentinelng.com/2018/07/06/sariki-reacts-to-supreme-court-victory/

According to Middle East Institute, MEI report published on its website on Thursday, the Lebanese organization is currently providing ideological and military training to Nigerian Shiites inside Lebanon,

Sources close to Hezbollah commanders said ” tall men, in long, traditional African garb specific to northern Nigeria are sometimes spotted in Dahieh, a predominantly Shiite suburb south of Beirut where Hezbollah runs a cultural center, Nigerian men receive “training courses” at this center.

“The training is limited to a few number of people but it is growing steadily,” one source confirmed, speaking to the author on the condition of anonymity.

“The Shiite Nigerians initially receive a religious training before a military one that is provided in two camps in the Lebanese Bekaa,” he noted.

More. https://globalsentinelng.com/2018/07/06/lebanons-hezbollah-gives-military-training-to-shiites-mei-report/

In response to the emergence on Wednesday of a rebel faction, Reformed APC (R-APC),The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole, has appealed to aggrieved members of the party to be patient with his leadership

The APC national chairman spoke to journalists after receiving the report of the party’s just concluded National Convention Appeal Panel Committee’s report on Wednesday.

“My appeal to all those who are aggrieved is to be patient,” Mr Oshiomhole said.

“The assurance is that under my leadership, we will make honest mistakes and once our attention is drawn, we will find courage to make up for our mistake.

He acknowledged that the party has challenges before accepting the task, saying that it was a huge opportunity for him and other newly elected executives of the party to make a difference.
https://globalsentinelng.com/2018/07/04/oshiomhole-reacts-to-r-apc

Most wanted ISIS executioner who burned soldiers to death in a sick propaganda video has been killed in a firefight

Abu Talha al Turki was living with a $320,000 (£240,000) bounty on his head after his role in a horrific execution if two Turkish soldiers.

The terror kingpin had been placed on the Turkish police’s “Blue List” of most wanted fugitives.

Al Turki appeared in a sick video in 2016 burning alive two soldiers as they stood chained to a stake.

The terrorist appeared wearing all black and carrying a machine gun and was the one who ignited the fire using a detonator.

Flames then made their way up the chains which were tied to the two men – doused in fuel – and burned them to death
https://globalsentinelng.com/2018/07/04/most-wanted-isis-executioner-shot-dead/

How the Nigerian flag should look

Senator Dino Melaye has called on President Muhamnadu Buhari to urgently relieve security chiefs of their position since they had failed to live up to their responsibility of securing Nigerians.

The senator who condemned the rate of killings made the call in a statement entitled ‘Regime Protection not Primary Function of Security Agencies – PMB, Nigerians are Dying’.

Melaye said in spite of the billions of naira being invested in security annually, Nigerians were still being killed on daily basis without the culprits being arrested.

The senator also stated that the security chiefs are either incompetent or n accomplice to the killings

How does one explain this ceaseless and wanton destruction of human lives without the culprits being apprehended and punished.

“With all the apparatuses available for surveillance and crime detection in today’s civilisation?

“How long is this mindless butchering of our compatriots to be tolerated with the only reprieve we get being excuses and palliative?

The statement reads:

https://globalsentinelng.com/2018/07/02/killings-why-buhari-should-urgently-sack-service-chiefs-melaye/

At least 11 persons have been killed by cholera outbreak which struck and affected six local government areas of Katsina State.

Sources say that 5 out of the 11 persons died in Funtua LG while the remaining 6 died in Kusada LG as a result of the outbreak.

The outbreak is said to have been recorded in six local government areas of Funtua (40 cases), Kusada (83), Kaita (3 cases), Ingawa (4 cases), Kankia (1) and Katsina (1 case)

State Commissioner of Health, Bala Usman confirmed the incidence in Kusada. she said: “The outbreak in Kusada is known to us since last week. Adequate steps have been taken to curtail the spread including public enlightenment, live phone in radio, TV programmes, on the spot assessment by State Epidemiologist and his team, provision of drugs and commodities for the treatment of patients free of charge.Intensive radio and TV jingles are scheduled to commence this.”

Efforts to reach the Executive Secretary, SPHCA, Dr. Muhawiya for comments on the development proved abortive. A source who spoke on a condition of anonymity said, “As at 29th and 30th of June, 2018, the death figure from cholera stood at 11 from 132 cases recorded in 6 local government areas of the state. “We are already fully on ground to curb the spread of the disease,” the source reliably said.

https://globalsentinelng.com/2018/07/01/cholera-outbreak-kills-11-in-katsina/

Muslim cleric (names withheld) yesterday recounted how he saved about 262 Christians from being killed by suspected Fulani herdsmen in the last attack in villages in Plateau State.

The Imam who spoke to British Broadcasting Corporation’s (BBC) Dooshima Abu recalled in graphic details how he saved the persons fleeing from herdsmen, who had invaded Nghar Yelwa village in the Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of Plateau State.

He said “upon seeing victims fleeing from suspected herdsmen who attacked Nghar Yelwa village, I opened the door of the mosque and hid them.”

He said that the 262 persons were running for safety from a neighbouring village in the Barkin Ladi local government area, which was being attacked by gunmen.

The Islamic cleric told Dooshima Abu, “I hid the women in my personal house and after that, I took the men into the Mosque and hid them there.”

He said when the attackers caught up with him, and forcefully demanded that he release to them those who were Christians in the mosque, “I lied to the gang that everyone in the mosque were Muslims.”

According to him, upon hearing this, the attackers left and went on with their killing spree elsewhere.

According to the report, the Mosque is now the home and refuge for those hidden by the Imam.


See Photos

https://globalsentinelng.com/2018/06/30/plateau-killings-how-imam-saved-262-christians-from-being-killed-by-herdsmen/