₦airaland Forum

https://nextedition.com.ng/2019/01/14/onnoghen-buhari-desperation-hang-on-to-power-leading-nigeria-major-crisis-moghalu/

The Presidential candidate of the Young Progressives Party, YPP, Kingsley Moghalu, has accused President Muhammadu Buhari of leading Nigeria to a major crisis all so he hang on to power.

In a statement personally signed by Moghalu, he frowned at the scheme to unconstitutionally remove the Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, Justice Walter Onnoghen, from office and also try him at the Code of Conduct Tribunal for alleged failure to declare his assets and for operating domiciliary accounts.

He Buhari’s plan to remove the CJN just a few weeks to the election, “would pave the way for the President to appoint a new Chief Justice that would be partial to him, should he rig the election, and should his dubious victory be challenged up to the Supreme Court.”

Read the full statement below

https://nextedition.com.ng/2019/01/14/lagos-guber-debate-election-politician-agbaje/

The Governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Jimi Agbaje has debunked the widely held belief that he is not an election politician insisting he runs for office only when he thinks he has something to offer.

Responding to a question from the Moderator of the Lagos Governorship Candidates Debate, Mr. Agbaje said: “In the first place, it is not correct that I go to bed as some have said. I ran for office in 2007; I don’t run for office unless I believe I have something to offer. I didn’t run in 2011, I ran in 2015 and even after 2015, I have been very much out there.”

He conceded though that he may have been publicity shy but pointed out that he had motivated a lot of youths in the background and active in politics. According to him, he had run for chairmanship of the party in 2015 and 2017, adding, “so it is not correct that I go to bed.”

https://nextedition.com.ng/2019/01/12/in-plagiarised-manifesto-nigeria-ruling-apc-pledges-keep-america-safe/

The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has been caught padding its manifesto for the 2019 elections with materials copied from foreign websites without attribution.

The brazen plagiarism, which appeared from the title of the party’s ‘plan’ for energy infrastructure, comes amidst complaints of a worsening disregard for intellectual property rights in the country.

President Muhammadu Buhari apologised in 2016 after being caught using lines of a speech once delivered by former American President Barack Obama without attribution.

Only last week, Segun Sowunmi, a spokesperson of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party presidential campaign organisation, also apologised for stealing a speech from President Donald Trump and claiming it as his original thought in a New Year message on Facebook.

In the manifesto it recently uploaded on its website, the APC said its priority was to “ensure a safe and secure America“, setting itself up for scrutiny of the rest of the document which was designed to convince Nigerians that the party deserved reelection at the poll next month.

A google search of the first paragraph under the power’s proposal for power infrastructure revealed that the words were lifted in verbatim from either of a slew of website where they previously appeared, and without any attribution.

https://nextedition.com.ng/2019/01/12/14-year-old-black-ish-star-marsai-martin-set-become-hollywood-youngest-executive-producer/

Marsai Martin is set to hold the title as the youngest executive producer in Hollywood history, as the release of her film ‘Little’ is slated to hit theatres in April, 2019.

The 14-year-old black-ish actress stars alongside Issa Rae and Regina Hall in the body-switching comedy.

According to her, the film was inspired by the movie, “Big,” which she watched at the age of 10.

“It was one of my most favourite films growing up,” Marsai said. “After the Season 1 finale of Black-ish, we told Kenya Barris about it, and he called Will Packer and said: ‘Yo, you know the girl who plays Diane on Black-ish? She has this dope idea.”

https://nextedition.com.ng/2019/01/12/hit-and-run-driver-kills-four-friends-returning-from-carnival/

The police are on the trail of a hit-and-run driver who allegedly ran over four friends at Mosalasi Bus Stop, Gowon Estate, Lagos, killing them.

It was learnt that the victims – Wasiu Ayinde, 28; Azeez Adeleke, 26; Ibrahim Balogun, 30; and one Samuel aged 27 – had attended a carnival at Iyana Iba last Saturday.

They lived in Ijoko, Ogun State and were said to be returning home with five others when the car knocked them down at the spot around 5am on Sunday. Three of them reportedly died on the spot.

It was gathered that they had boarded a bus from the venue to the bus stop and were waiting for the next available bus when the incident occurred.

City Round learnt that residents sent a distress call to the police at the Gowon Estate Division and the corpses were evacuated to the Mainland General Hospital morgue.

Ayinde’s father, Mutiu, a butcher, told our correspondent that he was at work when he received the sad news.

He said, “I did not sleep at home last Saturday when Wasiu (Ayinde) attended the carnival with his friends and he did not inform his mother before he left home. I was at work when my wife called me that Wasiu and his friends were involved in an accident around Gowon Estate. He and three other friends died. He was the third child in the family. He was married with a child. I learnt they were invited to the carnival by their friends.”

https://nextedition.com.ng/2019/01/12/elections-will-hold-south-east-massob/

The Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra, MASSOB, has said contrary to the stance of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, elections would hold in the South East.

The Nnamdi Kanu-led IPOB, has taken the position that elections will not hold in the the South-East states.

However, rising from its National Executive Council meeting in Enugu on Friday, MASSOB declared that the elections as scheduled by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, would take place in ‘Biafraland.’

A statement signed by the National Director of Information, MASSOB, Samuel Edeson, read in part: “The leadership of the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra, after a National Executive Council meeting presided by our leader, Uchenna Madu, at our headquarters in Awgu, Enugu State, which was attended by all the local government area, state and zonal coordinators, as well as national directors, unanimously agreed and declared that this year’s general elections of the Nigerian state would not be stopped or boycotted in Biafraland.

https://nextedition.com.ng/2019/01/12/dss-says-did-not-abduct-melaye/

The Department of State Services, DSS, has denied that its operatives abducted Sen. Dino Melaye as alleged in some media.

In a statement by its Public Relations Officer, Peter Afunanya, it explained that the police brought Dino to its medical facility, insisting there was no time Dino was abducted by the service.

The statement read: “The Service wishes to state that the information, as being misrepresented by sections of the media, is far from the truth.

“The fact is that it was the Police that brought him to the DSS facility after obtaining a 14-day detention warrant with effect from Jan.9.

“The aim of bringing him to the Service’s facility is to complement Police efforts in giving the Senator a deserved medical attention.”

https://nextedition.com.ng/2019/01/10/soyinka-tackles-obasanjo-atiku-endorsement/

Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, has again tackled former President Olusegun Obasanjo over his endorsement of Atiku Abubakar, his former deputy and now presidential candidate of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) after painting him as villain for a long time.

Soyinka, who spoke alongside key dignitaries and stakeholders like Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, during a panel discussion on ‘Beyond Fake News’, put together by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), said the former president acted in a manner that promoted confusion and fueled fake news.

“[i]A former leader picks on a character for the better part of eight years that he ruled, calling him Lucifer. He continues after office saying same. Then all of a sudden, he suddenly says ‘This is your saviour’. What should you make of such a person?” [/i]Soyinka asked.

The event was organized by BBC to sensitise the public on the dangers of fake news, especially as the country would soon go into general elections.

Soyinka further stated that he had been a victim of fake news recalling how people twitted that he once called wife of former President Goodluck Jonathan, Patience, an illiterate, and denied ever making such statement.

“[i]I saw it in one of the social media platforms where a quote was attributed to me that I said it serves Jonathan right that he married an illiterate woman. I have never made any comment on this woman,” [/i]Soyinka said.

He stressed that efforts must be made to get creators of social media platforms like Facebook to check abuses leading to fake news on the social media, even as he recalled another incident involving a certain Nigerian resident in the US (names withheld), who reportedly created a facebook account in his name with which he allegedly made money from unsuspecting members of the public.

He said the police in Nigeria were unhelpful in the matter, recounting that a petition sent to the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) on the matter had gone unanswered, even as he narrated efforts through private investigation to unmask the said character.

https://nextedition.com.ng/2019/01/10/nigeria-gets-four-new-private-universities/

The Federal Executive Council has approved four new private universities.

The Council, at its first meeting in 2019 presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari, on Wednesday, gave approval for the universities.

Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, addressing journalists after the meeting gave the names of the universities as; Dominion University, Ibadan, Oyo State; Greenfield University, Kaduna State; Westland University in Iwo, Osun State and Trinity University, Ogun State.

https://nextedition.com.ng/2019/01/10/lagos-apc-rally-police-arrest-14/

The Lagos State Police Command says it has arrested 14 persons in connection with the violence that broke out at the flag-off campaign rally of the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress in Lagos, APC.

The State Commissioner of Police, Imohimi Edgal, said after reviewing the video of the violence, the police found out that the rally was disrupted by members of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW.
This, he said has further been confirmed by preliminary investigations.
Imohimi, disclosed that some the suspects, who were hired, were arrested around the Millennium Housing Estate and have been giving useful information to the police.

“Around the Millennium Housing Estate, and the area around the bridge, we arrested 14 suspects. Some of them have given us useful information.

“The preliminary investigation we carried out reveals that it is just their internal union crisis. I heard that their state chairman would leave soon and there are some players who wanted to succeed him.

https://nextedition.com.ng/2019/01/09/atiku-lampoons-buhari-absence-airforce-officers-burial/

Former Vice President and Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP),Former Vice President and Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, has mocked President Muhammadu Buhari for shunning the burial of five Air Force officers who died in a helicopter crash while prosecuting the war on terror.

Mr. Abubakar in a statement made available to The Next Edition said, "Our heroes deserve respect both in life and death and the refusal of the president to attend the funeral of these heroes is part of a pattern of unpatriotic behaviour demonstrated by President Buhari.

"At a time when the morale of our soldiers should be lifted up as they face the difficult task of defeating the terrorists who are threatening our national security, I find it most regrettable that President Muhammadu Buhari, despite being in Abuja, chose not to attend the funeral of the five Air Force officers who died in a helicopter crash while prosecuting the war on terror.

"Last month, I had cause to advise the President to find time to attend the funerals of the soldiers of the 157 Taskforce Battalion in Metele, Borno State, who paid the supreme price for Nigeria in large numbers.

"Sadly, due to reasons best known to him, President Buhari chose not to attend their funeral, neither was he represented by the Vice President nor any federal delegation. This was despite the fact that the President had time to host Nollywood actors and actresses the previous day. Imagine celebrating just before such a solemn event," Mr. Abubakar said.

https://nextedition.com.ng/2019/01/08/afcon-2019-egypt-set-host-continental-showpiece/

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) President, Ahmad Ahmad, announced in Dakar on Tuesday, January 8, 2019, that Egypt will host the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations between June 15 and July 13.


The CAF executive committee has chosen Egypt instead South Africa as replacements for original hosts Cameroon, who were dropped due to delays in preparations and concerns over security.

“I am pleased to announce that Egypt will host CAN (Cup of Nations) 2019,” Malagasy Ahmad told reporters.

CAF had said the winner will not be disclosed until Wednesday, January 9, 2019 in order to let the media concentrate on the annual awards ceremony in Dakar.

However, Ahmad chose to make the announcement before the said date.

https://nextedition.com.ng/2019/01/08/boko-haram-shettima-breaks-tears-pleads-urgent-intervention/

Governor Kashim Shettima of Borno State on Monday met with President Muhammadu Buhari and the service chiefs over the renewed Boko Haram insurgency in the state.

Shedding tears before all present at the Council Chambers of the Presidential Villa, he urged the President to do all within his powers to stop the insurgents, whom he said, now attack communities at will.

The governor said he was at the Villa in the company of Borno elders to meet with Buhari in order to find ways of addressing the increased spate of attacks by Boko Haram.

Others at the meeting were the National Security Adviser, Maj. Gen. Babagana Monguno, rtd.; who is also from Borno State; Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Gabriel Olonisakin; acting Director General of the National Intelligence Agency, Ahmed Abubakar; and the Director General of the Department for State Services, Yussuf Bitchi.

Addressing the President and the Service Chiefs, Shettima reminded Buhari of some resolutions reached at an extraordinary security meeting held in Borno State a week before and the need for the urgent implement of those.

Overwhelmed by emotions, the governor broke down in tears which freely rolled down his cheeks.

Amidst sobs, he said: [i]“Between 2013 and 2014, we witnessed the most daring and most vicious evil of the Boko Haram, losing 20 local government areas.

“However, we rushed here because of the recent upsurge in the activities of the demented monster called Boko Haram, especially in Borno North Senatorial District. We are here because since 2015, Mr President, you have been able to restore our hope.

“Sir, you have demonstrated empathy for Borno and the overriding commitment to ending the Boko Haram. This is why we rushed here on witnessing some setbacks.

“We are here because we thought that Allah will use you to fully reclaim Borno traditional glory of being the home of peace. We are here as a people who worked, prayed and waited for your Presidency in the firm belief that with you as the Commander-in-Chief, Boko Haram will become history in Borno.

“Mr President, we have not, and Insha Allah, we will not lose hope in you because we have witnessed and survived worse moments before you came. We do not feel hopeless. Our hopes are very much alive and they are very high.

https://nextedition.com.ng/2019/01/08/bus-driver-allegedly-rapes-78-year-old-woman/

Operatives of the Lagos State Police Command have arrested a commercial bus driver, Jelili Lawal, for allegedly raping a 78-year-old woman in the Adeniyi Jones area of Ikeja, Lagos State.

The elderly woman, was said to have been going to her home in the Ketu area of Lagos, but missed her way before the 41-year-old Lawal offered her a lift to her destination.

Briefing newsmen on Monday, the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Edgal Imohimi, said that the woman, who was happy and relieved at the driver’s offer, did not suspect that he had sinister intentions, adding that he drove her to another location to perpetuate the crime.

According to him, it was a woman’s cry for help that alerted a resident, who informed the police, who subsequently came to rescue her and arrested Lawal.

The rescued woman, he said had been taken to hospital where she was being counselled by trauma specialists

“On Tuesday, January 1, 2019, around 8pm, a woman, 78, met one Jelili Lawal, 41, a bus driver, at Maryland and told him that she had missed her way and did not know how to get to her house in Ketu.

“The said Jelili Lawal offered to help her. The woman was delighted and she boarded the bus, unknown to her that Lawal had other intentions.

https://nextedition.com.ng/2019/01/08/rice-smugglers-kill-customs-officer-injure-another/

Armed men believed to be rice smugglers at the weekend killed a Customs officer, Hamisu Sani, and wounded an Inspector of Customs, Tijani John Michel with machetes in Abeokuta, Ogun State, during a clash with operatives of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS).

The incident occurred on Sunday, Jan 6.

The state Customs Public Relations Officer (PRO), Abdullahi Maiwada, who confirmed the incident to journalists on Monday through a statement, said the slain officer had been buried according Islamic rites while the injured was responding to treatment at an undisclosed hospital, adding that two suspects had been arrested by the police in connection with the incident.

He also disclosed that the eight vehicles fully loaded with smuggled rice were also secured at the Customs House, Abeokuta for further investigation.

https://nextedition.com.ng/2018/12/30/nigerian-celebrities-celebrated-2018-christmas/

Christmas is the season when everyone comes together with family and friends to jolly and celebrate.

The Nigerian celebrities were not left out as they showed their fans a glimpse of their family Christmas celebrations in pictures.

Actress, Eniola Badmus released a funny shoot which she had with two live chickens in her Christmas outfit and dramatic gele. This had to be the funniest of it all as it cracked up so many people. The actress is known for being a comic actor as well.

Wee you keep kwayet....

Wee you keep kwayet

https://nextedition.com.ng/2018/12/30/man-runs-mad-14-days-dry-fast-prayer/

A middle-aged man went mad in Benin, Edo State after embarking on 14-day dry fasting and prayer. The identity of the man could not be ascertained as at the time of this report.

Investigations revealed that the father of five children was returning from the church where he carried out the spiritual exercise when it was noticed he was behaving abnormally.

TheNewsGuru quoted eye witness accounts as saying he had been demanding for a plate of Fufu and meat from a nearby restaurant but suddenly burst out with incoherent statements.

https://nextedition.com.ng/2018/12/30/bandits-kill-soldiers-zamfara-casualty-figure-unknown/


Suspected bandits have killed an unknown number of soldiers at a forest in Doburu in the Zurmi Local Government Area of Zamfara State.

According to The Cable, an online news portal, a military source who disclosed this on Saturday, said many of his colleagues sustained injuries in the incident.

He was also quoted as saying some of the injured persons were receiving treatment at Zurmi General Hospital.

https://nextedition.com.ng/2018/12/29/nans-wants-ASUU-return-negotiation-table-fg/

The National Association of Nigerian Students, NANS, has called on the leadership of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, to return to the negotiation table with the Federal Government.

The students stressed the need for ASUU to continue negotiations with the federal government to find solution to the issues that led to the strike, insisting that the Union's decision to shun further negotiations was “devilish and not in the interest of Nigerian students.”

The students body admonished the lecturers to work towards speedy resolution of the dispute and suspend the strike before Jan. 1, 2019 in the interest of Nigerian students.

NANS comments were in reaction to a statement reportedly issued by ASUU threatening not to honour any further invitation for a meeting with the Federal Government.

https://nextedition.com.ng/2018/12/29/buhari-incompetent-rewards-incompetence-ezekwesili/

Presidential candidate of Allied Congress Party of Nigeria, ACPN, Oby Ezekwesili, says President Muhammadu Buhari is incompetent.

She spoke in Calabar on Friday in a chat with journalists on why she was running for the office of the President.

According to Ezekwesili, President Buhari rewards incompetency by keeping his incompetent appointees in office.

She said, “We have seen serial failures in this administration. The President rewards incompetency and I am not surprised because the President himself is incompetent but does not realise it. What he does is to extend their stay in offices in which they have failed. We have seen it with the military. We have seen it with the police.

“He has retained the IG of police after the expiration of his tenure. Is it for stellar performance? This is an IG of police the President told the whole country he did not go to where he was assigned to go to in Benue State. What the President is essentially telling us is that the Nigerian life does not matter that much to him, otherwise he should be very aghast at the level of killings that happened.”

Throwing more light on why she is running for President, the former Education Minister said, “My greatest shock and one of my triggers for deciding to run for election, not being a politician as you all know, is that the debasement of the Nigerian life is the final straw that can turn us into a society of anarchy. For it to be that children will grow up in this society and just come to the understanding that killing a person is a normal thing; you know, you can just do it, there is no consequence. My goodness! What kind of impunity is that? That is a dangerous level of impunity.

https://nextedition.com.ng/2018/12/28/breaking-shehu-shagari-nigerias-first-executive-president-is-dead/

Shehu Shagari, the first executive president of Nigeria, is announced dead.

Bello Shagari, his grandson, confirmed that he died via his twitter handle at the National Hospital, Abuja, on Friday.

“I regret announcing the death of my grandfather, H.E Alhaji Shehu Shagari, who died right now after brief illness at the National hospital, Abuja,” he tweeted.

https://nextedition.com.ng/2018/12/18/football-lovers-react-mourinho-sack/

In the early hours of Tuesday, the Board of English Premier Club, Manchester United, issued a statement that the club’s coach, of two years + Jose Mourinho, has left.

To some the news of Mourinho’s sack came as a surprise while to others it has been long overdue.

Recall that Jose Mourinho signed for Manchester United in 2016 just a few months after he was sacked by Chelsea football club following a 3-1 defeat to Livepool.

Today, history seems to be repeating itself as Morinho is relieved of his coaching job following a 3-1 defeat of his club, Man Utd., by Liverpool.

The Next Edition brings you reactions of football fans on the development.

Patrice Evra @Evra: “The thing that is annoying me the most right nowis why are people so focused on @paulpogba and Jose Mourinjo. Let’s focus on rebuilding something solid instead of being in the playground. Doing this is only disrespecting the badge, from now on we need positivity.”

Ola: “Klopp defeats Madrid. Mou got sacked
Klopp defeats Chelsea. Mou got sacked
Klopp defeats Man u. Mou got sacked.

Klopp is Mourinho’s nightmare.”

Sesan Akindele: “Fair enough everything was getting too messy on and off pitch. Mourinho is a good coach bt needs to stop letting his controversial nature affect his players psyche negatively.

https://nextedition.com.ng/2018/12/18/spurs-pochettino-hot-favourite-replace-mourinho/

Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino emerged on Tuesday as the hot favourite to succeed Jose Mourinho, who was sacked as coach of Manchester United earlier in the day.

Pochettino has been seen as a long-term target for Manchester United because of his preference for attacking football and nurturing young talent.

Neither of these two attributes has been much in evidence at the club since the departure of Alex Ferguson in 2013.

With the Portuguese gone, Manchester United may make their move for the Spurs boss.

He has taken his club to consecutive top-three finishes, but has yet to bring a trophy to North London.

The Argentine was offered at odds of 2/1 against — meaning one chance in three — within minutes of Mourinho’s sacking.

Pochettino is closely followed at 4/1 against by former Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane, who led the Spanish side to three successive UEFA Champions League titles.