Simeon Samson, a 43-year-old man, has been dragged to court

The man, who allegedly spent fake currency, was on Tuesday arraigned in an Ota Magistrate Court in Ogun State.

The police charged Samson, whose address was not provided, with theft and spending fake currency.

The Police Prosecutor, Insp. E. O. Adaraloye, told the court that the defendant committed the offence on November 1, at about 1:15 am at Triple 9 Hotel, Onipanu, Ota.

Adaraloye alleged that the defendant gave the fake currency to one Adeosun Oluwatosin.

He said that the offence contravened sections 249(D) and 516 of the Criminal Code, Laws of Ogun, 2006.

The defendant, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The Magistrate, Mrs O. A. Adeyemi, admitted the defendant to N200,000 bail, with one surety in like sum.

Adeyemi ordered that the surety, who must be gainfully employed with evidence of tax payment to Ogun State Government, must reside within the court’s jurisdiction.

She adjourned the case until December 19, for further hearing.

Two persons have been arrested and paraded by operatives of the Western Security Network, code named Amatekun Corps, Ekiti State Command, over alleged money ritual in Ado-Ekiti.

The suspects, whose names were given as Adeniyi Oluwafemi (28) and Abdulazeez Ogunsakin (52) were arrested by the Corps following a complain by the relatives of the victim, a 17-year-old girl.

Parading the suspects at the office of the Corps in Ado-Ekiti, the Commandant, Brigadier General Joe Komolafe, (rtd) said one of the suspects, Adeniyi Oluwafeni reportedly ambushed the victim on her way to church on the fateful day and made attempts to slit her throat.

He explained that luck, however, ran out on him as the lady struggled with him and made frantic effort to collect the knife from the suspect.

She was said to have sustained serious injury from her right hand and raised alarm which led to the arrest of the suspect by residents of the area.

During interrogation by Journalists, the suspect confessed that he wanted to use the lady for money ritual.

He disclosed that another accomplice Abdulazeez Ogunsakin who he said is an uncle to him, a herbalist had given him the contract to get human parts for him for ritual purposes.

Recounting her ordeal, the 17-year-old girl, Godfirst Osigba, said she was on her way to the church on the fateful day when one of the suspects suddenly accosted her and made efforts to slaughter her from the throat.

She explained that one of the victims was until the incident a neighbour in the Kajola area of Ado-Ekiti, where she is working as an apprentice.

Plans have been made to add over 98 megawatts to the national grid by the Transmission Company of Nigeria, TCN.

This is coming as TCN energized a new 2X60MVA, 132/33kV Gas Insulated Substation (GIS) at Gwarinpa, Abuja recently.

TCN’s general manager of public affairs, Mrs Ndidi Mbah stated this in a statement released to DAILY POST on Tuesday.

According to her: “The 132kV transmission substation is one of the five substation projects comprising the Abuja Ring Projects, funded by Agence Francais de Development (AFD). The substation which has six (6) feeders through which bulk electricity is transmitted to Abuja Electricity Distribution Company’s (AEDCs) load centres, receives bulk supply from the Katampe 132kV Transmission line.

“The other four substation projects are at various stages of completion. Two would soon be energized while the other two are ongoing. Significantly on completion of the entire project, the FCT and environs would have adequate power supply for the next 50 years.

“The Abuja Ring Project is one of the several projects being executed by TCN to further expand the transmission grid. TCN would not rest on its oars but would continue to work towards further expanding the nation’s grid, to put in place a very robust transmission network that would continue to efficiently transmit bulk electricity to Distribution load centres nationwide.”

Pregnant wives of detained Boko Haram and ISWAP terrorists are being helped to deliver babies.

They are being helped by the Nigerian military personnel at the Giwa Barracks detention Centre in Borno State.

The detention facility has also been providing the children of their detainees with the necessary care for their physical growth, PRNigeria reports.

A PRNigeria reporter who visited the barracks recently observed that the detention centre prioritises giving necessary ante-natal support to pregnant Boko Haram fighters' wives brought to the facility.

It was learnt that the health facility at the barracks had recently assisted two women with their childbirth, and also provided their babies with necessary feeding and clothing provisions.

One of the wives of a Boko Haram suspect who is still at large, Aisha Ibrahim, gave birth to her seven-month-old son, Moammadu in May. But it was learnt that she did not conceive at the detention facility. Moammadu's pregnancy was about six-month-old when his mother was captured, and brought to the Joint Investigation Centre, JIC, at the Giwa barracks.

The 31-year-old noted that she was scared about her pregnancy and the fate of her unborn baby when she joined the women already in the military centre late last year.

“But to my surprise, the military officers who are guarding us took care of me and another woman who was also pregnant, at that time.

“They took very good care of us, and offered us the very best of the ante-natal treatment we deserve as expectant mothers, then.

“They gave us routine drugs and consistently monitored our situations, prior to our delivery. They were also there for us when we were ready to put to bed.

“It was the females among the soldiers here (at the JIC detention centre) that handled our childbirth, together with some private healthcare officials at the clinic in this barracks.

“They took us to the 7 Division Medical Hospital, where we both delivered our babies successfully, at different periods. But the other person who gave birth in this place (the detention facility) has been freed.

“I am the only one remaining here now, together with my little boy. But there are some other women with their little grown-up children, who are being detained too,” she told PRNigeria.

Aisha described the military personnel attending to them and their children as ‘very soft and tender’.

She said the military authorities at Giwa barracks provided nursing mothers with clothes, soaps, and other basic needs.

“With them, everyone of us here now feels a sense of belonging. They always assist us and buy us good, good things. We don’t have any problem feeding,” she said.

Aisha, however, prayed that the military authorities will soon free them and allow them to return to their ancestral communities.

"They gave us routine drugs and consistently monitored our situations, prior to our delivery. They were also there for us when we were ready to put to bed.

"It was the females among the soldiers here (at the JIC detention centre) that handled our childbirth, together with some private healthcare officials at the clinic in this our barracks,” she said.

Corroborating what Aisha said, Yanna Madu Kawu, another female who has been held at the barrack since 2017 with her husband (a ‘repentant’ terrorist) said the staff at their detention home always provide necessary support and care for the pregnant wives of arrested terrorists.

Since her arrival five years ago, Kawu, who hails from Konduga Local Government Area of the State, told PRNigeria that the military health officials at the barracks have assisted three pregnant women brought to their centre, to deliver successfully.

The 20-year-old, who already has a daughter, said: "They don't show stigma to wives and daughters of the terrorists arrested and brought here. They even support the pregnant ones among us, not showing concern about the fact that some fathers of the unborn children are Boko Haram fighters.

"Immediately any pregnant woman affiliated to Boko Haram is arrested and brought here, they will enrol her for ante-natal. To the best of my knowledge, they have never advised any expectant woman to terminate her pregnancy, regardless of how their pregnancy was gotten."

In separate chats with the newspaper, the Commander 7 Division Medical Services and Hospital, Lt. Col. Adeniyi Ogunsakin, and Sergeant Caesar Ojoko, Representative of 7 Division Medical Hospital at the Giwa barracks health clinic for inmates, said as military health workers, they are always concerned about the condition of the pregnant wives of terrorists and their daughters arrested by troops.

An American woman from Texas has reunited with her family after 50 long years.

BBC reports that a DNA test reunited the Texas woman with her long-lost family and ended a mystery that lasted over 50 years.

Melissa Highsmith, 53, was abducted by a babysitter from her home in Fort Worth in 1971 when she was just 22 months old.

Years of searching by the family yielded nothing - until DNA samples sent to an ancestry website produced a match.

Long known as "Melanie", Ms Highsmith now plans to change back her name.

The mystery over the fate of Ms Highsmith began in August 1971, when her mother, Alta Apatenco, hired a babysitter through an ad in a local newspaper.

The babysitter, suspected of kidnapping the baby, promised to take care of her at her home.

She then vanished with the baby, sparking a decades-long hunt by the Highsmith family, police and federal authorities. As recently as September, the family was following up a tip that Ms Highsmith had been spotted in South Carolina.

As the search went on year after year, Ms Highsmith - who went by the name Melanie Walden - was unaware that anyone was looking for her. Initially, she thought the family's efforts to contact her through Facebook were a scam.

A breakthrough in the case finally came on 6 November, when a DNA test on ancestry website 23AndMe connected Mrs Highsmith's children with the family, with the help of an amateur genealogist that helped them understand the results.

"Our finding Melissa was purely because of DNA," the family wrote in a Facebook post. "Not because of any police or FBI involvement, podcast involvement, or even our family's own private investigations or speculations."

Ms Highsmith and her parents met for the first time on 26 November. In the Facebook post, the family said that they conducted "further official and legal DNA testing" and are awaiting "official confirmation for the naysayers in this world".

"It's overwhelming," Ms Highsmith told BBC's US partner CBS. "But at the same time, it's the most wonderful feeling in the world."

Ms Apatenco, Ms Highsmith's biological mother, said she "just couldn't believe" that the family had been reunited after so many years.

"I thought I'd never see her again," she added.

No information has been given about the kidnapper. According to Ms Highsmith, when confronted, the woman who raised her - with whom she has been estranged for decades - admitted to knowing that she was the kidnapped child.

"That just made it real," Ms Highsmith said.

While the statute of limitations in the kidnapping has long passed, the Fort Worth Police Department said in a statement that it will continue the investigation into the disappearance to piece together what happened.

In the meantime, the family says they are making up for lost time and getting to know one another.

Ms Highsmith's sisters told the Washington Post, for example, that she plans to redo her wedding to her current husband so that her biological father can walk her down the aisle.

"My heart right now is just full and bursting with just much emotion," she told CBS. "I'm just really, really happy."

Fuel scarcity has reportedly rocked the city of Ibadan and commuters are now stranded.

Daily Post reports that a lot of commuters plying the streets of Ibadan, the Oyo State capital were on Tuesday stranded due to fuel scarcity that the city is currently experiencing.

It was observed that long queues of commercial buses, cars and private vehicles have returned to the majority of the petroleum stations in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, since three days ago.

There was tension on Tuesday due to the fact that the majority of the petroleum stations have shut their doors against customers.

Areas visited by DAILY POST correspondent on Tuesday including Ojoo, Sango, Agodi Gate UI-Secretariat Road, Bodija, Eleyele Road and Apete all have petroleum stations with long queues.

DAILY POST observed that only one petroleum station is still selling fuel at the rate of N180 per litre while a few others hiked their pump price to N195 or more, even up to N250.

Predictably, the station selling at N180 was filled up.

Some Ibadan residents who spoke with DAILY POST lamented that they waited for several hours to get the commodity.

Commuters also lamented that they spent several hours at bus stops before they get to their destinations.

A respondent, Ajibola, explained that he bought the commodity at the rate of N250 on Monday evening.

“It was terrible, I bought the fuel along the Ijebu-Ode Road on Monday at the rate of N250. And nobody is talking. So we are our activists. During the Jonathan period, in 2012, people came to the streets to protest, so where are the activists?” he lamented.

As of the time of filing this report, only a few petroleum stations are opened across the city.

In what will come across as a really startling development, the security situation in the Igbo-Eze North Local Government Area of Enugu State seems to be getting worse.

This is because gunmen have issued a 10-day sit-at-home to mourn in the entire council area.

SaharaReporters reports that the sit-at-home was to mourn their colleagues killed by security agents in the council area.

In a warning issued by the gunmen, they ordered all residents of the area to desist from going to a popular market, “Eke Ozzi” at Ogrute, the headquarters of the council area or face the wrath of the dreaded group which has been wreaking havoc in the council area.

The declaration it was gathered has sent residents into a panic.

The hoodlums were said to have started seizing motorcycles with Nigerian Number Plates and also warned school authorities in the council area to dismantle all Nigerian flags hoisted at all secondary and primary schools in the local government.

They equally ordered schools using any uniform which has “green and white” colours on it to change to other colours or face the wrath of the dreaded group. 

A resident of the local government area who pleaded for anonymity told SaharaReporters that people are being killed almost on a daily basis at the council area.

He said that the recent sit-at-home order came on the heels of renewed onslaught on their members by operatives of Ebubeagu and Nigerian soldiers which resulted in burning some residential houses of some of their leaders at Imufu, Umuagama and Aguibeje communities in the local government area.

Another resident of the area who equally pleaded for anonymity said, “The trouble started when some politicians in the council area split a group of thugs which they have been using during elections in the local government and trained some of them as Ebubeagu militias. 

"The splinter group are now in a supremacy or cult war with the trained Ebubeagu militias in the local government area and that is why there is chaos and insecurity in Igbo-Eze North now.” 

"Those fighting are neither members of the Indigenous People of Biafra nor Eastern Security Network," the source explained.

Bothered by the escalating insecurity in the local government area, women who wore black attires protested in the local government area on Friday but some of them were arrested and others dispersed with teargas by the police.

The women were reported as saying "We are angry that we do not have peace in our villages, our state and county. We want our leaders to stop the killings of our children and other loved ones."

Efforts to get reaction of the Enugu State Police Command were unsuccessful as the Command's spokesman DSP Daniel Ndukwe, could not answer his calls.

The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, is reportedly ibn a fresh move to correct the squabbles in the party.

The need to give Atiku adequate time to correct “a big anomaly” in the party before the February polls is the reason five aggrieved governors elected on the platform of the party are open to reconciliation, Saturday PUNCH can authoritatively reveal.

The governors, Nyesom Wike (Rivers), Seyi Makinde (Oyo), Samuel Ortom (Benue), Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu) and Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia states are demanding the resignation of National Chairman of the PDP, Iyorchia Ayu, on the grounds that the party cannot have a presidential candidate and its chairman from the same regional bloc.

Although they (aggrieved governors) have successfully inaugurated their respective campaign councils, the governors alongside their loyalists have been consistent in their stand that reconciliation is possible in the interest of the party if only the right thing is done.

The governors, this medium learnt, did not have personal axe to grind with Atiku and were said to be considering working with him if only Ayu would tender an unreserved apology to them given his failure to keep his promise that he would quit his post if a northerner emerged the PDP presidential candidate.

A source who works closely with one of the aggrieved governors told Saturday PUNCH that “the governors are aware of the implication of teaming up with a presidential candidate of another party. They are not blaming Atiku much even though they believe he could have done more.

“The problem is Ayu who made a promise but reneged on it. I think things would change if the man (the national chairman) can be diplomatic in his speeches. It takes nothing from him to just apologise to these governors for peace to reign,” he said.

Saturday PUNCH gathered that following the group’s declaration of readiness to embrace peace recently, Atiku called on his loyalists to reach out and negotiate with them in a bid to have them return to the fold of the campaign council.

Confirming this development, the Media Adviser to the former Vice President, Mr. Paul Ibe told our correspondent that the PDP presidential candidate had already activated a mediation team to work at brokering peace between the two parties.

He said, “When the aggrieved governors said they were open to reconciliation, we issued a statement in which His Excellency, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, welcomed the idea and reiterated his commitment to mediation. As we speak, a lot of engagements are going on but we don’t want this to be a media thing.

“Talks are ongoing and we are very sure this crisis will be over and everyone, including the G-5, will come on board and join the campaign council before the February election.”

A 36-year-old suspected, homos*xual Sikiru Ajibola, has been arrested in Ogun State.

He was arrested by the Police Command in Ogun after he allegedly r*ped 5-year-old boy to death in Ogijo area of Sagamu local government.

SP Abimbola Oyeyemi, the State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), disclosed this in a statement issued in Abeokuta on Saturday.

Oyeyemi explained that the suspect was arrested on Friday following a report lodged at Ogijo divisional headquarters by the CDA Chairman of Olorunwa Arogbeja Ogijo.

Oyeyemi said that the chairman had reported that one of the community members informed him that the suspect had unlawful carnal knowledge of the boy, consequence upon which the innocent boy died in the process.

The PPRO added that upon the report, the Divisional Police Officer, Ogijo division, Enatufe Omoh, quickly detailed his detectives to the scene, where the suspect was promptly arrested.

“On interrogation, the suspect confessed engaging in homosexuality and that while he was having sex with the deceased boy, he died.

“He confessed further that he quickly dug a shallow grave in a nearby bush, where he hurriedly buried the boy.

“He has also taken policemen to where the deceased was buried,” Oyeyemi said.

Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police, Mr Lanre Bankole ordered the immediate transfer of the case to Homicide Section of the State Criminal Investigation Departments for further investigation and diligent prosecution.

Some All Progressives Congress, APC, members in Kano have slammed Bashir Ahmad.

They urged the party leadership to immediately takes drastic measures against Bashir Ahmad, President Muhammadu Buhari’s aide, for his alleged disregard for the party’s progress.

The members accused Bashir Ahmad of choosing to attend the ongoing World Cup final in far away Qatar at a time the party is struggling to capture Kano and Nigeria in general.

Alhaji Samani Inuwa, one of the leaders of the party from Gaya Local Government, told newsmen alongside other members that Ahmad’s issue calls for concern.

He said, “we cannot comprehend how Bashir Ahmad chooses to be in Qatar when in Kano we were in Gaya Local Government to launch the party gubernatorial and other positions campaigns.

“If every member of the Party would act the way Bashir acted, we don’t think APC would make it to the elective offices, therefore a punishment should quickly meted on him to serve as a deterrent to others.”

The party leaders, in the same vein, congratulated Governor Abdullahi Ganduje for ensuring a peaceful flag-off of the gubernatorial campaigns in Gaya, assuring that despite the odds of the likes of Bashir Ahmad, the APC would win Kano.

Bashir Ahmad, President Muhammadu Buhari’s aide on Online Media, tweeted his photograph in a stadium in Qatar watching the World Cup. The tweet has attracted backlash as party members described his action as unfortunate.

Efforts to reach Ahmad were unsuccessful at the time of filing this report.

A former governor of Cross River, Donald Duke, has made his feelings known about whoever the next governor of the state would be.

He said that he felt sorry for the next governor of the state, revealing that such an individual would be faced with an uphill task of reinventing governance in the state.

He made the remarks at the inauguration of the 1,080-member campaign council of the charter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in Calabar on Saturday.

The former governor noted that the essence of good governance has been lost in the state in the last eight years.

According to him: “I never bargained to be governor of the state, but was driven by passion and commitment to positively change the fortune of the state, when I eventually became one.”

He said that where he and his team envisioned the state to be by now is not where it is.

“I am worried about development in the state, a whole generation had been lost. We know where the state ought to be by now. The plan was that we would have been governing the state without relying on federal allocation by now. The plans were all laid out.

“Whole paradise had been lost. This is certainly not the best of time to govern Cross River State,” NAN quoted him as saying.

Duke added that he was hopeful that the PDP governorship candidate, Sen. Sandy Onor, has what it takes to restore the lost glory of the state.

He stressed that Onor’s past experiences in government had adequately prepared him for the uphill task of reinventing the state.

A fake medical doctor has been arrested by officers of the Lagos State Police Command.

The spokesperson of the state police command, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, disclosed this on Twitter.

Posting the photo of the fake medical doctor, Hundeyin wrote; ''This 26-year old man faked a medical license in his name and has been practicing as a medical doctor since January 2022.

"Commendation goes to public-spirited Lagosians who spotted him and promptly informed the Police. You have saved lives. If you see something, say something!''

Rita Dominic, the popular Nigerian actress has had her white wedding.

The white wedding of the actress and her man, Fidelis Anosike, took place in London.

Below are are photos and videos from the ceremony...

Nine lives have been lost while three others sustained varying injuries after a vehicle hit another stationary car and plunged into Fada Dam in Gwarzo Local Government Area along Kano-Katsina Road.

Sources from the area said the incident happened when the vehicle, Golf wagon, ran into another vehicle that broke down on the road.

The faulty vehicle had no sign to alert other motorists of its condition. So when the oncoming car hit it, the driver lost control and plunged into the dam.

The spokesperson, Kano State Fire Service, Saminu Yusif who confirmed the incident, said the accident involved a Golf wagon car with 12 passengers coming from Kano and heading to Katsina.

Yusif said three were rescued, while nine others who were evacuated unconscious were later confirmed dead by doctor.

According to him, “On Saturday 19 November 2022, state fire service received an emergency call through Ali Mai Faci, at about 18:45 hrs and he reported an incident at Fada dam Gwarzo LGA Dayi road.

“When our men from Gwarzo fire station reached the area at about 19:10 hrs, they found that a Golf Wagon with unknown registration number, coming from Kano heading to Katsina, fell inside Fada Dam.

“Twelve people of Katsina state were rescued, all with unknown names.

“Victims involved are 2 girls of about 6 month, 4 women of about 30, 28, 27 and 25 years old, as well as 6 men of about 48, 45, 42, 40, 35 and 28 years old.

“With good effort of our men and local fishermen we successfully rescued three persons alive, while nine people unconscious and conveyed all victims to Gwarzo General hospital for medical attention and doctors confirmed the 9 people dead,” he said.

The spokesperson however maintained that the incident happened as a result of tire burst leading to the loss of control of the vehicle.

Gov Nyesom Wike and Peter Obi

Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike of Rivers State has stated that he has no regrets for saying he would support Peter Obi, the Labour Party, LP, presidential candidate with logistics.

Wike explained that Obi was a former governor, hence the need to support him with logistics during his presidential campaign in Rivers.

On Friday, Wike pledged to support Obi’s presidential campaign with logistics.

The governor disclosed this while Obi was commissioning a flyover in Port Harcourt, the state capital.

However, Wike warned Obi that Labour Party would not win any political position in the state.

Speaking yesterday in Port Harcourt, Wike said PDP is the only party existing in Rivers State.

He said: “I have no regret in saying I will support Obi with logistics. He is a former governor, and if he is coming to campaign here, I will give him logistics support.

“I will give him vehicles, and security; I must give him logistics support. And I told him yesterday that his party will not get even one position in Rivers, not House of Assembly; there is no other party in Rivers. The only party we have here is PDP, Rivers State chapter.”

Mike Bamiloye

President of Mount Zion Faith Ministries, Mike Bamiloye has an important message to people who enter marriage with preparation to leave whenever anything goes wrong.

The televangelist warned that such persons should not expect to last long in such marriages.

According to the clergyman, such people have prepared for failure.

He shared this opinion on his Instagram page this afternoon.

Read Below;

The hideout of notorious gunrunner, Mallam Ila in Zamfara was struck by the Nigerian Air Force (NAF)

The enclave is located at Manawa village in Shinkafi Local Government Area.

A NAF aircraft under Operation Hadarin Daji shelled the area on the evening of November 18.

Ila was the major supplier of sophisticated weapons to notorious terrorist, Bello Turji.

The military says he is a high-value target due to his closeness to Turji and Dan Bokoyo. Their footsoldiers carried out attacks in the Shinkafi axis as well as parts of Kaduna, Niger, Kebbi and Sokoto states.

A defence operative told PRNigeria that scores of terrorists were eliminated during the operation.

“Multiple explosions were observed with huge fireballs, indicative of other highly inflammable materials hidden in the location,” the source said.

Prof Ojo Bakare, the immediate past Commissioner for Arts, Culture and Tourism in Ekiti State, has denied some allegations against him.

He denied the allegation against him that he embezzled over N170 million while superintending over the ministry.

Bakare, who stated that he served the state with utmost zeal as a commissioner, also said none of his family members was receiving salary contrary to the news being peddled against him.

The academic was responding to the accusations on social media that he embezzled over N100 million during the 2021 edition of the National Festival of Arts and Culture hosted by Ekiti.

The allegations also included that the Professor of Dance, defrauded the Ministry of over N26 million in the 2022 NAFEST hosted by Lagos State, while also he also plunged the ministry into N40 debt being money purportedly expended on media during the arts fiesta hosted by Ekiti.

The former Dean, Post Graduate School, Federal University, Oye Ekiti, who debunked the allegation in Ado Ekiti, on Friday, while speaking with journalists, said the government of Governor Kayode Fayemi only released a sum of N94 million for the 2021 NAFEST.

Bakare dispelled the accusation that he and the Ministry’s contingents, who attended the Lagos NAFEST programme 2022, spent over N26 million on hotels when only N15 million was released by government for the 87-member contingents that represented Ekiti.

The academic refuted the allegation that the responsibilities being given to him by Governor Biodun Oyebanji after leaving office connoted that he was planning to scheme a comeback as a commissioner.

Bakare, who threatened to petition the Commissioner of Police, Mr Morounkeji Adesina to investigate the purveyors of the “fake news”, charged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, to investigate the ministry’s financial books under his reign.

He said: “Recently, I went to Lagos State on the instruction of Governor Oyebanji to represent Ekiti. He also asked me to represent him at an event organised by the Performing Musicians Association of Nigeria in Ekiti.

“Those who are eyeing the commissionership seat started fighting me. They became threatened thinking that I wanted to come back, so what they wrote was 100 per cent lies.

“I am not running the ministry as a commissioner. The governor sent me on errands as a professional, which I couldn’t turn down.

“They said I embezzled over N100m as a Commissioner during Ekiti NAFEST, even when the entire budget for that event was N94 million. The same event Lagos State hosted with over N2bn. My personal fund went into Ekiti NAFEST.

“They said I am still collecting money for some Media Houses that the Ministry owed N40m during NAFEST. In case they didn’t know, the National Council for Arts and Culture was responsible for the funding for publicity, my office only supported with a token.

“In the Lagos NAFEST that we attended, we didn’t owe any hotel in Lagos, the entire contingents in Ekiti were camped at a faith-based centre in Gbagada. 87 people represented Ekiti and the money budgeted for them was just N15m, no case of N26m hotel accommodation debt”.

Bakare denied being high-handed or acting as a “tyrant” as a commissioner. He didn’t take away any vehicle belonging to the Ministry after leaving office on October 14, 2022.

2,343 members of the All Progressives Congress have defected to the Peoples Democratic Party in Sokoto State.

The governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in Sokoto State, Saidu Umar, received the new PDP members on Thursday at the inauguration of the Ubandoma/Sagir Mainiyo Old Market Development Association.

This was contained in a statement by Umar’s aide, Nafiu Lema.

Umar assured the defectors that they would be carried along in all the activities of the party, especially as the campaigns had commenced.

He charged them to dedicate more energy towards garnering support and promoting the party and its candidates in the area.

Outlining his agenda on empowerment programmes, Umar said his administration, if elected, will provide opportunities for the youths and women in the state.

He commended the chairman of the association, Abdulrashid Maccido, for empowering men and women in the area and urged other business people in the party to emulate the gesture.

Umar was accompanied to the event by the Commissioner for Local Government Affairs, Abdullahi Maigwandu; Commissioner for Animal Health and Fisheries, Abdulqadir Junaidu; and the Commerce and Industry commissioner, Bashir Gidado.

Others were the Local Government Council Chairmen of Sokoto North and Sokoto South, Mustapha Shehu Sokoto and Faruku Sayudi respectively.

The highly anticipated World Cup tournament is upon us and the footballing world is ecstatic about it.

However, due to injury or other reasons, some of football’s star players will not be represented at the FIFA World Cup set to begin in Qatar this weekend.

The unusual timing of the biggest showpiece in world football has led to many a injured players, while some could not get in due to the failure of their country to secure qualification.

Here are five of such players that will be looking from afar while the chosen ones sweat it out for the FIFA World Cup trophy.

Erling Haaland

The 23-year-old Norwegian is arguably the best striker in the world at the moment. He scores goals for fun at both club and country and has taken to the English Premier League like fish to water since joining in the summer.

While Haaland has scored 18 league goals for Manchester City since his move from Borussia Dortmund, he managed only five goals during the World Cup qualifiers, and it is no surprise that Norway struggled to make an impact in Group G, finishing third behind the Netherlands and Turkey.

More is expected on the international scene from the fearsome 6ft5 striker.

Paul Pogba

Paul Pogba returned to Juventus in the summer to improve his chances of appearing at the World Cup but he suffered a long-term injury that ensured he would not be part of the France party this time.

An integral member of the winning squad in 2018 and a favourite of coach Didier Deschamps, a meniscus injury suffered in July has not been managed and would require surgery, ensuring Pogba would be watching from afar.

The 29-year-old has resigned to fate, recently sharing an emotional goodwill message to his team on social media.

Mohamed Salah

Simply put: Sadio Mane stopped Salah and Egypt from taking part in the upcoming World Cup.

Despite Egypt topping the preliminary group, the Pharaohs were stopped by Mane and Senegal on penalties during the playoff round despite Salah’s influence.

The 30-year-old has rightly been the talisman for club and country in the recent past but his star power has waned and proven insufficient for Egypt. He did not score a goal during the World Cup qualifiers and will have to make do with a place on the sofa during the World Cup break.

N’Golo Kante

Together with Pogba, Kante was the engine room that delivered the Russia 2018 World Cup to France and his industry will be sorely missed in Qatar.

An ever-smiling, affable character liked by all, Kante has been injured for much of the year and the latest is a huge blow to France’s midfield engine.

One of the best defensive midfielders in the world when fit, Kante has been battling a hamstring injury that has coincided with a decline in Chelsea’s performance and results, and it remains to be seen if France can find a worthy replacement.

Roberto Firmino

A shocking omission from the Brazilian roster for the World Cup. After overcoming an injury-plagued season to stay fit this year, ‘Bobby’ Firmino has had a good start to the new season and remains a bright light in a rather dull campaign so far for Liverpool with six goals and three assists from 12 appearances.

The Liverpool striker’s omission paved way for the inclusion of Richarlison, the Tottenham winger, in the travelling party despite a paltry return of two goals and two assists from 15 matches.

With 17 goals in 55 games for the Brazilian national team, it is hoped that Coach Tite’s decision not to select Frimino who expertly utilises space does not haunt him during the Mundial.

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Source: TheCable

Magistrate, S. O Obasa, of Yaba Magistrates’ Court in Lagos has sentenced a 23-year-old man, Ganiyu Ismaila to three years imprisonment for unlawfully belonging to the Aiye confraternity in the state.

The prosecutor, Godwin Oriabure, told the court that Ismaila committed the offence on January 4, 2019, in the Imota area of Ikorodu, Lagos, and was arrested on March 3, 2022.

Oriabure noted that the offence is contrary to and punishable under Section 42 (b) Cap CH, C17, Vol.3 Laws of Lagos State, 2015.

The convict subsequently pleaded guilty to the offence and stated that his friend influenced him to join the cult group by inviting him to one of their meetings.

Ismaila said they held their meetings every first Sunday of the month at St John’s primary school, Imota, and that was where he was initiated.

The prosecutor told the court that Ismaila was arrested by the Anti-Cultism Unit of the Lagos State Police Command.

The defendant was sentenced having pleaded guilty to one count of belonging to the cult group.