Ali Modu Sheriff: INEC can’t disqualify my candidate for Edo election

Factional National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Sen. Ali Modu Sheriff, has said that the Independent National Electoral Commission cannot reject the candidate of his faction for the Edo governorship election.

He therefore described as rumour the adoption of Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu by the commission as the party’s candidate for the September 10 governorship election in the state.

Sheriff’s faction of the party had presented Mr. Matthew Iduoriyekemwen who emerged winner at his faction’s primary, as the party’s candidate for the election.

Nigerian set to be executed in Indonesia

Indonesia plans to execute this year at least two foreign convicts, one from Nigeria and another from Zimbabwe, the attorney general said on Wednesday.

President Joko Widodo has pledged to increase the number of executions this year and next as part of his crackdown on drugs.

Asked if there were any foreigners on the list of convicts to be executed, Attorney General H.M. Prasetyo told reporters: “We have foreigners, among them from Nigeria and Zimbabwe.”

Leicester boss, Ranieri compares Ahmed Musa Speed to that of an aeroplane

Ahmed Musa, Nigerian international who joined English premiership champions has been described by the club’s coach, Claudio Ranieri as an ‘airplane’.

Leicester signed Musa from CSKA Moscow for a fee of £18million last week, and Ranieri believes the Nigerian will be an important part of his squad ahead of the upcoming campaign.

Ranieri, speaking at the Foxes’ pre-season training base in Austria, said Musa will bring lots of speed to an already rapid strike-force and called his team ‘the RAF’, due to their abundance of pace and style of play.

President Obama deploys US troops to South Sudan

President Barack Obama on Wednesday announced the deployment of 47 troops to crisis-ridden South Sudan to protect the US embassy and its staff.

“Although equipped for combat, this additional personnel are deployed for the purpose of protecting US citizens and property,” Obama wrote in a letter to Congress released by the White House.

Obama also said that 130 more personnel were propositioned in Djibouti and ready to deploy if necessary. While US troops will not have a combat role, their presence will not go unnoticed by rival factions.

Top Commander of IS killed in Iraq (PHOTO)

A top Islamic State group commander, Omar al-Shishani, has been killed in Iraq, the jihadist-linked Amaq agency said on Wednesday.

The Pentagon announced in March that Shishani was believed to have died of injuries received in an air strike targeting his convoy in northeastern Syria — details at odds with Amaq’s account. Citing a “military source,” Amaq said Shishani was killed “in the town of Sharqat as he took part in repelling the military campaign on the city of Mosul”, referring to the last IS-held city in Iraq. 

Iraqi forces are conducting operations to set the stage for a final push to Mosul, the country’s second city that fell to IS in June 2014. Sharqat lies on the road north to Mosul, but Iraqi forces recently bypassed the area to recapture a key military base in the Qayyarah area farther north that the Pentagon said will be a “springboard” for the push toward the city. Amaq did not specify when Shishani was killed, but the loss of the commander is a blow to the jihadist group, which has suffered a string of setbacks in Iraq this year. 

Buhari: Easy and Free Money Making Era in Nigeria is gone for good

President Muahmmadu Buhari on Wednesday said that the era of free and easy money in the country had gone for good.

Buhari made this known when he inaugurated road and drainage projects in Tsafe Local Government Area of Zamfara. He inaugurated the 20km township road and 40km drainages in Tsafe Local Government amounting to N2.1 billion.

The president also inaugurated the 75-kilometre Wanke- Danjigba-Kucheri-Kigama-Bilbis Road with seven bridges valued eight billion naira.

He vowed that his administration would enthrone good governance through vigorous prosecution of the ongoing war against corruption in the country.

Fayose to Aisha Buhari: 'Wait till 2018 to sue me for 'character assassination'

Ekiti State Governor Ayo Fayose has advised wife of the President, Mrs. Aisha Buhari, to wait till end of his tenure on October 16, 2018, to sue him for defamation on her alleged link with the Halliburton scandal.

Fayose, in a letter by his counsel, Mike Ozekhome, a copy of which was made available to reporters in Ado-Ekiti yesterday, said he enjoys constitutional immunity from civil and criminal proceedings as governor.

The governor said the statement he made regarding the alleged involvement of Mrs. Buhari in the Halliburton scandal was “correct and justified in law, having regards to a court judgment convicting Mr. William Jefferson of bribery in the case”.

The counsel to Mrs. Buhari, Mary Ekpere & Co, had written to Fayose on June 22, demanding a retraction of the governor’s statement that her client (Mrs. Buhari) was involved in the Halliburton scandal.

Secretary to the Government of the Federation explain why FG can’t implement 2016 budget

The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir David Lawal, on Wednesday declared the Federal Government cannot fully implement the N6.06 trillion 2016 budget as passed by the National Assembly.

Lawal told a joint Senate committee on Appropriations, Finance and Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions that the revenues of the government had dropped by 50 to 60 per cent contrary to projections.

The SGF was invited by the Senate to explain his comment that the 2016 constituency projects as captured in the budget would not be implemented.

Niger Delta Revolutionary Crusaders announces two-week ceasefire

A militant group, Niger Delta Revolutionary Crusaders, NDRC, based in Bayelsa State, yesterday, declared a two-week ceasefire within which it urged President Muhammadu Buhari to review his hard-line stance to dialogue with militants and first-rate leaders of Niger Delta to prevent total devastation of crude oil export facilities in the region.

This came as the Niger Delta Avengers, NDA, accused ExxonMobil of telling lies about the bombing of its Qua Iboe 48-inch crude export pipeline on Monday.

Spokesperson of Avengers, self-appointed Brig-Gen Murdoch Agbinibo, stated: “ExxonMobil can deny or fool the general public about their export pipeline blown up on Monday. How long can they lie to their investors? Just in matter of days, the whole world will see the truth.

Rivers States APC opposes N9Billion loan for Wike

The Rivers State chapter of the All Progressives Congress has condemned the approval of N9bn loan for Governor Nyesom Wike by the state House of Assembly.

The party, which described the loan as unconscionable and wicked, alleged that the state government planned to use it for the July 30, 2016, rerun election in the state.

The state APC Chairman, Chief Davies Ikanya, made this known in a statement, on Tuesday.

According to Ikanya, the action is a sign of desperation by the governor ahead of the forthcoming election.

Group slams Melaye for allegedly threatening to beat Tinubu's wife

The Lagos chapter of the #BringBackOurGirls group has lambasted Dino Melaye for his threat to “beat up” his colleague, Oluremi Tinubu, during a disagreement in a closed-door session held by the senators.

In a statement issued Wednesday and jointly signed by Yemisi Ransome-Kuti, Aisha Oyebode, Ayo Obe, and Habiba Balogun, the group described Mr. Melaye’s actions as “disgusting”.

“While the issues of the senate and their disagreements remain strictly their issue, it is pertinent to put an end to this recurring act of threat of violence against women,” the group said in the statement also signed by Yemi Adamolekun, Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi, Ngozi Iwere, Olalere Babasola, and Adwoa Edun.

Pandemonium as DSS allegedly kills innocent female traveller in Kaduna

There was an uproar in Kaduna state on Wednesday following the killing of a woman by an operative of the Department of State Services (‎DSS).

A witness told newsmen that the incident occurred around 2pm close to Jere, a town in the state.

The security official was said to have killed her in error, as his main target reportedly escaped.

$200 Billion scam: EFCC seals First Group office in Abuja

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday sealed a Dubai real estate firm, The First Group, over a phoney $200 billion deals.

Several documents, including a list of high profile patrons, were recovered from the premises.

The anti-graft agency is screening the list. A prominent Nigerian may have lost about $402,000 (N136.6 million).

This is the second in some of the deals, it was learnt time since May the EFCC has raided the firm, which is allegedly involved in assisting politicians to launder money in the United Arab Emirates(UAE).

Militants debut first South-west Pipeline Bombing under Buhari Regime

Weeks after killing and maiming innocent residents while raiding communities in Ogun state, suspected Niger Delta militants have blown up a gas pipeline in PZ Estate in the Ogijo area of the state.

Members of the community told Channels Television that the incident, which is the first known attack on a pipeline in the south-west under President Muhammadu Buhari, occurred late Tuesday.

Apart from Imo state in the south-east, where a Shell pipeline was blown last month, all other attacks in recent times have happened in the south-south, mainly Delta state.

The suspects in Ogun were said to have attacked the facility while pretending to be officials of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) on maintenance patrol.

Buhari's Impeachment: Ohanaeze, Afenifere, others condemn threat

The pan-Yoruba socio-cultural organisation, Afenifere, has kicked against the purported plot by a section of the Senate to impeach President Muhammadu Buhari.

The Secretary-General of Afenifere, Pa Sehinde Arogbofa, said the solution to the problem facing the country was not the impeachment of the President. He called on the National Assembly to settle whatever the problem it had with the President for the country to move forward.

Arogbofa added, “What have they done to correct the situation of the country? It is their government, it is an APC government. What have they done within their party internally to make things better? We have been hearing of corruption everywhere even among them. I don’t think they (members) are sincere with the move of saying they want to impeach the President.

Emir Sanusi: Why Fashola is a mere figure Head as Minister of Power

The Emir of Kano, Muhammad Sanusi II, has reiterated his stand that the position of power minister in Nigeria has no weight.

According to him, virtually all arms of the electricity value chain had been taken away from the control of the minister, leaving the occupant of the office with nothing to control.

The Emir stated this during a stakeholders’ workshop on Road Transport Management and Mass Transit Operations in Nigeria, organised by the Federal Ministry of Transportation in Abuja yesterday.

Herdsmen can't do without carrying daggers or machetes - Leader says

Ardo Basso, leader of the Fulani community in Enugu state, says it is not possible to prevent herdsmen from carrying “machetes and daggers”.

He said so long herdsmen do not harass residents, they can go about armed in residential areas and market places.

Basso was however opposed to the carrying of guns, calling on security agencies to arrest those caught with firearms without licence.

Basso said this on Wednesday while testifying at the commission of inquiry into the Nimbo killings in the Uzo Uwani local government area of Enugu.

Nigerian Communication Commission says they generated over N1.4trn in 90 days

Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC) has realised over N1.4 trillion in its operations in the first quarter of 2016.

Umar Danbatta, professor and executive vice chairman of the commission, said in Kano on Wednesday while paying a courtesy call on Abdullahi Ganduje, governor of the state.

Dambatta revealed that the generated money was part of their contribution to the country’s gross domestic product (GDP).

He also said “multiple taxation, coupled with obstruction of right of way for development in states of the federation has been identified as the major challenge militating against the growth and development of telecom service providers in the country”.

Conspiracy theorists says "The world will end on 29th of July"

After several predictions of the end of the world have come and gone, fresh predictions have revealed that the world would now be ending on July 29, 2016.

Conspiracy theorists have come up with fresh theories indicating that the end of days will be hitting us in another 16 days.

Armageddon News reports that the earth’s magnetic poles will flip and an extremely angry Jesus Christ will return, bringing about the end of the world.

Nigeria's Ogenyi Onazi bags brace in Lazio’s 19-0 pres-season win

Nigeria’s Ogenyi Onazi was on target twice as Lazio spanked Italian fourth division side Auronzo 19-0 in a pre-season game.

The midfielder’s strike in the 85th and 86th minute after coming on as a substitute contributed to his side’s massive win at the Rodolfo Zandegiacomo Stadium.

Prof. Itse Sagay says many lawyers may end up as accused persons

The Chairman, the Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption, Prof. Itse Sagay (SAN), has given an insight into practices that could turn a lawyer into an accused person and land him in jail.

Sagay spoke on Tuesday during a one-day workshop on ‘Anti-corruption, ethics of the legal profession and justice sector’.

The event was co-organised by the Nigerian Bar Association and the PCAC.

In his contribution, S‎agay described lawyers as “social engineers” whose failure to live up to the expectation of their callings‎ could lead to anarchy, chaos and poverty.

Lagos State Governor vows to make Badagry Africa's hub of tourism

Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode on Wednesday presided over the State Executive Council Meeting held at the VIP Chalet in Badagry, just as he said that his administration has fine-tuned plans to make the ancient town of Badagry a hub of tourism and resort enterprise in Africa within the next 18 to 24 months.

The Governor, who spoke to journalists shortly after embarking on an inspection tour, said his administration would spare nothing to make Badagry a flashpoint for developmental projects in the State.

The Governor said, “Our eyes are set on Badagry, let’s do something for the future. We are going to open up Badagry forever.” Governor Ambode, who was accompanied by all members of the State Executive Council, also inspected ongoing projects and other government establishments in Badagry which according to him was an immediate response to the questions and suggestions from the 2016 Second Quarter Town Hall Meeting which held at the Muslim Community Praying Ground in Badagry on Tuesday.

Dallas Cowboys tops Real Madrid & Barcelona on Forbes 50 Most Valuable Sports teams (Full list)

NFL team Dallas Cowboys are now the most valuable sports team in the World according to Forbes annual list of most Valuable sports franchises released this week. This is the first time since Forbes began compiling their annual top 50 lists of the most valuable sports teams in the world, that a non-football team will be topping it's list. Manchester United held the crown of most valuable in 2011 and 2012, and Real Madrid did so the last three years, but on this occasion American football outfit Dallas Cowboys rank first with a value of $4billion (£3.31bn), up 25%. 

Burna Boy: "I got a lot of enemies, some of them used to be my friends"

Everyone's got enemy nah ... Burna who are you sending this message to?

FCT Minister slam for his response towards Deaconess Eunice Olawale’s Murder

Minister of the FCT, Malam Muham­mad Musa Bello has come under attack and criticism for keeping quiet over the killing of a popular female preacher in Kubwa by yet to be known, persons.

The killing took place Sat­urday morning when the woman, Deaconess Eunice Olawale, went out around 5:00 am for evangelism as usual.

A man who simply identified himself as Mr. Matthew decried the attitude of the FCT Minister whom he said has not taken any action, or visited the family since the incident happened.

Two-Storey Building Collapses near Onitsha, Seven persons killed

Seven persons were feared killed on Wednesday as a two-storey building collapsed at Ogidi, near Onitsha.

A source said three persons died on the spot while four died on the way to the hospital. Many others sustained varied degrees of injuries.

The two-storey building, which was still under construction at Ikenga Ndiagu village, Ogidi in Idemili North Local government Area of the state, trapped some workers when it collapsed.

CCB reveal Buratai’s $1.5m Dubai Mansion Declared in Wife’s Name

The Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) has opened up on the acquisition of $1.5 million mansions by the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Yusuf Buratai.

The bureau said its records showed that the assets of Buratai in Dubai were declared in his wife’s name.

The CCB made the clarification in a July 11 letter by Mrs. Ijeanuli Arinze Ofor, to Ugochukwu Osuagwu of St. Francis Xavier Solicitors and Advocates in Abuja.

Osuagwu had requested information on Buratai “pursuant to Section 1 and 4 of the Freedom of Information Act 2011.

PHOTO: Transgender Woman nab recording 18 year old woman in a changing room

A transgender woman, 43-year-old Shauna Patricia Smith has been accused of taking photos of another woman while she was changing clothes inside a dressing room at a Target store in southeast Idaho. The Bonnevile County Sheriff's Office said that Smith is in custody on a felony video voyeurism charge.

Police said, on Monday, an 18 year old woman saw someone taking pictures of her while she was inside a changing room at the Target in Ammon. 

"The victim noticed the subject reaching over the wall of the changing room with a cell phone taking pictures," police wrote in a news release.

Iyanya bluntly denies fighting with Ubi Franklin (See Comment)

So they are not fighting and he is leaving the record label? Even if your contracts expires aren't you suppose to renew? 

(PHOTOS) Russell and Ciara Wilson looks perfect at the 2016 ESPYS

Russell Wilson and his beautiful wife Ciara look elegant as they made their first first red carpet appearance after their wedding. Also Basketballer Steph Curry and Wife had a group photo with the Wilson's.