OONI'S DEMISE - ANXIETY HEIGHTENS AS ORO FESTIVAL BEGINS IN IFE.

The anxiety surrounding the demise of the Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuwade, has continued to heighten as worshippers of Oro began the annual festival in the ancient town on Friday night.

Oro is a deity worshipped across Yoruba land, which forbids the womenfolk from going outdoors in the night during the period of its festival.

Although, sources in Ife told our correspondent that the festival, scheduled to commence on Friday night had nothing to do with the demise of the Ooni, the public believe otherwise.

WHY I FOLLOWED TOYIN SARAKI TO THE EFCC OFFICE - SEN. DINO MELAYE SPEAKS.

Senator Dino Melaye,Friday, explained that he followed Toyin, wife of the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, to the headquarters of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, last Tuesday because he wanted to know the level of culpability in the allegation against her by her petitioners.

Melaye, who is the Chairman, Senate Ad-hoc Committee on Media and Publicity, said he only went to the anti-graft office in his capacity as an independent investigator.

The lawmaker, who represents Kogi West Senatorial zone in the Senate, said in a press statement, in Abuja, that his explanation became necessary, following the barrage of attacks and criticisms he had so far received from his “brothers, sisters and fellow citizens” since Tuesday, when he was sighted accompanying Mrs Saraki to the headquarters of the commission in Abuja.

DINO MELAYE'S ELECTION MUST BE RE-TRIED - APPEAL COURT DECLARES.

The Court of Appeal in Abuja on Friday set aside the decision of the National Assembly Election Petition Tribunal in Kogi which struck out the petition of Sen. Smart Adeyemi.

Adeyemi of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had challenged the election of Sen. Dino Melaye of All Progressives Congress (APC), alleging electoral irregularities and malpractices.

Justice Muhammed Adume held that the tribunal was wrong in striking out Adeyemi’s petition on the grounds of technicalities, instead of substantial justice.

MAN REMANDED IN PRISON FOR DEFILING 11 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER. #SAYNOTORAPE.

A middle-aged man (names withheld) has been arrested and arraigned before a Makurdi Court for allegedly having sexual intercourse with his 11-year-old daughter. 

Vanguard learned that the accused was arrested a few days ago after allegedly engaging the girl in days of repeated sexual abuse whenever his wife was away from home.

He was, however, caught in the act by a neighbour, who heard the cry of the girl, while she was allegedly being sexually abused, in one of his escapades.

WHICH WAY FOR BIAFRA?

Since the pogrom against Ndigbo of 1966, that led to the the declaration of the Republic of Biafra among the South Easterners of Nigeria , and the subsequent civil war, from 1967 to 1970, in which Biafrans were defeated,  many do not know what to do with the name Biafra, which was drawn from the Bight of Biafra at the South of the Atlantic Ocean.

Most war veterans from the Nigeria side, especially the leaders treat everything about Biafra with ignominy, disdain, and repulsion. Out of pride and arrogance, they wish the name was crushed out of existence.

The #ATMscandal everyone must learn from........

A twitter user shared this pathetic story of a youth corp member who got into trouble after assisting a stranger at the ATM terminal.

Read and learn...........

THEO WALCOTT SIGNS NEW 4 YR DEAL WORTH £140,000 A WEEK AT ARSENAL.

Theo Walcott has signed a new four-year contract at Arsenal which places him among the club’s top earners.

The England forward’s new deal sees him earn in the region of £140,000 a week alongside the likes of Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil.

Walcott, who is Arsenal's longest-serving player, suffered an injury-ravaged campaign last season but has been on form this summer, netting the winner against Wolfsburg in last weekend’s Emirates Cup.

GOVERNORS WERE WARNED TO SAVE FOR RAINY DAYS - PETER OBI.

The former governor of Anambra state and president of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Peter Obi, has revealed that governors were warned about saving for the rainy day by the Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, former minister of finance. 

According to Post Nigeria, Obi further revealed that the governors were advised to eschew fiscal irresponsibility which was a bane to economic development.

In a recent interview with journalists, Obi explained the the recent bail out approved for states from the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas Company, dividends by President Muhammadu Buhari and the rationale behind the creation of the Excess Crude Account, as well as the Sovereign Wealth Fund.

EFCC ARREST SACKED NIMASA BOSS.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has arrested the immediate past Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency [NIMASA], Patrick Ziakede Akpobolokemi, two weeks after he was fired from his post.

A source in NIMASA said Mr. Akpobolokemi was arrested in Lagos Thursday morning and was detained at the Lagos office of the EFCC in the Ikoyi area of the city.

“He was taken in this morning around 10 a.m.,” the NIMASA insider said. “Some of our other officials have also been summoned while EFCC operatives have been conducting discreet investigation here. There is tension everywhere.

BOMB EXPLOSION ROCKS MAIDUGURI BUS STATION.

A bomb explosion has rocked a crowded motor park in Maiduguri, the Borno state capital, residents and security operatives have said.

The incident occurred at a busy location where tricycles pick passengers, and may have killed dozens and injured even many more. 

The thunderous blast, which sounded at about 6:30am, resonated all over Maiduguri, residents say.

SENATE COMMENCES PROBE INTO JONATHAN'S CONTROVERSIAL IMPORT WAIVERS.

The Senate on Thursday commenced the probe of alleged abuse of the waiver regime under former President Goodluck Jonathan.

The upper federal legislative chamber has set up a committee to investigate alleged abuse of import waivers by the Jonathan administration. The ad hoc committee, headed by Senator Adamu Aliero, will probe import waivers from 2011 to 2014.

The President Muhammadu Buhari government had a few weeks ago said it would probe the Jonathan administration.

POWER TRANSMISSION HITS 4662MW.

The Federal Government said, Wednesday that power transmission from the national grid has increased to 4662 megawatts.

Transmission Company of Nigeria, TCN, which disclosed this in a state signed by the General Manager, Public Affairs, Seun Olagunju, noted the new peak was attained at 08.00pm on Tuesday, 28th July, 2015.

It would be recalled that TCN Management had announced the attainment of the previous peak transmission of 4656MW on Wednesday, 15th July, 2015.

#NASS: DOGARA'S DEAL, GBAJABIAMILA'S GAIN.

Signs of unity pervaded the atmosphere in the early hours of yesterday morning as members of the All Progressives Congress, APC for the first time sat down as a team to pronounce peace between the one time warring factions. 

“There are no more factions in the House what we have today is a group of lawmakers loyal to the House leadership and our great party,” Speaker Dogara said following his gesture of conciliation towards his one-time rival, Rep. Femi Gbajabiamila who he conceded the office of House Leader to.

His words were echoed by Gbajabiamila, the minority leader in the immediate past House who has now been transformed into the majority leader.

CRISIS ROCKS PDP AS WORKERS ACCUSE NWC OF SQUANDERING N11BN PARTY FUNDS.

Angry workers of the Peoples Democratic Party have accused the members of the National Working Committee of the party of squandering N12bn in nine months.

Out of the total sum, the workers said N11bn was realised from the sale of nomination forms while N1bn was got from the sale of delegates forms.

They alleged that the money was squandered shortly after the sale of the forms commenced on October 27, 2014 till date.

TRAITORS IN THE ARMED FORCES SABOTAGED THE WAR AGAINST BOKO HARAM - ALEX BADEH

This is the full text of Valedictory Speech of Air Chief Marshal Alex Sabundu Badeh CFR at his Pulling-Out Ceremony from Nigerian Armed Forces on July 30, 2015.

PDP IS BROKE, SACKS & SLASHES SALARY OF WORKERS BY 50%.

Barely two months into its new status as the opposition political party, having governed the country for sixteen years, the Peoples Democratic Party, has started struggling with the challenge of being an opposition, as it yesterday announced that the party will reduce allowances, staff strength by 50%. 

The party has also said it would reduce the salaries and allowances of its staff by 50%, even as the allowances of members of the National Working Committee, NWC would be slashed down by 50%.

In a letter signed by PDP National Secretary, Professor Wale Oladipo and addressed to all director and administrative staff of PDP, the leadership of the Party would also reduce the number of its security by 50%.

AGONIZING LAST MOMENTS OF AFRICA'S LION KING & HOW ONE MAN'S VANITY LED TO ITS TROPHY KILLING.

LION KING "CECIL" WITH A LIONESS

Death did not come quickly for Cecil, an alpha male lion and leader of his pride in a protected sanctuary inside one of Africa’s great national parks.

With a distinctive black mane, this magnificent creature was, at the age of 13, known for his imperious attitude towards tourists on game drives — he would sometimes charge their vehicles to let them know who was boss.

He was named Cecil after Cecil Rhodes, the British mining magnate, having first been spotted in 2008 at a place called White Man’s Watering Hole inside Zimbabwe’s famous Hwange National Park, and subsequently given a collar to track his movements for an Oxford University project.

But he was tricked earlier this month into leaving his sanctuary. Pieces of meat had been left just outside the boundary of Cecil’s territory, where no hunting is allowed and anti-poaching patrols operate.

PORT HARCOURT & WARRI REFINERIES BEGIN CRUDE PRODUCTION.

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation has announced the successful re-streaming of the Port Harcourt and Warri refineries after nine months of phased rehabilitation conducted by its in-house engineers and technicians.

The national oil company made the announcement on Wednesday through a statement.

It said the plants had commenced preliminary production of petroleum products after successful test-runs, noting that while the Port Harcourt Refining Company was ramping up capacity to about 60 per cent of the 210,000 barrels per day of crude capacity, production from the Warri Refining and Petrochemical Company had been projected to hit 80 per cent of its installed capacity 125,000 bpd.

NDLEA ARREST CHINA BOUND MAN WITH "1.185KG" OF COCAINE.

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has arrested a 44-year-old man, Chide Chibude, for attempting to smuggle 1.185kg of cocaine to China.

This is contained in a statement issued by Mitchell Ofoyeju, Head, Public Affairs, NDLEA, on Wednesday in Lagos.

Mr. Ofoyeju said Mr. Chibude was arrested by NDLEA officers at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos.

CRUDE OIL WORTH $13.7BN WAS STOLEN UNDER NNPC'S WATCH BETWEN 2009 - 2012.

The Executive Secretary of the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, Hajiya Zainab Shamsuna-Ahmed, on Wednesday said between 2009 and 2012, about 160 million barrels of oil valued at $13.7bn was stolen under the watch of the national oil giant, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation.

She also said that subsidy payment from 2005 to 2012 indicated that $11.63bn had been paid to the NNPC but that “there is no evidence of the money being remitted to the federation account.”

The NEITI boss, who called on the Federal Government to privatize the refineries, stated this during a courtesy call on Governor Nasir el-Rufai, at Sir Kashim Ibrahim Government House, Kaduna, on Wednesday.