Nollywood actress Tonto Dikeh has taken keen interest and moved to startup a relationship with crossdresser, James Brown, who is battling for his health.

Bobrisky also has a strained relationship with James Brown.

A few days ago, James Brown shared a video of himself looking really sick with drip strapped to his body, which he accompanied with a cryptic message urging fans to celebrate and appreciate him while living.

He also appealed to them to pray for her speedy recovery from the sickbed.

The dresser wrote: “Celebrate and appreciate me now that am alive … Still recovering Pray for Princess of Africa.”

Reacting to this, Tontolet took to the comment section praying for James Brown to get well.

The mother of one also requested his phone number, stating she’s a fan of the crossdresser.

She wrote: “GET WELL SOON HONEY.. Send me your no. If that’s okay with you.. Imma huge FAN.”

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Nollywood celebrity and Instagram personalities

Tonto Dikeh makes new friends, switches from Bobrisky James Brown

Gov. Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano State, on Tuesday, pardoned 136 inmates as part of measures to decongest the correctional centres in the state.

The Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Malam Abba Anwar, disclosed this in a statement he issued in Kano.

Anwar stated that the governor took the decision when he visited Goron-dutse Medium Correctional Centre on Tuesday.

“You are Nigerians who deserved to be taken care of and that is why we are here today to celebrate with you this great Eid-el-Kabir, by pardoning some of you,” he said.

“We are also here to see how you are feeling and to share the joyous moment with you.

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“We want those of you who repented to promise us not to go back to your previous nefarious acts,” the governor was quoted as saying.

Anwar said that some of the inmates were pardoned either due to ill-health or have stayed longer than necessary.

He noted that others were there because they were unable to pay the fines slapped on them.

“The pardoning exercise is in compliance with President Muhammadu Buhari’s directive to decongest correctional centres across the country,” he quoted Ganduje as saying.

In his remarks, the Controller, Kano Correctional Centres, Sulaiman T. Sulaiman, commended the governor for being humane by relating with inmates.

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“I have worked for 30 years in many states. I have never seen a state governor who cares very much about the plight of inmates in our correctional centres as Gov Ganduje,” he said.

Sulaiman thanked the governor for giving inmates cattle and rams to celebrate the Eid el Kabir.

Anwar said the governor gave N5,000 to each pardoned inmate as transport fare to their destination.

Governor Ganduje pardons 136 inmates in Kano Prison

Former Oyo Governor Senator Rashidi Ladoja on Tuesday urged the Federal Government to give self- acclaimed Yoruba freedom fighter, Sunday Adeyemo aka Sunday Igboho and leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu amnesty.

He warned that more of Igboho and Kanu will emerge if government does not handle the duo carefully.

Speaking with journalists in his Bodija residence on Tuesday, the Osi Olubadan of Ibadanland lamented the failure of successive governments to address challenges facing the nation led to emergence of the agitators.

According to him, government should not treat the agitators as criminals but should offer them amnesty as they have done to repentant Boko Haram members in Borno State.

He said: “Federal government has declared amnesty for Boko Haram, they should also declared amnesty for Igboho and the IPOB leader.

“Just like Kanu, to some people, Sunday Igboho has also become a leader, people are agitating for what they believe in. Yoruba leaders including the Alaafin of Oyo have been complaining about atrocities committed by suspected herdsmen and nothing has been done to it till now.

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“Boko Haram members were arrested a year ago by the government and have been released to the Borno State government.

“Sunday Igboho was created in the context of killings in Ibarapa axis of Oyo State. Nobody has been arrested for it and even if they were arrested, they were later released. That is why people resorted to self- help.”

Ladoja to FG: offer Sunday Igboho, Kanu amnesty

Big Brother Naija season 6 attracted over 40,000 youths going through the auditions.

Despite the challenge of COVID-19, which restricted the organisers from holding physical auditions, several youths participated in the virtual audition process.

The virtual audition process was first tried in 2020 and re-introduced for the 2021 edition.

Multichoice Head of content, West Africa, Bisola Tejumola, revealed that over 40,000 entries were submitted by eager youths that hoped to get admitted into the BBNaija house for season six.

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When queried on the selection process, Tejumola noted that there are no particular criteria for securing a spot among the housemates other than being individual uniqueness.

“We really don’t have particular criteria for picking or selecting lucky housemates other than just remain being you. The process is just come and be original and our team will spot that in you,” Tejumola said.

The sixth edition of BBNaija will kick off on Saturday, July 24 with double opening ceremonies and end on October 3, 2021.

The 10-week long reality TV show will follow the lives of new housemates as they interact and compete with each other to win the grand prize of 90 Million naira worth of prizes.

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Big brother naija season 6 received over 40000 auditions

Over 40,000 People auditioned for BBNaija season 6

Multichoice Nigeria, organisers of the show, announced the new dimensions and additions to the sixth season of the BBNaija.

Multichoice Head of Marketing, Martin Mabutho announced the new developments ahead of the 2021 edition.

This fresh move, Mabutho said, is in the organisers’ bid to make the show bigger than the fifth edition.

Mabutho also announced that SMS voting for Housemates will not be available for the sixth edition as all voting will be conducted online as well as through the DStv and GOtv mobile applications.

Bisola Tejumola, Multichoice Head of Content West Africa, announced the sixth season of BBNaija will see the winner going home with a grand prize of N90 million.

Tejumola said further the show will have a new feature in the house, two new currencies as well as housemates.

The BBNaija 6 will, according to the organisers, run for 72 days – between July 24 to October 3.

The 2020 BBNaija edition themed Lockdown edition was won by Laycon after almost 80 days in the House.

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BBNaija season 6 announces commencement date

BREAKING: BBNaija season 6 kicks off July 24, July 25

Muslim pilgrims gathered at Saudi Arabia’s Mount Arafat on Monday in the high point of this year’s hajj, being held in downsized form and under coronavirus restrictions for the second year running.

Just 60,000 people, all citizens or residents of Saudi Arabia, have been selected to take part in this year’s hajj, with foreign pilgrims again barred.

The mask-clad faithful, who had spent the night in camps in the Valley of Mina, converged on Mount Arafat where it is believed the Prophet Mohammed delivered his final sermon, for the most important of the hajj rituals.

Afternoon prayers, worshippers traditionally ascend the 70-metre (230-foot) high hill and its surrounding plain for hours of prayers and Koran recitals to atone for their sins, staying there until the evening.

After sunset, they head to Muzdalifah, halfway between Arafat and Mina, where they will sleep under the stars before performing the symbolic “stoning of the devil”.

The scene was dramatically different to past pilgrimages, which have drawn up to 2.5 million people, and this year the mountain was free of the huge crowds that descend on it in normal years.

Being one of the lucky few “gives you a feeling that our God is forgiving and has chosen us to be in this place,” said Selma Mohamed Hegazi, a 45-year-old Egyptian. “God willing, our prayers will be accepted.

“My whole body is shivering,” she told AFP as she stood among the other emotional pilgrims, wearing the ihram, the traditional seamless white garment worn during the hajj.

Worshippers described a sense of tranquility descending on the mountain, also known as the “Mount of Mercy”.

“To be one of only 60,000 doing hajj ….I feel like I am part of a (privileged) group that was able to reach this place,” said Baref Siraj, a 58-year-old Saudi national.

The hajj, one of the five pillars of Islam and a must for able-bodied Muslims with the means to travel at least once in their lifetime, is usually one of the world’s largest religious gatherings.

Hosting the hajj is a matter of prestige for Saudi rulers, for whom the custodianship of Islam’s holiest sites is their most powerful source of political legitimacy.

But barring overseas pilgrims has caused deep disappointment among Muslims worldwide, who typically save for years to take part.

Participants were chosen from more than 558,000 applicants through an online vetting system, with the event confined to fully vaccinated adults aged 18-65 with no chronic illnesses.

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Authorities are seeking to repeat last year’s successful event which took place on the smallest scale in modern history with just 10,000 participants, but which saw no virus outbreak.

Saudi health authorities said Sunday that not a single Covid case had been reported amongst the pilgrims this year.

The kingdom has so far recorded more than 509,000 coronavirus infections, including over 8,000 deaths. Some 20 million vaccine doses have been administered in the country of over 34 million people.

The hajj, which typically packs large crowds into congested religious sites, could have been a super-spreader event for the virus.

But Saudi Arabia has said it is deploying  the “highest levels of health precautions” in light of the pandemic and the emergence of new variants.

Pilgrims are being divided into groups of just 20 to restrict potential exposure, and a “smart hajj card” has been introduced to allow contact-free access to camps, hotels, and the buses to ferry pilgrims around religious sites.

Black-and-white robots have been deployed to dispense bottles of sacred water from the Zamzam spring in Mecca’s Grand Mosque, built around the Kaaba, the black cubic structure towards which Muslims around the world pray.

Ibrahim Siam, a 64-year-old Egyptian pilgrim who comes from Dammam in the east of the country, said that high-tech procedures introduced to manage the hajj “have made things a lot easier.”

Pilgrims Flock To Mount Arafat In High Point During Hajj

Yobe state Governor and National Chairman, Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee CECPC of the ruling All Progressives Congress APC, Job. Mai Mala Buni, has disclosed plans by his administration to drill boreholes in all fire stations across the state in order to boost the capacity of the fire service to respond effectively to emergencies.

Gov. Buni of Yobe who disclosed this Thursday in Damaturu, the state capital, when he received a modern firefighting truck from the Federal Fire Service FFS, added that the truck will boost emergency response services in the state.

Represented by his deputy, Idi Gubana, the governor said the firefighting truck will be effective in complementing the state government’s efforts.

“The new firefighting vehicles will no doubt complement our efforts in curbing the damages of fire incidents. Plans are ongoing to drill boreholes at fire service stations across the state."

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He stated that with the establishment of a new market in the state, firefighting vehicles and equipment were essential facilities for safer economic activities.

Mala -Buni however, requested for collaboration between the FFS and the states to foster training and retraining of fire men.

“Such partnership could further equip our fire fighting workers with modern ideas in the discharge of their duties,” he said.

Earlier in his remarks, Controller General of Fire, Dr Ibrahim Alhaji Liman said the deployment had become necessary following the constant threat from terrorists and insurgents to the state.

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“Fire havoc like the above factors has the potential of threatening the physical well-being of the population thereby destabilizing economic growth. The deployment of this truck was influenced by the Senate President, Sen Ahmad Lawan to improve firefighting and rescue in the state.

“Firefighting is the responsibility of all, hence the need for a robust collaboration between the Federal and state governments,” he said.

Liman requested for “sponsorship of state fire service personnel in local and foreign trainings in view of emerging firefighting trends.

“Inclusion of the FFS in the State Security Council and strengthening of the state fire service through recruitment of capable hands.

“Welfare enhancement package for fire personnel to the paramilitary salary structure.”

The CG urged the state government to invest in sponsorship of personnel on trainings and upgrade of salary structure.

Emir of Damaturu, Alh. Shehu Hashimi said the deployment was a milestone in the state.

“We consider this as a development that will add to the effective running of fire service in the state. It is one of my responsibilities to give enlightenment to my people and get them informed of this new equipment”, he stated.

yobe state fire service receives new trucks

Yobe to drill boreholes in all fire stations, receives new firefighting truck

PHOTOS: Heavy security presence over planned rally in Lagos

The abducted provost of College of Agriculture and Animal Science Bakura, Mr Habibu Mainasara, has regained his freedom.

Mr Mainasara’s elder brother, Nasiru Mainasara, told Channels TV that he was freed on Wednesday night, three days after bandits abducted him from his official residence in the institution.

Details about his release remain sketchy and his brother did not disclose whether a ransom was paid.

On Monday, a day after he was taken, the bandits demanded a ransom of N5 million from his family with negotiations commencing for his release.

His brother, however, said prominent members of the community told the family to stop the negotiation and assured them that he will be rescued safely.

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Following his abduction, the Police Command in the state deployed a search and rescue team in the area to hunt down the bandits and ensure his safe return.

Spokesperson of the Command Mohammed Shehu, however, said on Monday that the command was not aware of any negotiation between the family and the abductors.

Zamfara is among states in the North battling to halt the activities of rampaging bandits that have engaged in killings abductions and other crimes.

Only last week, bandits killed 35 persons during an attack on five communities of Faru District in Maradun Local Government Area of the state.

The communities – Gudan-Baushi, Gidan-Adamu,Gudan-Maidawa, Tsauni, and Wari – were attacked by motorcycle-riding bandits in the late hours of Thursday,  July 8.

They stormed the village with their guns blazing, murdering many of the villagers as they tried to flee to safety before going on to destroy properties.

The state of the roads leading to the village contributed to the casualty suffered as the police could not reach it easily, according to the Zamfara Command’s spokesperson.

“The police personnel tried their best to reach the affected communities on receiving the information that the bandits were there but unfortunately they could not reach the places because of the bad roads,” Mohammed Shehu said.

While the attack on the communities is one of the most deadly in recent weeks in terms of killings, the abduction of 317 females students from a government school in February is one of the most brazen cases of abductions in the country.

abducted provost of College of Agriculture and Animal Science

Abducted Zamfara College Provost Regains Freedom

Amazon and Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos will donate $200 million to the Smithsonian, the largest gift in the history of the institute, a statement said Wednesday.

A $70 million portion of the donation will support the renovation of the National Air and Space Museum while $130 million will launch a new education center to be named after the world’s wealthiest person.

The Bezos Learning Center will be housed in a new facility to be constructed on the National Mall, and will feature programs and activities to inspire students to pursue science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics.

“Since its inception, the Smithsonian has benefited from both federal funding and the generosity of visionary donors,” said Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie Bunch.

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“This historic gift will help the Smithsonian achieve its goal of reaching every classroom in America by creating a world-class learning center with access and inspiration at its heart.”

“The Smithsonian plays a vital role in igniting the imaginations of our future builders and dreamers,” added Bezos, who is set to fly to space on Blue Origin’s first crewed rocket launch on July 20.

“Every child is born with great potential, and it’s inspiration that unlocks that potential. My love affair with science, invention and space did that for me, and I hope this gift does that for others.”

Bezos, who has an estimated net worth of $212 billion according to Forbes, has a long history of supporting the Smithsonian.

He was a founding donor to the National Museum of African American History and Culture and has previously contributed to the National Air and Space Museum.

He also has strong ties to the nation’s capital, with a mansion in the upscale Kalorama neighborhood, as well as owning the Washington Post newspaper.

Established in 1846, the Smithsonian Institute is the world’s largest museum, education and research complex.

Named after its founder, the British scientist James Smithson, it is funded through federal appropriations, gifts, its own revenue-generating activities and philanthropy.

In 2000, late real estate tycoon Kenneth Behring donated $80 million to the Smithsonian, then its biggest single gift ever.

Jeff Bezos Donates Record Breaking $200 Mn To Smithsonian

President Muhammadu Buhari has sworn in five new permanent secretaries.

The swearing-in took place on Wednesday, just before the commencement of the Federal Executive Council meeting, although the ministries where they would be functioning have not been disclosed.

Present at the FEC meeting was Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, Secretary to Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha and Chief of Staff to the President, Professor Ibrahim Gambari.

Also present were eight ministers including that of Finance Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed; Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami; Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire; Police Affairs, Muhammad Dingyadi as well as Power, Mamman Saleh; Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola; Water resources, Suleiman Adamu as well as Transport, Rotimi Amaechi.

The Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Folashade Yemi-Esan and other Ministers attended virtually from their various offices in Abuja.

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Buhari appoints five new permanent secretaries 

President Buhari Swears In Five New Permanent Secretaries At FEC

The House Of Representatives has rejected a bill proposing to arm personnel of the Federal Fire Service.

The bill was meant to grant firefighters the power to bear arms to protect them from mob attacks while responding to emergencies.

Lawmakers ditched the bill by rejecting a motion moved by Representative Thomas Ereyitomi.

They based their position on the fact the Federal Fire Service is a civil outfit and not a security agency.

Rather than arm the service, the lawmakers advocated for it to be better equipped and positioned for improved service delivery,

The bill was aimed at creating an arms-bearing unit that will be referred to as “Fire Police”.

Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, and Chairman of Council had earlier disclosed that the decision is “part of efforts to address the challenges often faced by firefighters during operations, through mob action and vandalism of firefighting assets in the country” during the opening of the National Council on Fire.

Aregbesola, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Dr Shuaib Belgore, said: “the Ministry would initiate the process of repealing the 1963 obsolete Fire Service Act and enactment of a new contemporary, vibrant, and enforceable law, through the instrument of an Executive Bill to be forwarded to the National Assembly for deliberation and eventual passage into law”.

House Of Reps Reject Bill To Arm Federal Fire Service

Nigerian newspapers,on one page.