Eze Obinna, a notorious kidnap kingpin, was arrested by operatives of the Imo State Command’s Quick Intervention Team (QIT) over his involvement in series of kidnap incidents.

The culprit who is 35-year-old kingpin and also a prison escapee hails from Amaimo, Ikeduru Local Government Area of the state.

Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Orlando Ikeokwu (SP) said the operatives acted on the directives of the Commissioner of Police Yaro Abutu to arrest the suspect who he said had formed another deadly gang since he escaped from the prison.

According to him, sometime in December 2020, the suspect was arrested by the operatives of the Anti-Kidnapping unit, for kidnapping a victim, “where he personally transferred the sum of N5,000,000 from the victim’s bank account to his own account, and later collected the sum of N4,000,000 cash, as ransom from the same victim, while the victim’s Toyota Venza car is yet to be recovered.”

He disclosed further that three AK 47 rifles with large number of ammunitions were recovered from them then; “They were charged to court and remanded in prison custody. However, they were set free during the attack on the Correctional services on 5/4/21.”

The police spokesman said that the Commissioner of Police has ordered the arrest of all his gang members, as well as mopping up their operational arms, adding that efforts were ongoing in that regard.

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men of the Nigerian police arrests a notorious kidnapper

JUST IN: Police arrest notorious kidnap kingpin in Imo

Germany has accepted to return all Benin artefacts by 2022.

The artefacts were taken from the Benin Royal Court during the British incursion in 1849.

This was announced on Tuesday at a press briefing in Abuja, the nation’s capital.

Present at the event were the Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed; Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki; and the German delegation.

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At the meeting, Dr Andreas Gorgen, the German Director-General Culture and Communication said Germany understands that Nigeria has suffered a loss.

He says Germany is on a restitution mission to Nigeria, to return all artefacts taken from the Benin Empire.

He also announced that Germany will partner with Nigeria in the area of culture promotion and preservation

The artefacts are to be returned to Benin, Edo State capital.

artefacts that were stolen from the Benin royal court

Germany To Return All Benin Artefacts By 2022

PHOTOS: PDP governors storm Ibadan for meeting

On Thursday two male adults lost their lives in a road accident involving three vehicles at the flyover in Upper Iweka, Onitsha in Anambra.

Mr Utten Boyi, the Commander, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in Anambra, confirmed the incident to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Awka.

Boyi said the accident, which occurred at noon, was caused by speeding and loss of control.

“The crash involved a Mercedes trailer with registration number SMK 728 DA, a Toyota Hiace bus with registration number HTE 791 XA and a Mitsubishi L300 bus with registration number NNE 138 ZF.

“A witness report reaching us indicates that driver of the trailer, who was speeding, lost control of the vehicle and rammed into two other vehicles.

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“A total of eight persons were involved in the crash, comprising five male adults, one female adult and two male children.

“One male adult of the eight persons, sustained some degrees of injuries, and was taken to Toronto Hospital by FRSC rescue team from Upper Iweka Command.

“Two male adults, who were passengers in one of the vehicles, were, however, confirmed dead by the doctor on duty.

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“Their bodies had been deposited at the mortuary,” he said.

While condoling with families of the dead, Boyi warned motorists against speed limit violation.

He urged them to drive safely to avoid accidents and loss of lives.

two men dies from an auto crash that happened in Onitsha

Auto-mobile crash claims two lives in Onitsha

President Muhammadu Buhari is currently in a meeting with President General Mahamat Idriss Deby, Chad’s Transitional Military Council, in the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Buhari received General Deby in the Presidential Villa at around 11:11am.

Though the agenda of the meeting was yet to be disclosed as at the time of filing this report, sources suggested it might all be connected to the needs for countries sharing boundaries in the Sahel region to find a permanent solution to the menace of terrorism and arms proliferation threatening the peace and security of the region.

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Mahamat Deby took over reins of leadership after his father and former President of Chad, Marshal Idris Deby Itno, died of wounds sustained in battle with rebels in April.

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President Buhari in a meeting with Chad's interim president

BREAKING: Buhari meets Chad’s Interim President

Lagos Marriott Hotel, Ikeja – a hotel promising luxurious services - opens its doors for business to passengers and crew of the Murital Muhammed Internal Airport.

The N45 billion infrastructure put together by SIFAX Group, an investment conglomerate spanning aviation, oil and gas, maritime, haulage and logistic as well as hospitality sectors, according to its managers, has been positioned to drive a hub status for MMIA  in West and Central Africa.

Speaking at a briefing to herald the opening of the facility next week, General Manager, Lagos Marriott Hotel, Janse Van Rensburg said the facility was delivered after six  years of spadework in a partnership with  SIFAX Group and the renowned global hotel brand Marriott International.

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The 250-bed, five-star hotel built on 11 floors, has modern facilities, including exclusive flight crew lounge, VIP lounges, 1,000 – capacity ballroom, executive meeting rooms, 400- capacity car park, 206 standard rooms, 44 suites; including three presidential suites, well equipped gym, continental restaurants and other facilities.

He said a team from both groups had been working round the clock to use the infrastructure as a signature offering to redefine the nexus between the travel industry and hospitality.

He said though the company was conscious of the cluster of brands around its location – Ikeja GRA, it intends to utilize the value of premium  services to pull the aviation and allied sectors to leverage patronage.

Using the Lagos Airport as catchment, the managers said they are working out a template to leverage value to pool patronage for the facility.

Rensburg said the desire to offer premium hospitality services to the Lagos market was responsible for the huge investment in the hotel.

He said: “”Every client of Lagos Marriott Hotel is set for an unimaginable premium experience like never before. We assure them of world-class hospitality, super customer satisfaction and royalty treatment. Frequent travelers who have points using the Marriott hotel franchise globally can also redeem their points here in Nigeria too. We have an in-club system for our premium members located on the first floor of the hotel.

“The unique selling propositions of this hotel are the various amazing products we offer our clients which are non-existent in the country’s hospitality industry. The security of our guests is very paramount to us and that’s why every door and window in the facility is bomb-proof. Our pricing is also very commensurate with the quality that we offer.”

Rensburg further noted that the hotel, which is in the classic premium category on the Marriott quality ranking, will be managed by the franchise owner, Marriott Hotel, for quality assurance purposes.

Speaking also at the event, Chike Ogeah, Managing Director, Mac-Folly Hospitality Limited, the SIFAX Group’s hospitality subsidiary, applauded Dr. Taiwo Afolabi, Group Executive Vice Chairman, SIFAX Group, for bankrolling the multi-billion naira investment, adding that his vision of a premium hospitality business in Lagos has manifested through the new hotel.

He said: “The building of this hotel took us six years. We took our time to tastefully select all the materials and equipment that were used in order to serve our clients the best. As a man that has travelled all over the world and experienced first-hand hospitality at its peak, our Chairman, Dr. Taiwo Afolabi, decided to build this hotel in Nigeria in order to promote the hospitality and tourism industry in Lagos and provide opportunities to further improve the economy.

new luxurious hotel opens up to the public

A 200-level student of the Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko has committed suicide.

20-year-old Feranmi Fasunle of the Department of Political Science was reported to have taken a poisonous chemical which resulted in her death.

According to a source from the university community, the deceased took the poison in her room and started gasping for breath.

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She was rushed to the University’s Health Centre from where she was referred to other hospitals but she died this morning.

The spokesperson of the university, Victor Akinpelumi confirmed the incident to Channels Television.

He expressed sadness on the incident, noting that the reasons for her action remained unknown but sources said it might be connected to a failed relationship.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), Nigeria has the highest suicidal rate among African countries in 2016 with over 17,000 lives lost to suicide.

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200-Level Ondo Varsity Student Commits Suicide

Imo State Governor Hope Uzodinma has sacked 20 commissioners and dissolved the State executive council.

This was announced on Wednesday shortly after the state executive council meeting in Owerri, the state capital.

The Commissioner for Information and Strategy Declan Emelumba told journalists that the reason for the dissolution is to rejig the activities of the state government after one year in office.

He added that out of the 28 commissioners only eight commissioners were left to carry on with their activities.

The commissioners are Health, Information, Tourism, Women Affairs, Works, Finance, Youths and the Ministry of Technology.

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Imo Governor Sacks 20 Commissioners, Dissolves Cabinet

Two people were killed and dozens wounded as Sudanese security forces dispersed a rally demanding justice for protesters killed during anti-government demonstrations two years ago, the army said Wednesday.

Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok said he was “shocked” by the killings, calling it a “crime to use live bullets against peaceful protesters”.

Hundreds gathered on Tuesday evening outside the army headquarters in the capital Khartoum, at the site where thousands gathered in 2019 initially demanding the ouster of president Omar al-Bashir and urging a transfer to civilian rule.

The demonstration on Tuesday started shortly before iftar, the evening meal which breaks the fast during the holy month of Ramadan.

It marked two years since the bloody dispersal of the mass encampment outside the army headquarters.

“As they (the protesters) left the site, unfortunate events occurred resulting in the killing of two people and the wounding of others,” the armed forces said in a statement, adding that an investigation had been launched.

The army said they were “fully prepared to bring to justice, whoever is proven to be involved”.

On Wednesday, the US embassy in Khartoum expressed “shock and dismay” over Tuesday’s killings.

“We condemn use of live ammunition on peaceful protesters,” it said on Twitter, calling on Khartoum to “fully investigate and bring to justice the perpetrators”.

In the protests on Tuesday, young demonstrators were seen carrying banners and photos of the people killed during the crackdown on the 2019 sit-in, according to an AFP correspondent.

“Retribution for the martyrs,” many chanted, as they waved Sudanese flags.

“We will continue calling for justice,” said protester Samar Hassan.

One protester gave a speech calling for further demonstrations, if the government failed to present the findings of an investigation into the 2019 killings in the coming weeks.

Witnesses said security forces fired tear gas to disperse the protesters.

Ahead of Tuesday’s gathering, Sudanese authorities set up roadblocks on the routes leading to the army headquarters.

Hamdok, in a statement on Twitter, called the 2019 crackdown “extreme brutality”.

He vowed his transitional government, which took power after Bashir’s ouster, would “bring perpetrators to justice”.

The 2019 sit-in was held to call for an end to Bashir’s three-decade rule.

The iron-fisted ruler was ousted in April 2019, but the protesters kept up the encampment for weeks demanding the transfer of power from the military to civilians.

In June 2019 and towards the end of Ramadan, armed men in military fatigues violently dispersed the camp.

The days-long crackdown left at least 128 people dead, according to medics linked to the protest movement.

The ruling generals at the time denied ordering the bloody dispersal and called for a probe into the incident.

An investigation committee was launched in late 2019 to look into the events, but has yet to finish its inquiry.

Two Killed In Sudan Rally Over 2019 Protest Killings

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Monday authorized the use of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for children aged 12 to 15 years old.

“This is a promising development in our fight against the virus,” said President Joe Biden.

“If you are a parent who wants to protect your child, or a teenager who is interested in getting vaccinated, today’s decision is a step closer to that goal.”

The FDA previously granted an emergency use authorization for the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine to individuals aged 16 and older.

“Having a vaccine authorized for a younger population is a critical step in continuing to lessen the immense public health burden caused by the Covid-19 pandemic,” said Peter Marks, director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research.

The FDA said some 1.5 million Covid-19 cases in individuals aged 11 to 17 years old have been reported to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention between March 1, 2020 and April 30, 2021.

The course of the disease is generally milder in children but they can pass it on to older, more vulnerable adults.

Pfizer and its partner BioNTech said in March that their two-dose vaccine regimen was shown to be safe and highly effective in a trial of 2,260 12 to 15 year olds.

Biden last week stressed the importance of expanding vaccinations to 12 to 15 year olds and said the authorities were “ready to move immediately” once the authorization came through.

Some 20,000 pharmacies around the country were ready to begin to vaccinate adolescents, he said, and doses will also be shipped to pediatricians.

Covid-19 vaccines from Moderna and Johnson & Johnson have also received emergency use authorizations from the FDA but only for individuals over the age of 18.

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Acting FDA commissioner Janet Woodcock described Monday’s move as a “significant step in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic.”

“Today’s action allows for a younger population to be protected from Covid-19, bringing us closer to returning to a sense of normalcy and to ending the pandemic,” Woodcock said in a statement.

“Parents and guardians can rest assured that the agency undertook a rigorous and thorough review of all available data, as we have with all of our Covid-19 vaccine emergency use authorizations,” she added.

US FDA authorizing COVID-19 vaccines for kids age 12 - 15

US Authorizes Pfizer-BioNTech Vaccine For 12-15 Year Olds

Unknown gunmen kidnaps Pastor of Deeper Christian Ministry 

Mayomi Ogedengbe, a pastor of the Deeper Christian Life Ministry, was abducted in his church located in Irese, a community near Akure, Ondo State capital.

According to an eyewitness, the kidnappers came in with a black Corolla Sports Car and took the pastor away to an unknown destination.

The whereabouts of the pastor have since then remained unknown, and his abductors are yet to reach out to the family on what to do to secure his release.

The Spokesperson of Ondo State police command, Tee-Leo Ikoro confirmed the incident stating that the Commissioner of Police in the state, Bolaji Salami has ordered the immediate search and rescue of the pastor.

He noted that a combined team of security operatives including the police, Amotekun, the military, the vigilante as well as the NSCDC have started combing the bush around the area to rescue the victim and equally apprehend the culprits.

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unknown gunmen attack pastor in his church, abduct him

Gunmen Kidnap Pastor Inside Church Premises

Troops of 8 Division in the Nigerian Army have suceeded in bringing down not less than 48 bandits leaders and other people participating in heinous crimes in the North West of the country.

During the show-down, top bandits’ leaders were killed by troops while another notorious gang leader, simply identified as Jummo, sustained gunshot wound, the Nigerian Army has said.

The Director Army Public Relations Brigadier General Mohammed Yerima, in a statement, said the offensive against the criminal elements, followed the directive of the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Ibrahim Attahir, to the Division to stabilise the area to facilitate the return of socio-economic activities.

Eighteen kidnap victims were rescued while eight AK-47 rifles, one G3 rifle, one PKT and a Machine Gun were recovered from the criminals.

The Army said: “Troops of 8 Division, Nigerian Army operating in Zamfara and adjoining States made tremendous progress in the ongoing fight against banditry and other violent crimes in the North West.

“The Division had earlier launched Operation Tsare Mutane following the directives of the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Lieutenant General Ibrahim Attahiru for the Division to stabilise the area in order to facilitate the return of socio-economic activities”.

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It added: “the General Officer Commanding (GOC) the Division, Maj Gen Usman Yusuf launched the first phase of Operation Tsare Mutane which lasted from 23 March to 2 April 2021 in Maradun LGA of Zamfara State. The troops successfully cleared many bandits’ camps in Jaya, Kadaya and Bayan Ruwa amongst several others."

“The troops successfully neutralised 48 bandits while the bandits leader in the area, Jummo, sustained gunshot wound to his leg. The troops rescued 18 kidnap victims from the bandits’ enclave. Moreover, eight AK-47 rifles and one G3 rifle, as well as one PKT and a Machine Gun were recovered from the Bandits."

“Meanwhile, in continuation with the second phase of Operation Tsare Mutane, troops sacked several other bandits’ camps around Gabiya, Bozaya and Mereri and the adjoining forests in Maru LGA of Zamfara State from 19 April to 3 May 2021."

“The areas which were heavily infested by bandits were successfully cleared by the highly spirited troops. Key bandits’ leaders including Yellow Mai-Bille, Sani Meli, Dan-Katsina and Sama’ila Bakajin Bari were neutralised in the process while the main leader *Nasanda* narrowly escaped with fatal injuries. Equally neutralised in the operation was one Isan Heshi who is a close ally of a notorious bandit called Nagala. Isan Heshi was the second in command to Heshi before he joined Nagala following Heshi’s death in an earlier operation."

“Items recovered in the second phase of Operation Tsare Mutane include 4,600 rounds of ammunition, two AK-103 rifles, eight AK-47 magazines, 1,628 rounds of AK-47 ammunition, fifty four rounds of PKM as well as one motorcycle and five Techno mobile phones.”

men of the Nigerian army fighting bandits in Zamfara

Troops neutralize key bandits’ leaders, 48 others in Zamfara

Nigerian newspapers,on one page.