Suspected kidnappers attacks a private tertiary institution 

Bandits suspected to be kidnappers have attacked a private university in Kaduna, killing one of the instruction’s security personnel and abducting 17 male students.

The incident, The Nation gathered, occured Tuesday night at Greenfield University.

The University, an elite institution, which started operations about three years ago, is located in Chikun Local Government Area axis of Kaduna-Abuja highway.

Though he did not mention number of abducted students, Kaduna Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Mr. Samuel Aruwan, confirmed the incident.

The Nation gathered the bandits stormed the University Tuesday night, started shooting sporadically and killed one of the school’s security personnel before whisking the students away.

The source said 17 male students were taken away by the attackers while the body of the security personnel was discovered on Wednesday.

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Bandits kill security, abduct 17 private varsity students

The Edo State Police Command in a joint effort with the vigilante group has rescued 26 victims suspected to have been trafficked from Ebonyi, Imo, Abia, Anambra and Akwa Ibom states.

In a statement issued on Tuesday by the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, SP Kontongs Bello, the victims were heading towards Evbuotubu in Ekenwan Road axis of Benin City before rescue came their way.

According to the police spokesman, the women were lured from their various home states by a woman named Jennifer (also called Ezinne), noting that the suspect is now on the run.

READ MORE: CBN EXCHANGE RATE DOLLAR TO NAIRA.

“They were lured in a guise that Edo State Government is giving financial support to single mothers with newborn babies especially twins,” the statement partly read.

“On arrival in Benin City, they discovered different met no support but were now forced to engage in illicit business.

“The women said they were forced to go for street begging for their mistress Jennifer. They further stated that only pea-nut is given to them to take care of their children and feeding from proceeding of the begging.”

Bello also called on the residents of the state to disregard some social media reports indicating that some women and children were rescued from a baby factory by the Police in Benin City.

He blamed the reports on some mischief makers whom he said engaged in the publication to paint Edo State in bad light.

“The women and children have since been handed over to Edo State Ministry of Women Affairs for rehabilitation and possible return to their home States while effort also is in place to arrest the fleeing mistress,” he added.

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Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police Edo State, CP Phillip Aliyu Ogbadu, has urged media practitioners and members of the public to always verify their source of information before publication in order not to mislead the general public.

He warned criminal elements to eschew crime, relocate to other states or face the full wrath of the law.

The police boss further advised parents to be wary of unknown persons who come promising heaven on earth to their children as the result is always catastrophic.

Speaking further, he assured the law abiding citizens of the state to go about their lawful businesses, reiterating the Command’s commitment to rid the state of criminal activities.

men of the police force and the vigilante group rescues people

Police Rescue 19 Children, Seven Others In Edo

Downton Abbey is set to return for a sequel due to be released this Christmas, producers told US media.

The first Downton Abbey film, based on the hugely popular British TV series, was released in 2019.

Reassuring diehard fans, producers said Monday that much of the original cast — including Maggie Smith, Hugh Bonneville, Laura Carmichael, Jim Carter, Michelle Dockery and Elizabeth McGovern — will return.

And they will be joined by new faces, with Hugh Dancy, Laura Haddock, Nathalie Baye and Dominic West making an appearance, the sequel’s producers told USA Today.

The movie, which began production last week, is set to be released on December 22.

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The plot remains under wraps but Julian Fellowes, the man behind the original script, has signed on to write the sequel’s screenplay.

“After a very challenging year with so many of us separated from family and friends, it is a huge comfort to think that better times are ahead and that next Christmas we will be reunited with the much beloved characters of Downton Abbey,” producer Gareth Neame said in a statement.

The original television series, which ran from 2010 to 2015, followed the trials and tribulations of the landed Crawley family and their servants in the fictional Downton Abbey estate.

A runaway success, the show launched the Hollywood careers of many of its stars as well as providing a financial lifeline to many struggling English country houses.

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Downton Abbey Is Set To Return For A Sequel

Jose Mourinho loses his job as Tottenham's manager

Tottenham Hotspur have fired controversial manager Jose Mourinho as football manager of Tottenham.

The announcement comes after Tottenham Hotspur drew 2-2 with Everton on Friday evening, leaving them down in seventh place in the table.

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Mourinho was appointed as Tottenham manager in November 2019, a day after the sacking of Mauricio Pochettino.

He guided them to sixth place in the table by the end of the campaign, but his style of football often didn’t win him much acclaim from fans.

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BREAKING: Tottenham fires Jose Mourinho as manager

According to reports, unknown gunmen torched down a police building in Uzoakoli, Bende local government area of Abia State.

The event were reported to have taken place in the wee hours of Monday morning.

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During the time of this report, details of the attack hadn't been reported in full but the gunmen were said to have attacked the police station, overpower the policemen on duty and release a few suspects held in the station.

It hasn't been reported if the men left with any arms from the police armory.

unknown gunmen attacking a police station

BREAKING: Gunmen burns down police station in Abia

Godwin Emefiele, the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), recently disclosed that printing of money is an important job function of the lenders.

Emefiele, on the official twitter handle of the CBN @cenbank on Friday, said printing money is about lending money.

He was probably responding to Edo Governor Godwin Obaseki who alleged the Federal Government printed N60bn to augument March allocation to States at the weekend.

There had been outcries over the Governor’s allegation which the Federal Government dismissed as “sad and untrue.”

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Obaseki replied the Federal Government on Thursday: “Rather than play the Ostrich, we urge the government to take urgent steps to end the current monetary rascality so as to prevent the prevailing economic challenge from degenerating further.”

Emefiele, on Friday, said it would be irresponsible for any Central Bank to refuse to support its government when it is in need.

He said: “The concept of printing of money is about lending money and that is our job…It will be irresponsible for the CBN or any Central Bank or Fed to stand idle and refuse to support its government at a time like this. #Emefiele.”

'It’s our job to print money', says Governor of CBN

On Thursday night six persons were killed by unknown gunmen in Wereng village of Riyom local government council of Plateau state .

Two others were injured as a result of the attack that took place around 10:30.

Hon Mafeng Gwalson, the Chairman of Riyom LGA, confirmed the attack to the press in Jos .

Senator Istifanus Gyang of Plateau North condemned the attack.

The Senator, in a statement through his spokesperson, Musa Ashoms, said: “It is sad therefore that people in Plateau North are repeatedly being hunted, ambushed and killed without any decisive action.”

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Gyang urged government and security agencies to be serious about “the safety and protection of law abiding citizens from terrorists, bandits and killer herdsmen.

“We are calling on security agencies to be up to their expectations, because it was at the public place that the attack was carried out but unfortunately this thing was not averted.”

BREAKING: Gunmen murder six people in Plateau

India's COVID-19 case spikes in just 10 days

India’s daily coronavirus caseload has doubled in ten days, with more than 200,000 new infections logged Thursday as authorities grapple with shortages of vaccines, treatments and hospital beds.

This situation is coming right after they released on enforcing social distancing by holding mass religious festivals, political rallies and crowds at cricket matches.

India is experiencing a huge second wave, with almost two million fresh infections this month alone.

This week, it overtook Brazil to become the country with the second-highest number of cases worldwide.

In the past day it also recorded over a thousand deaths, health ministry data showed, taking its total to 175,000, although on a per capita basis India is far behind many other countries.

After a lockdown a year ago caused widespread misery and one of the sharpest downturns of any major economy, the central government is desperate to avoid a hugely unpopular second shutdown.

But many states are tightening the screws, in particular Maharashtra and its capital Mumbai, which this week introduced tougher restrictions for its 125 million people.

This has prompted many migrant workers to flee Mumbai and other cities in the state, in scenes reminiscent of the exodus from Indian towns and cities a year ago when the government halted all activity almost overnight.

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Hospitals around India are now struggling to cope, running short of beds, oxygen and coronavirus medicines like remdesivir.

The government on Wednesday postponed high school exams for 15 to 18-year-olds, which were to be held in May and June, amid the resurgence of the virus.

India’s drive to vaccinate its 1.3 billion people has also hit obstacles, with just 114 million shots administered so far and stocks running low, according to local authorities.

The government has also put the brakes on the Serum Institute — the world’s largest maker of vaccines by volume — exporting to other countries.

Poorer countries, as well as some rich nations, have relied heavily on Serum for supplies of the AstraZeneca vaccine, but last month New Delhi told the institute to prioritise domestic needs.

The ongoing religious festivals include the Kumbh Mela in Haridwar in northern India, which has seen millions of Hindu pilgrims — mostly without masks — massing on the banks of the holy Ganges river.

The virus was detected in more than 1,000 people in just 48 hours in Haridwar, officials said Wednesday.

“Our faith is the biggest thing for us. It is because of that strong belief that so many people have come here to take a dip in Ganga,” Siddharth Chakrapani, a member of one of the Kumbh Mela organising committees, told AFP.

“They believe that Maa (mother) Ganga will save them from this pandemic.”

spike in the number of covid-19 cases in India

India’s Daily COVID-19 Caseload Spikes In 10 Days To 200,000

Silence from police dept. over dead bodies

The police sealed over a certain area close to the outskirts of Calabar, the Cross River State capital, when dead bodies were found in the premises.

But Police Commissioner Sikiru Akande, has refused to speak on the issue since.

He feigned ignorance of the incident when told that some policemen in camouflage have cordoned off the place, retorting that “policemen do not wear camouflage on Tuesdays”.

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He later visited the scene of the incident but has not divulged any information on who may be behind the killings, or who dumped the bodies in the valley, or even who the victims might be.

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) confirmed eight bodies  comprising seven males and one female but other sources claimed the number was between 11 and 15.

Some locals suspect extrajudicial killing of notorious crime suspects but the police are yet to make any official statement.

Alfred Mboto, Permanent Secretary, Office of State Security Adviser, Gonernor’s office denied claims of extrajudicial killing, saying   the bodies may be those of cult clash victims.

The bodies were reportedly discovered by farmers.

Some Okada riders met at the scene claimed this would be the second time in two months bodies are found in  the same area, alleging that those behind the weird action may be known to the government.

police division in Calabar keeps quiet over situation

Police chief keeps quiet over bodies found in Calabar valley

The Senate has confirmed the appointment of Dr. Halilu Ahmad Shaba as Director General of the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA).

His appointment followed the consideration of the report of the Senate Committee on Science and Technology at plenary in Abuja.

The report was reported by the Chairman of the Committee, Senator Uche Ekwunife.

Senators agreed that Shaba be confirmed as the new DG when the motion was raised  by Senate President Ahmad Lawan.

President Muhammadu Buhari had on Tuesday March 2, 2021, transmitted the name of Shaba to the Upper Chamber for screening and confirmation as DG NASRDA.

In the letter, Buhari enjoined the lawmakers to give his request an accelerated consideration.

Shaba had been on acting capacity as DG of the agency following the expiration of the two-term tenure of Professor Seidu Mohammed in June 2020.

The Agency had earlier, on July 2, 2019, announced the appointment of Mr Jonathan Angulu as an acting Director-General to facilitate a seamless transition process between the outgone DG and an incoming one.

Jonathan handed over to Shaba two days earlier to continue in an acting capacity until the appointment of a substantive DG for the agency by the Federal Government.

Before his appointment as an acting Director-General of NASRDA, Shaba served in various leadership capacities since joining the agency in 2009.

Most recently, he served as the Director of Strategic Space Applications, in which capacity he led the department’s policy initiations and execution within the national space programs framework.

Shaba previously served as a Deputy Director at the National Emergency Management Agency between 2006 and 2009, before joining NASRDA.

senate president of the federal republic of nigeria

Senate agrees for Shaba to become DG of NASRDA

Popular TV personality and ambassador, Rachel Bakam is dead

Bakam a native of Fadia Tudun Wada in Zangon Kataf Local Government Area of Kaduna State, died at 38.

She gave up the ghost on Tuesday afternoon at a private hospital in Abuja after a brief illness.

Confirming the incident was her elder brother.

Read more: Gtbank exchange rate dollar to naira.

Bakam was a prolific actress, writer, TV presenter and producer, and an anti-human trafficking ambassador.

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Popular TV Personality, Rachel Bakam, Dies

Ondo state government hands case over to police

Ondo State Government has petitioned the Nigerian police over the refusal of immediate past Deputy Governor, Agboola Ajayi, to return official vehicles.

The vehicles in question include: Land Cruiser SUV, New Toyota Hilux, New Toyota Hilux and Toyota Hilux.

The Ondo Government said Agboola were unlawfully in possession of the vehicles.

Senior Special Assistant to Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu on Special Duties and Strategy, Dr. Doyin Odebowale, who signed the petition, said he has been mandated to recover all government properties still in the possession of former political office holders in the state, especially those who served in the immediate past administration.

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Dr. Odebowale said all entreaties to Agboola to return the four vehicles for use of the incumbent Deputy Governor have been rebuffed.

According to the petition: “We lodge this complaint believing that you will use your good offices to look into this brazen act of conversion, and this is being charitable."

“Any person who keeps/detains the property of another with the intent to deprive the owner, permanently, of the usufruct right conferred therefrom, has committed an offence known in law as STEALING."

“This office undertakes to assist the Command with regard to the necessary logistics to recover the converted properties.”

Earlier, Agboola stated that he did not receive any letter asking him to return the vehicles.

governor of Ondo state signing a petition

Ondo Ex-Deputy Gov faces petition over unreturned vehicles

Nigerian newspapers,on one page.