TheNewsGuru

Tag: Abuja

  • Photos: Pro-Buhari groups stage counter protests in Abuja, declare support for incumbent administration

    Following series of protests held by some anti-Buhari protesters under the aegis of #OurMumuDonDo since Monday, a counter group under the aegis of Coalition for Good Governance and Change Initiative on Thursday staged a counter protest pledging loyalty to the administration of President Muhammadu.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that the protesters converged at the Unity Fountain, Abuja singing solidarity songs in support of the Nigerian government.

    They are currently marching to the Presidential Villa.

    Some of the placards being displayed at the protest ground include: ‘the system is working, no cause for alarm, ‘we repose confidence on President Muhammadu Buhari,’ our president is recuperating, Nigeria is moving forward.

    However, the anti-Buhari protesters were conspicuously missing at the Unity Fountain where they had initially gathered since Monday.

    Details later…

  • Arrest Kanu now or we shut government activities in Abuja – Arewa Youths tell Osinbajo

    Sequel to the expiration of its 10-day ultimatum to the federal government to order the arrest of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu, a northern youth group, under the aegis of Arewa Youth Assembly, AYA, on Wednesday staged a peaceful protest in Abuja.

    TheNewsGuru.com recalls that AYA had in a statement signed and released on July 27 by its speaker, Mohammed Salihu and clerk, Desmond Minakaro, gave the Acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo 10 days ultimatum to order the arrest of the IPOB leader.

    The group threatened to shut down federal government activities in the Federal Capital Territory if the acting president fails to meet its demands.

    To further press on their demands, scores of members of the group, on Wednesday gathered at the Unity Fountain in the Central Business District at about 9 a.m. and marched to the junction of the Presidential Villa.

    They warned the federal government that it risks their wrath if it delays in meeting the demand to take Kanu back into custody.

    TheNewsGuru.com recalls that Justice Binta Nyako had given stringent conditions that the embattled leader must abide by before and after leaving the prison premises. She particularly barred him (Kanu) from granting interviews, and being in gatherings of more than 10 persons, when she granted the IPOB leader bail.

    Speaking to newsmen on behalf of the group, Mohammed Salihu, said the group was serious about plans to shut down government activities in Abuja if the acting president fails to act as it had demanded.

    In his words: “I will be very brief. We organised this peaceful protest as a warning and reminder to federal government to arrest Nnamdi Kanu now.

    “The Arewa Youth Assembly will not make a U-turn on its decisions. We intend to carry out our proposed plans and nothing can stop us.

    “We will mobilize thousands of youth to shut down government activities in Abuja after our congress meeting next week Saturday,” he said.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that a team of police officers monitored the group’s procession from a distance before the group dispersed shortly before noon.

     

  • Photos: Charlyboy shuts down Abuja in protest, demands Buhari’s resignation

    The self-acclaimed area father, Charles Oputa, aka Charlyboy on Monday demanded President Muhammadu Buhari’s resignation in a protest staged in Abuja following his continuous medical vacation in London, United Kingdom.

    Charlyboy noted that the president should either resume office or officially tender his resignation.

    They are currently at the Unity Fountain and are marching to the National Assembly singing solidarity song.

    See photos below:

    Photos: Charlyboy shuts down Abuja in protest, declares Buhari’s resignation

     

    Details later…

     

     

  • JUST IN: Osinbajo, Governors, Ministers, others hold NEC meeting in Abuja

    Acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo is currently presiding the National Economic Council (NEC) meeting with state governors, ministers and other top government officials at the Council Chambers of the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

    The council is expected to take some “crucial economic decisions.”

     

     

    Details later…

  • Nigeria, Iran seek partnership in technology

    The Nigerian Government and its Iranian counterpart on Thursday expressed their willingness to strengthen partnership in technology.

    The Minister of Science and Technology, Dr Ogbonnaya Onu, and the Iranian Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr Morteza Zarchi, made the commitment when Zarchi paid a courtesy visit to minister in Abuja.

    Onu expressed Nigeria’s desire to consolidate relationship with Iran, especially in the area of technology.

    According to him, both countries have had warm relationship, noting that there is need for the relationship to grow from strength to strength.

    “I must commend you for the good work you have done to promote good relationship between Iran and Nigerian.

    “I also commend Iran for her commitment in using science and technology for nation building.

    “At one of the conferences I attended representing my country in Pakistan, your minister of science and technology told us that Iran as of last year, was investing 1.2 per cent of your GDP in science and technology.

    “ There is that decision to even boost allocation of more resources to science and technology because you understand and appreciate the importance and relevance of science and technology to nation building.’’

    Onu said that Nigeria was also working hard in using science, technology and innovation‎ as tools for nation building.

    The minister said that science and technology would help Nigeria to use its resources more efficiently to create jobs.

    He told the ambassador that Nigeria would be happy to cooperate with Iran.

    Zarchi stressed that Nigeria and Iran were exploring sources of revenue by diversifying their economies to technology and agriculture.

    He said that Iranian investors were interested in partnering with Nigeria in the science sector.

     

  • Trending: FRSC officer wrestle control of moving car with driver [video]

    A video of a female Federal Road Safety Official who was caught on camera struggling for the control of a moving car with a driver in Abuja yesterday is presently trending on the internet.

  • 2 dead, 10 dead as heavy rain wreaks havoc in Suleja

    The Chairman of Suleja Local Government of Niger, Malam Abdullahi Maje, has confirmed 10 persons missing and two bodies recovered in flood in the area on Sunday.

    Maje also said that 100 houses were affected in the incident, adding that eight houses were washed away in the flood, which followed 10 hours of heavy rainfall.

    Witnesses had said that eight members of a family were suspected to have died in the flood which affected Suleja and Tafa local Government areas of Niger.

    The head of the household was said to have survived but his two wives and six children were not lucky.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that many families were affected with household effects floating in the water.

    Many people struggled to bale water out of their houses.

    Mr Mohammed Mohammed, the District Police Officer in-charge of Division ‘A’ Police station in Suleja, could not confirm the casualty figure but said his men had visited the flood scenes.

    “The flood affected many people who built their houses along the river bank; many houses have been destroyed with unconfirmed number of deaths recorded.

    “Police are providing security around the scene so that hoodlums will not cart away victims’ property especially those lying outside,” he said.

    He promised to furnish more details on the incident.

    The National Emergency Management Agency was not also able to give details.

    Meanwhile, Malam Abdulkareem Samanja, the Village Head of Hayin Nasarawa-Iku in the nearby Tafa Local Government Area decried the loss of property.

    He said he was still awaiting report from ward heads on the incident.
    At Suleja General Hospital, Musliu Mohammed, a 17 year-old boy, recovered from the flood and brought into the hospital by sympathisers, was placed on admission

     

     

    NAN

     

  • Panic as fire guts Federal Secretariat, Abuja

    Panic as fire guts Federal Secretariat, Abuja

    There was a fire outbreak at the Federal Civil Service Secretariat, Abuja early Saturday morning.

    It was learnt that the blaze which started from an office on the third floor in the Ministry of Tourism had destroyed electronic items and items of furniture before it was put off by men of the fire service.

    It was learnt that the fire was observed by some security personnel who raised the alarm which drew the attention of emergency rescue workers around the area.

    Men of the Federal and FCT Fire Services who were informed about the incident arrived shortly after and extinguished the fire.

    The Director-General, Federal Capital Territory Emergency Service, Alhaji Abass Idriss stated that the fire had been brought under control.

    He said, “We suspect that the fire was from an electrical spark, but everything is under control, the fire has been put off, and the damage wasn’t much.”

     

  • Minister sacks 789 prostitutes from Abuja

    The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Muhammad Bello has disclosed that over 789 prostitutes and other destitutes have been repatriated to their various states of origin within the last two years of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.

    Bello disclosed this to newsmen at a media parley in Abuja.

    According to him: “Majority of these numbers were repatriated back to their respective neighbouring states after proper profiling and rehabilitation.”

    He stated that government was determined to ensure that “women, youths, children and the vulnerable in FCT are adequately catered for.”

    Acting secretary of the Social Development Secretariat (SDS), Irene Adebola Elegbede, who spoke on behalf of the minister, said it was almost impossible to eradicate the world’s oldest profession from the FCT.

    She said: “You cannot eradicate the profession; you can only try to contain it. It is the oldest profession. We are trying to discourage commercial sex workers in FCT, but they are smarter than us, they work as cartels.

    “When you dislodge or arrest them in a particular place, they migrate to another place. We arrested some in Apo, within the twinkle of an eye, able-bodied men were begging us to release them. We need to cooperate; if every man decides to be disciplined, we won’t see them.

    “We should collaborate to reduce their numbers on our streets. If there is no demand, there won’t be supply. We even trained some of them in different vocations as a better alternative to prostitution and gave them start-off kits and start-up capital, but, surprisingly, after some months, we saw them on the streets again.”

    The SDS boss seized the opportunity to urge members of the National Assembly to expedite action on a stiffer legal framework that would help in addressing the daunting challenge of beggars, miscreants and commercial sex workers.

    Speaking more on the activities of commercial sex workers, she said: “We have a mobile court, where we take them to serve as deterrent to others, but you would see human rights activists coming to pay for them. Initially, the fine was N200 but it was increased to N2,000. And after they are released, they go back to the streets immediately.”

     

  • Osinbajo, Emir of Kano meet behind closed doors in Abuja

    Acting President Yemi Osinbajo on Thursday met behind closed doors with the Emir of Kano, Malam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, in the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the meeting which took place at the Vice-President’s mini conference room, lasted for about two hours.

    When accosted by State House correspondents, the Emir declined to comment on the outcome of the meeting.

    However, NAN reliably gathered that the Emir was on a “Thank You’’ visit to the acting president, who recently joined other well meaning Nigerians to stop the Kano State House of Assembly from its investigation of alleged misappropriation of funds and other infractions levelled against the Emir.

    It would be recalled that the House resolved to drop the probe following a plea through a letter by Gov. Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano state.

    The letter was read by the speaker, Kabiru Rirum, on the floor of the House.

    In his letter, Ganduje said he was calling for the investigation to be dropped as a result of interventions by highly-placed personalities in the matter.

    According to the letter, the personalities include the acting president, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo; party leaders; former military President Ibrahim Babangida; former head of state Abdulsalami Abubakar; Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar; and businessmen and indigenes of the state, Aliko Dangote and Aminu Dantata.

    NAN gathered that the Emir’s visit to the Presidential Villa might be part of the ongoing consultations by the acting president with stakeholders which began with foremost Leaders of thought from the Northern and South East States of the federation.

    The consultation was sequel to the calls for secession by youth from different ethnic groups in the country resulting in some asking others to vacate their region before Oct. 1.(NAN)