TheNewsGuru

Tag: nigerian

  • 400 Boko haram insurgents killed, 800 arrested during mop-up operations in Borno- Army

    The Nigerian army on Thursday said it killed 404 Boko Haram insurgents and arrest 810 others in various operations in the past five months.

    Maj.-Gen. Attahiru Ibrahim, the Commander of the Operation Lafiya Dole, made the disclosure at a press briefing in Maiduguri.

    Ibrahim said the insurgents were killed during operations designed to clear remnant of the fleeing Boko Haram members.

    He said that the troops encountered the insurgents at various fronts including Marte, Mafa, Dikwa, Damboa and Gwoza.

    “Some 860 settlements were cleared and 19,640 civilians were rescued from the insurgents.

    “Also, 810 insurgents, including a high-profile member of the insurgency, were arrested within the period under review.

    “The rescued civilians were screened and placed at the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps,’’ Ibrahim said.

    According to him, during this operations, troops recovered various ammunitions and destroyed camps.

    The commander said that 97 attacks using Improvised Explosive Device (IEDs) were recorded, adding that some of the attacks were neutralised by the troops.

    According to him, about seven soldiers died while nine others were wounded during the operation.

    He explained that the command, in joint operations with the Multi-National Joint Task Force (MNJTF), had cleared 11 settlements on Lake Chad basin in Kangarwa and Marte as well as in parts of Cameroun and Chad.

    He listed Domo, Kelewa, Damara, Abaga, Karo, Kunaguma and Jugulu Kara as some of the liberated communities.

    Ibrahim also explained that the insurgents had resorted to IEDS attacks on civilians in view of the success recorded by the military in its campaign against them.

    The commander reiterated the commitments of the Nigerian Army to end insurgency while protecting lives and property in the country.

    He advised the people to be vigilant and support the military to enable it to discharge its duties effectively.

  • Leave our country or face renewed attacks – South Africans tell Nigerians

    The Nigeria Union in South Africa, on Wednesday claimed that two communities in the country, have asked Nigerians to leave their territories.

    President of the union, Ikechukwu Anyene, said the Kuruman community in Northern Cape Province gave Nigerians till Thursday to leave.

    He also said the Klaafontein community, Extension 5, Johannesburg, directed landlords not to renew the rent of Nigerians in the area, blaming them for the rise of illicit drug trade and prostitution.

    “The Nigeria union held series of meetings with the affected communities as well as police and local authorities on the recent threats to Nigerians.

    “We have also written reports on these incidents and sent to the Nigerian Mission and the South African police.

    “We recommended interventions before the June 16 deadline to the mission and we are waiting for their response.

    “The union is worried that any incident involving non -South Africans are attributed to Nigerians,” Anyene said.

  • Deportation: Seven Nigerian footballers stranded in Cairo —FG

    Following persistent deportation of Nigerians, Federal Government, FG, has warned youths against leaving the shores of the country in seeking unforeseen greener pastures abroad, saying seven Nigerian footballers are presently stranded in Cairo, Egypt.

    Meantime, the FG in collaboration with Lagos State Government has concluded plans to host the maiden Diaspora Festival scheduled to hold between August 23 and 25, 2017, in Badagry aimed at assisting over 15 million Nigerians in diaspora to trace their roots. Senior Special Assistant to the President on Diaspora, Mrs. Abike Dabiri-Erewa and the Special Adviser to Lagos State Governor on Oversees Affairs and Investment, Professor Ademola Abass, disclosed this yesterday, at a media conference on the activities lined up for the event, in Alausa, Ikeja.

    Dabiri-Erewa said: “There are seven Nigerian footballers stranded in Cairo.They were lured to the country with the hopes that there is a lucrative deal waiting for them there. But on their arrival, there was no football deal for them.”

    Meantime, the Lagos and the Federal Governments have concluded arrangement to help over 15 million Nigerians in diaspora trace their roots back home through the Badagry Diaspora Festival scheduled to hold between August 23 and 25, 2017.

    The diaspora festival according to the organisers the festival, which would be a replica of the 1977 Festival of Arts and Culture, had been designed to assist Africans in diaspora reunite with their roots.

  • Nigerian mothers: Onigbanjo provides meal solution guide

    Toyin Onigbanjo an entrepreneur and blogger is set to launch her meal plan book for children. The meal plan book is a simple guide for every Nigerian mother to feed their children with healthier meals from locally available foods.

    Onigbanjo was the first runner-up in the first food art competition organized by Samsung Nigeria in 2016. She is passionate about helping Nigerian mothers feed their babies with healthier meals. The Head Cook at Augustsecrets is set to launch this one of its kind meal book on the 10th of June 2017 in Lagos.

    Augustsecrets is a growing baby and toddler food solutions company with the goal of helping Nigerian mothers to feed their children healthier food options, rather than junk foods. It provides recipes online and runs a homemade food range of paps, locally-made cereals from everyday home-grown foodstuffs like vegetables, fruits, and grains. Its major strength is busy mothers with fussy eaters and children who are malnourished due to poverty and displacement.

    The book contains dietician-approved meal plans for babies from 6 months to 5 years old, and it’s endorsed by the Ministry of Women Affairs and poverty Alleviation .The foreword was written by the Commissioner, Honorable Dr. (Mrs) Lola Akande.

    According to the author, The Augustsecrets Meal Plan Book will help solve the problem of “what will I cook for my child to grow healthy?” .Mothers often run out of meal ideas, the book proffers simple, easy-to-follow solutions.

     

  • Secret Nigerian celebrity weddings you should know about

    Not ever Nigerian celebrity couple dreams of a glamorous wedding. Some enjoy the thrill of keeping their wedding a top secret. Funke Akindele and JJC Skillz, Dija, Dbanj and others are amongst celebrities who pulled off the almost impossible feat of getting hitched out of the public eye.

    In no particular order, TheNewsGuru takes a look at Nigerian celebs who opted for a secret wedding.

     

     

    D’banj

    Kokomaster Dbanj, got married in July 2016 in a very private wedding at his Lekki residence. Though he said in several interviews that he prefers a secret wedding, he eventually made it happen last year. According to reports gathered by TheNewsGuru, his wife, Didi Kilgrow is born to an American father and a part Nigerian, part South African mother . News recently broke that the couple are expecting their first child.

     

    Funke Akindele and JJC

    Though speculations has been rife in the media that the duo will be getting married, they finally did in London last year after dating for a few months. The wedding was attended by a few family and friends.

    Dija

    Not many of her fans are aware that she is hitched. Not until the Mavin artiste revealed it in 2016. The union has been blessed with a son.

     

    Oritsefemi

    Many of his fans were shocked when they heard the news of his wedding ceremony. The self -proclaimed music taliban earlier this month got married secretly to his PR executive wife , Nabila Fash in a discreet manner with family and close friends in attendance

     

  • Osinbajo orders consumption of Nigerian foods, drinks at state banquets

    Acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo has said to grow the economy Nigerians must patronise locally made goods and services including the consumption of Nigerian foods and drinks at public and private functions.

    The acting President said this on Thursday at an interactive session with top government officials on the ease of doing business at the old Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    He said government would work out incentives for performance by building reward system that punishes malfeasance and that preference must be given to indigenous providers of goods and services to strengthen the system.

    Osinbajo said, “I agree that a system of rewarding performance, and punishing malfeasance is key. We must work out incentive schemes even as we tighten up sanctions regimes.

    “We hit 70 percent quickly on the 60 days of ease or doing business target because of the cooperation of all the agencies like ministry of interior, immigrations, customs etc and that is why the remaining 30percent we will also achieve and deliver. I will hold myself accountable to it and I will also hold you accountable. “Usually, we blame the system. But the system is men and women not machines. So we can and must reform it. These proposed executive orders present a unique opportunity to perform. Ladies and gentlemen let us perform.

    “The President has laid out a cornerstone policy of this administration. We must grow what we eat and make what we use. The President again enunciated this principle in the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan. Buy Nigerian, Use Nigerian.

    “So we must now insist that at state banquets we eat and drink Nigerian.”

     

  • Ghanaians, other Africans using Nigerian passports to perpetuate crime – Ambassadorial nominee

    Ghanaians, other Africans using Nigerian passports to perpetuate crime – Ambassadorial nominee

    A non-career ambassadorial nominee, Yusuf Hinna, has alleged that Ghanaians and citizens of other African countries obtained Nigeria passport to perpetuate criminal activities.

    The nominee stated this while responding to questions at his screening by the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs in Abuja on Tuesday.

    He told lawmakers that some of the criminal activities perpetrated in several countries of the world were by nationals of other African countries who hold Nigerian passports, and not by Nigerian citizens as often reported.

    He said if confirmed as ambassador, he would embark on continual screening to determine citizenship and eligibility for obtaining the Nigeria passport.

    On Xenophobia, Hinna said if confirmed and posted to South Africa, for instance, he would engage the country’s government in order to stop harassment of Nigerians living in the country.

    “There are dislikes against Nigerians in South Africa. When Nigerians arrive, police dogs are used to sniff them at the airport.

    “If I am sent to such a country, I will engage the government so as to stop unwanted harassment.

    “However, I recall that some Africans such as Ghanaians were arrested and they were carrying Nigeria passports.

    “There is abuse of our green passports. There are security challenges, and we have to tackle them,’’ he said.

    On threat to world peace, the nominee said “nuclear weapons are dangerous to world affairs’’.

    He also spoke on the rise of different militant groups, particularly in Nigeria, who posed danger to security of lives and property.

    The nominee called the Federal Government to curtail activities of such groups to protect the country against security threats greater than that currently posed by Boko Haram.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that other nominees screened by the committee were Sylvanus Nsofor, a retired justice from Imo State and Joseph Iji from Ondo State.

    President Muhammadu Buhari in a letter dated March 29, 2017, requested the Senate to re-consider Mr. Nsofor, who was earlier rejected for failing to scale through the initial process.

    Mr. Iji’s nomination replaced Jacob Daodu, who was also rejected by the Senate based on a report from the Department of State Security, DSS.

    Mr. Hinna, from Gombe State, was nominated to replace Suleiman Hassan, who was nominated to fill the ministerial slot of Gombe State.

     

     

    NAN

  • Just in: Nigeria appointed Acting President UN General Assembly

    Just in: Nigeria appointed Acting President UN General Assembly

    A Nigerian was yesterday appointed as the Acting President to preside over the 81st Plenary Meeting of UN General Assembly at the UN headquarters.

    The Correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Nigeria’s Ambassador/Permanent Representative to the UN, Prof. Tijjani Bande, presided over the 193-member body.

    NAN reports that Bande’s presidency at the Plenary Meeting happened just nine days after he presented his credentials to the UN Secretary-General António Guterres.

    Nigeria was appointed one of the 21 Vice Presidents of the General Assembly on June 13, 2016 at the 71st session of the General Assembly.

    NAN reports that Bande presided over the General Assembly following the absence of the President of the Assembly, Peter Thomson, who was on an official travel to the Central African Republic.

    NAN also reports that the opportunity for Nigeria to preside over the 193-member body became possible following the assumption of duty of the country’s Permanent Representative.

    Bande had told NAN that the goodwill Nigeria enjoyed since his assumption of duty last week was an indications that the international community had keenly awaited the appointment of Nigeria’s ambassador and Permanent Representative to the UN more than a year after the last ambassador completed her assignment and returned home.

    “I intend to leverage on this and continue to leverage on Nigeria’s image in positive light,” Bande said.

    NAN reports that the 81st Plenary Meeting of the General Assembly under Nigeria’s Acting Presidency, considered three reports.

    The first report was ‘Appointment of Members of the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Question: report of the Fifth Committee’, including the appointment of Mr Olivier Myard of France as a member of the committee from May 11, 2017 to Dec. 31, 2019.

    The second report was ‘Appointment of Members of the Committee on Contributions: report of the Fifth Committee’, with the appointment of Ms Zhang Wei of China as a member beginning May 11 2017 and ending Dec. 31, 2017.

    The third report considered was the ‘Organisation of Work, Adoption of the Agenda and Allocation of Items: Appointment of Members of the International Civil Service Commission: report of the Fifth Committee’, with the appointment of Mr Vladimir Storozhev of the Russian Federation as a member effective May 11, 2017 to Dec. 31, 2020.

    Bande, subsequently, after the consideration of the three reports and recommendations, adjourned the Plenary Meeting.

     

    NAN

  • FIFA appoints retired Nigerian judge into Ethics Committee

    A retired Nigerian Judge, Ayotunde Phillip, has been appointed into the newly-constituted FIFA Ethics Committee at the Congress of the world football governing body taking place in Manama, Bahrain.

    The 68-year-old who studied law at the University of Lagos, was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1974 and spent her compulsory National Youth Service Corps year in the then East Central State of Nigeria.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that the Philip was the fourth female Chief Judge of Lagos State.

    She retired from the High Court Bench in July 2014 upon the attainment of the statutory retirement age of 65 years.

    She had by then served the Lagos State Government for 38 years out of which 20 years were spent on the High Court Bench.

     

  • 53 year old Nigerian mother marries lesbian partner in US

    53 year old Nigerian mother marries lesbian partner in US

    …advocates support for LGBT communities worldwide

    A 53-year old Nigerian mother and businesswoman based in the United States of America, Moji Solar-Percy on Tuesday tied the knot with her lesbian partner whose name she refused to reveal.

    Solar-Percy, a real estate mogul, runs a company, Solar Worldwide Realty Inc. in Staten Island, New York.

    An elated Solar-Percy celebrated her new status bearing in mind what she would have faced if the ‘wedding’ took place in Nigeria.

    Solar-Percy, who hails from Ijero-Ekiti, Ekiti State, describes herself as a mother, realtor, LGBT activist, speaker, coach and host on her Facebook page, did not reveal the name of her partner.

    She wrote on her Facebook wall, where friends and families have been celebrating her new status, though she embarked on the marital journey with fear.

    “Today I woke up in a cold sweat. I was drenched with fear, for a moment. I forgot where I was. I ask you all to close your eyes, imagine what would have happened Saturday at our wedding if we were in Nigeria.

    “Even though we went to great lengths to make sure we had security, the thought of the police barging in and arresting all our guests, my wife and I, to be carted off to jail, the women raped and beaten, the men brutalised, and my children beaten along with everyone else.

    “When I got my bearings, I got on my knees and thanked God for his grace of living in the US. Then I remembered all the people that could not do what we did with grace and class.To all of you (gay) all over Africa, #westandforyou. May all our days be filled with blessings and grace.”

    In another post on Facebook, she hinted that one of her children, actually did her make-up and hair.

    “My make-up was all I wanted that day. My weave looked like it grew out of my scalp. To have my first child do my hair and make-up, then walk me down the aisle was one of the best memories of the evening,” she said.

    According to her, the daughter had been doing her hair and makeup since she was 12.

    In the wedding, which was well attended by other Nigerians in the US, Solar-Percy and her bride decked up in both traditional attires, while another picture she posted showed her wearing a white wedding gown and being attended to by her first child.

    Friends say Solar-Percy has never hidden her sexual orientation.

     

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that in Nigeria, such a gay marriage would have met with a clampdown from authorities as a result of the country’s Same-Sex Marriage (Prohibition) Law, which prescribes up to 14 years imprisonment upon conviction.