Namibia president bans overseas trip for officials

President Hage Geingob of Namibia has suspended foreign travels of all ministers, deputy ministers and political office bearers with immediate effect, the President’s Office said in a statement Wednesday.

The measure, which will remain in effect till February, is in line with Geingob’s call to rein in official travel expenses.

On Jan. 25, Geingob, attended the 30th Ordinary Session of the African Union in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, with just two ministers.

Federal Govt frees 951 prison inmates, 430 others gain varsity admission

The Federal Government, through the National Stakeholders on Prison Reforms has freed 951 inmates across three geo-political zones of the country. The inmates had to meet conditions for release before benefitting from the prison decongestion programme. 430 inmates also gained admission to the National Open University while three more are on the verge of completing their doctorate degrees. This was disclosed by the Public Relations Officer of the Nigerian Prisons Service, DCP Francis Enobore at a joint news conference with the Executive Director, Prisoners Rehabilitation and Welfare Action PRAWA, Dr. Uju Agomoh.

He said:

Arsenal sign Borussia Dortmund striker, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang for £56m

Arsenal F.C have signed Gabon striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang from Borussia Dortmund in a club record £56m deal. 

The Gunners had two bids for the 28-year-old rejected by Dortmund before agreeing a fee that eclipses the £46.5m July purchase of Alexandre Lacazette. Dortmund would only sell after finding a replacement, with Chelsea forward Michy Batshuayi to join on loan. 

Aubameyang scored 141 goals in 213 games for Dortmund since 2013, including 21 in 24 matches this season.  But he was suspended by the German club for their match against Wolfsburg on 14 January for missing a team meeting.

Gov. Ambode issues 20-day ultimatum for markets clean up or risk closure

The Governor of Lagos State, Akinwunmi Ambode has expressed displeasure with the present state of various markets across the State, saying that leaders of the various markets must prevail on their members to clean up their dirty surroundings within the next 20 days or risk closure of their markets.

The directive was issued in Alausa during a stakeholders forum with market leaders in the 57 local governments and local council development areas of the State.

Governor Ambode, who was represented at the event by Commissioner for the Ministry of Local Government and Community Affairs, Mr. Muslim Folami said the present administration abhors the dumping of refuse on roadsides, medians, bus stops as well as markets, urging market leaders to promptly rid their environment of waste.

He said dumping of refuse within the market environment poses health hazards, discourages customers and residents from patronising stalls within the markets, thereby reducing economic activity within the market environment.

Photos: President Buhari presides over the Federal Executive Council FEC meeting

President Muhammadu Buhari presided over the Federal Executive Council meeting held at the state House today January 31st. Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, Ministers and others were present at the meeting. See more photos below...

Former Italy football coach, Azeglio Vicini dies at 84

Former Italy national coach Azeglio Vicini, who led the Azzurris to third place at the 1990 World Cup on home soil, has died at the age of 84.

Vicini managed the national side from 1986 to 1991, leading them to the semi-finals of the 1988 European Championships and also the 1990 World Cup. 

He passed away at his home in the northern city of Brescia, the Italian press reported Wednesday. During his 13-year senior playing career, Vicini lined up for Vicenza, Sampdoria and Brescia.

Football agent jailed one year for absconding with player’s N.9m

A Daura Chief Magistrates’ Court in Kaduna on Wednesday,  sentenced a 40-year-old football agent Olumide Otule, to one year imprisonment for absconding with a player’s N900,000.

Magistrate Zainab Mohammed in her ruling, gave the convict an option to pay N50,000 fine.

Mohammed also ordered Otule pay back the N900, 000, being the amount owed the complainant.

Otule, a resident of No 7 Kofar Gamji Complex in Kaduna, was first arraigned on May 1, 2016 on a two-count charge of criminal breach of trust and cheating.

The Prosecutor, Sunday Baba, told the court that Adebayo Owolabi of No DD5 Kabba Road in Kaduna wrote a letter of complaint to the Commissioner of Police in Kaduna State on April 18, 2016.

Nigerian rapper Olamide loses mum on son's birthday

YBNL Boss,Olamide is in mourning after his mum’s sudden death last night.. In a sad twist of fate, his mum passed on his son’s birthday.Just a few hours after celebrating his son on Instagram, the rapper shared the heartbreaking news that his mum had passed on.

He posted a black photo with words in Yoruba dialect which reads ‘🕯🕯🕯🕯🕯 Orisa bi iya o si 💔💔💔💔💔

Photo below...

I only rob ‘white people’ at National Mosque – Beggar

A suspect, Bashir Adamu, who was arrested for allegedly assaulting motorists and snatching phones and handbags, on Tuesday said his targets were expatriates who worshipped at the National Mosque, Abuja.

The 27-year-old, who was arrested along with two others, told PUNCH Metro on Tuesday that he operated on Fridays during Juma’at prayers.
He added that he had stolen phones at the National Mosque twice before he was apprehended by the Federal Capital Territory police operatives.

Adamu claimed that he had stolen only two phones, adding that the first handset was recovered by its owner, while the police retrieved the second stolen phone.

But police sources noted that the suspect was arrested about a fortnight ago for snatching a phone at the mosque, adding that he was arraigned and granted bail before he was re-arrested for a similar offence last Friday.

Adamu, who admitted that he was just released on bail, said,

Nigerian troops begins road construction in Sambisa forest

The Nigerian Army on Wednesday said it had embarked on road construction project in Sambisa Forest as part of ongoing clearance operation to dislodge remnants of Boko Haram insurgents.

The Director, Army Public Relations, Brig.-Gen. Sani Kukasheka, made the disclosure in a statement issued in Maiduguri.

Kukasheka said that the army had begun construction of access road to open the forest and link adjourning communities.

He listed the projects as Gwoza-Yamtake-Bita-Tokumbere-Sambisa and Gwoza-Yamtake-Bita roads.

Congo orders internet and SMS cut ahead of anti-govt demonstrations

Democratic Republic of Congo's government on Saturday ordered telecommunications providers to cut internet and SMS services across the country ahead of planned anti-government demonstrations.

Grassroots Catholic activists have called for marches in major cities on Sunday to demand that President Joseph Kabila commit to not changing the constitution to stand for a third term and release political prisoners.

Kabila was required by the constitution to step down in December last year when his mandate expired but an election to replace him has been repeatedly delayed and is now scheduled for December 2018.

Kim Jong-Un vows North Korea will mass-produce nukes

Kim Jong-Un vowed in a defiant New Year message Monday that North Korea would mass-produce nuclear warheads and missiles, suggesting he would continue to accelerate a rogue weapons programme that has stoked international tensions.

Kim, who said he always had a nuclear launch button on his desk, has presided over multiple missile tests in recent months and the North's sixth and most powerful nuclear test -- which it said was a hydrogen bomb -- in September.

"We must mass-produce nuclear warheads and ballistic missiles and speed up their deployment," said Kim in his annual address to the nation.
He reiterated his claims that North Korea had achieved its goal of becoming a nuclear state but insisted its expansion of the weapons programme was a defensive measure.

Woman arrested for stealing girl at RCCG’s Redemption Camp

Ogun State Police Command has arrested a 28-year-old woman, Anuoluwapo Joshua,  for allegedly stealing a three-year-old girl, Patience, at the Redemption Camp along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.

The Redemption Camp is owned by the Redeemed Christian Church of God.

It was gathered that the suspect allegedly stole the child in July 2017 during the monthly Holy Ghost Congress. She was apprehended on December 29 at a youth centre in the camp.

Patience was discovered missing in July after her mother returned from the new auditorium where she had gone to pack her children’s clothes, PUNCH reports.

Happy New Year!!!

Welcome to 2018..Stay blessed

Saudi Arabia Moves To Seize $300b Assets Of Alwaleed, Others

Saudi Arabia has announced it will confiscate money and assets, running into $300billion  held by dozens of top officials and businessmen detained in an anti-corruption crackdown.

The Saudi attorney-general said  detailed questioning of detainees had already produced “a great deal of evidence”, but gave no more details.

Businessmen in detention include international investor Prince Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, whose wealth was estimated by Forbes magazine before the crackdown at $17 billion; Mohammad al-Amoudi at $10.4 billion, with construction, agriculture and energy companies in Sweden, Saudi Arabia and Ethiopia; and finance and healthcare magnate Saleh Kamel at $2.3 billion.

Retired Assistant Police Commissioner Loses N20m To Fraudster

A businesswoman, Omirafe Taiwo, who allegedly defrauded a retired Assistant Police Commissioner of N20 million, was on Thursday charged before an Igbosere Magistrates’ Court in Lagos.

Taiwo, 39, whose address is unknown, is facing a four-count charge of conspiracy, fraud, issuance of dud cheque and stealing.

She denied the charge.

Sgt. Friday Mameh, the prosecutor, insisted that the accused and others still at large conspired and committed the offences at Lekki Phase 1, Lagos, between April and Sept. 21.