Author: Chronicle Editor

The Nigerian government has said “no ransoms were paid” in the release of dozens of schoolgirls kidnapped a month ago by Boko Haram extremists. Nigeria says 76 of the 110 schoolgirls are confirmed freed but that the release is “ongoing.” Nigeria’s information minister, Lai Mohammed says the girls were released “through back-channel efforts and with the help of some friends of the country, and it was unconditional.” Witnesses in Dapchi town say the extremists drove into town before dawn and dropped off the girls with a warning: “Don’t ever put your daughters in school again.” Meanwhile, Boko Haram militants have…

Seventy-six out of the 110 abducted Dapchi schoolgirls were released, Information minister Lai Mohammed, has corrected the earlier figure quoted. Earlier reports say 105 of the girls were released by Boko Haram on Wednesday and that five of them were died. According to Presidential spokesman Shebu Garba government sources, the released girls have been transported to their homes. The release of the girls came barely a few days after Defence Minister Dan Alli promised that the abducted Dapchi schoolgirls would be rescued. They were abducted by a faction of Boko Haram fighters at the Government Girls Technical College, Dapchi in…

The Presidency has confirmed the release of abducted students of Government Girls’ Science and Technical College, Dapchi, Yobe State. The girls were abducted by the terrorists sect, Boko Haram sect on February 19. The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, confirmed this when contacted. Shehu promised to give further details on the development later. “Yes, the girls are being transported to safety. We will give details later. We thank God,” he said. The girls’ release came exactly one week after President Muhammadu Buhari visited the school where they were kidnapped. READ: Robbers kill Taxify…

The 14th edition of GOtv Boxing Night will hold at the Indoor Sports Hall of the National Stadium, Lagos, on 14 April, the organisers have announced. The announcement was made at a press conference in Lagos yesterday. The event returns to the National Stadium after it was staged at the Landmark Centre in December. GOtv Boxing Night 14 will feature seven bouts, including the African Boxing Union featherweight title bout between Nigeria’s Waidi “Skoro” Usman and Michael “Shaka” Nyawade of Kenya. Skoro lost a bid to win the title to Edward Kakembo of Uganda in 2015. READ: Its straight fight…

Two of the robbery suspects arrested by the operatives of Rapid Response Squad (RRS) of the Lagos State Police Command for killing a Taxify driver and snatching his vehicle have confessed that they formed their robbery gang in Kirikiri Prison. The suspects, Simon Tyozemda (27) from Benue State and Lucky Friday (24) from Delta State were arrested on Wednesday, 14th March, 2018 with two long knives inside a Uber operated cab, a Toyota Camry Saloon with the registration number APP 145 EE, which they had planned to kill its driver and steal. The gang leader, Simon had through his girlfriend’s…

The Former Vice President, Architect Namadi Sambo is currently holding a closed-door meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo. The meeting is being held at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, the nation’s capital. Arch. Sambo was the Vice President during Goodluck Jonathan’s tenure as President from 2011- 2015. In 2015, he ran as Jonathan’s running mate against Buhari and Osinbajo but lost. He is also a member of the main opposition party, Peoples Democratic Party while Buhari and Osinbajo are both members of the All Progressives Congress, APC.

A novel that gives a “breathtaking account of addiction” and a story exploring the heartbreak of infertility are among the works on the shortlist for the Wellcome Book Prize. Six titles are in the running for the £30,000 award, which is for books that engage with medicine, health or illness. This year’s judging panel selected one novel, one memoir and four non-fiction books. They include Mayhem: A Memoir by Sigrid Rausing, which judge Bryony Gordon called “a breathtaking account of addiction and its effects on families”. “Sigrid Rausing’s book is powerful and searing without ever feeling exploitative; her writing is…

Barcelona, Paris St-Germain and Real Madrid are all interested in signing Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah, 25, for a world record £200m. The Egyptian has scored 28 Premier League goals so far this season. (Sun) Manchester United defender Luke Shaw, 22, feels manager Jose Mourinho is freezing him out, and the Englishman could take his complaint to executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward. (Mirror) Mourinho is considering a summer move to take Arsenal and Wales midfielder Aaron Ramsey, 27, to Manchester United. (Star) United have already enquired about Arsenal defender Hector Bellerin, but Juventus remain favourites to sign the 23-year-old Spaniard. (Mirror) Bosnia…

Nigerian security forces were warned about the presence of Boko Haram fighters near the town of Dapchi, but failed to respond, allowing insurgents to kidnap 110 schoolgirls almost unharrassed, Amnesty International said on Tuesday. The kidnapping on Feb. 19 of the girls from Dapchi, aged between 11-19, had echoes of the Islamist insurgency’s abduction in 2014 of 276 students from the town of Chibok, which shot Nigeria’s conflict with Boko Haram, now nine years old, into the global spotlight. It threatens to be a thorn in the side of President Muhammadu Buhari, whose 2015 electoral victory was built on criticism…

Ten Niger Delta militant groups, including the Reformed Niger Delta Avengers, have given the federal government four weeks to reinstate the sacked Coordinator of the Amnesty Programme, Retired General Paul Boroh. The militants warned that they would unleash fresh attacks on oil installations and facilities across the Niger Delta region if the sack of Boroh was not reversed. The Leader of the Reformed Niger Delta Avengers RNDA, General Johnmark Ezonbi, said in statement on Monday that it had become obvious that the federal government was toiling with the destiny of the region. “The federal government will hear from us at…