Author: Vincent Osuwo

Farouk Lawan, a former member of the House of Representatives, has been released after serving a five-year sentence for requesting and receiving a $500,000 bribe.  The Supreme Court upheld Lawan’s conviction on January 26, 2024. He was convicted of soliciting a $3 million bribe from Femi Otedola, a Nigerian billionaire oil mogul, while serving as chairman of the House of Representatives’ ad hoc committee investigating gasoline subsidy fraud in 2012. The Supreme Court upheld the conviction and sentence of Lawan, former Chairman of the House of Representatives Ad-hoc Committee on Fuel Subsidy Probe, to five years in prison for bribery.…

There are fresh indications that several chieftains of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) may have resolved to snub former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and settle for the Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, as the party’s flagbearer in the 2027 presidential election. The secretive move comes just a week after governors elected on the PDP ticket forged a peace deal between party divisions. Despite calls to maintain the status quo, members of the PDP National Working Committee loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, have begun to advocate for Makinde’s candidature in the 2027 presidential election. According…

Amid the economic hardship in the country, Air Peace has increased the cost of its one-way flight from Lagos to Abuja to N200,000 beginning November 1, 2024. The hard economy has had an impact on the aviation industry, prompting airlines to raise fares despite passenger complaints. This change has forced several Nigerians to forego aircraft in favour of road transport. Checks by our correspondent on airline prices on Monday revealed that Air Peace upped their tickets to N200,000 in November, the highest among domestic airlines. While Air Peace charges N200,000 or more for a one-way flight from Lagos to Abuja,…

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) will make a decision on Wednesday regarding the cancelled AFCON qualification Group D match between Libya and Nigeria at Benina Martyrs Stadium on October 15. According to Libya Al-Ahrar Channel, the apex continental football body will announce the final decision on the players’ ordeal during the first leg in Nigeria in October, which ended 1-0 in favour of the Super Eagles, as well as the reverse fixture, which would have taken place at Libya’s first all-seater stadium, with a capacity of 10,550. The site also revealed that the Libyan Football Federation shared all of…

Dr. Joseph Okoeguale, Director of Viral and Emergent Pathogens, Control, and Research at Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital, revealed on Monday that Edo State registered 240 positive cases of Lassa fever and 21 deaths between December and March 2024.  Okoeguele also showed that 37.7 million individuals in 14 West African countries are in danger of Lassa fever infection each year, with more than 5000 deaths. Okoeguele revealed this while giving a lecture titled “University Community Collaboration in Lassa Fever Research: Advancing Diagnostic Capacity and Vaccine Development in Nigeria” at the first edition of the College of Medical Science Lecture Series organised…

The Imo State Police Command detained Mr. Chinonso Uba (Nonsonkwa) in response to a petition from an unnamed concerned citizen.  The petition was based on viral videos in which Uba was accused of cyberstalking, defamation, disseminating disinformation, and making inflammatory statements concerning the burning of the National Open University (NOUN) Study Centre in Nsu, Ehime Mbano LGA, on September 30, 2024, which incited social disturbance. On Monday, the police spokesperson, Henry Okoye, signed a press statement which reads, “the command clarified that he was not abducted. Nonsonkwa is currently detained at State Headquarters and will be arraigned in court with…

The 91-year-old President of Cameroon, Paul Biya, has been seen in public for the first time in six weeks, sparking speculation about his declining health.  His absence from the public glare sparked false allegations about his death. However, on Monday afternoon, official television broadcast footage of the president arriving at the capital’s airport, Yaoundé, after a flight from Switzerland. The government had prohibited the media from addressing Biya’s health, who has been in power since 1982, citing national security concerns. Rumours of his death have circulated intermittently throughout the last two decades. Monday’s television images show the president dressed in…

A helicopter crash in Houston, Texas, on Sunday killed multiple individuals, including a toddler, according to local police.  According to the Houston Fire Department, the helicopter was carrying four people when it crashed into a radio tower in the city’s east on Sunday evening. Local media sites reported a huge number of emergency workers on the scene. According to fire officials, the victims were in the chopper when it crashed. Their identities have not yet been revealed. Houston authorities believe the aircraft was a privately owned R44 helicopter that took off from Ellington Field, roughly 15 miles (24 kilometres) from…

The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has encouraged South-East people to disregard any proclamation of sit-at-home on October 21 and 22, claiming that the directive did not come from the group.  For more than two weeks, a video and voice notes have circulated on social media, telling Southeast people to stay indoors on October 21 and 22, claiming that those days had been designated as sit-at-home days. The voice note also threatened to deal with anyone who did not follow the command, claiming that it was still sacred. This announcement has caused worry and disarray, especially in Anambra, as certain…

Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel said Sunday that his administration will not allow public protests during the statewide power outage, which the authorities are attempting to resolve.  The island’s ten million people were spending their third night without power after Cuba’s largest power plant collapsed on Friday, crippling the entire national grid. Chronicle NG reports that Cuba is experiencing a statewide blackout after its national grid, the primary energy facility, failed, cutting power to its ten million residents. The energy ministry stated on social media that its power grid had collapsed around 11:00 (15:00 GMT) on Friday. Grid officials said they…