EAGLES EYE UPDATE

By Benedict Olalere Solidarity greetings from the National Association of Polytechnic Students (NAPS), the umbrella body that represent over 20.1million Monotechnics and  Polytechnic Students in Nigeria and Diaspora. As a legitimate President-Elect under democratic election of 200  accredited Senators (Students' Union Government President) across Nigeria, I rise to address the Polytechnic Students populace across Nigeria to disregard and disclaim the malicious gathering called Congress, which was held at NUJ Hall, Abuja on the 28th January, 2022 by some unscrupulous elements to faction the NAPS Unity Convention held at Education Resources Centre, Abuja on 3rd - 5th December, 2021 under the supervision of Department of State Service, Abuja. The kangaroo gathering which claimed Anidi Samuel as the factional President is illegal and unconstitutional. It was structured to mislead the entire Nigerian Polytechnic Students from the truth, scandal the progress and disunity the

Hushpuppi; DCP Abba Kyari Suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police, Abba Kyari, has deleted all posts on his Facebook page. He did this shortly after uploading over 400 pictures from the wedding of Maina Alkali, son of the Inspector-General of Police, Usman Baba, in Maiduguri. When our correspondent visited Abba Kyari’s page, only the posts of the IGP son’s wedding were left. However, efforts to retrieve the deleted posts proved abortive. The PUNCH  earlier reported that Kyari on August 4, 2021, edited and deleted his rebuttal to the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s indictment in the fraud case against an Instagram celebrity, Ramon Abbas, aka, Hushpuppi. Then, Kyari had published the rebuttal on  Facebook  after an FBI affidavit revealed that he helped Hushpuppi jail an associate who was trying to thwart the fraud being perpetrated against a Qatari businessman. In the previously deleted post, Kyari denied receiving any money from Hushpuppi, saying the  Instagram  celebrity “saw some of

Workers of Mahila Congress (Women's wing of the Indian National Congress) light candles during a protest after the rape and murder of a 21-year-old woman in New Delhi, India, in a September 6, 2021 file photo. / Credit: Pankaj Nangia/Anadolu Agency/Getty  (Pankaj Nangia/Anadolu Agency/Getty) New Delhi — Police in the Indian capital have arrested 11 people, including nine women, after the alleged brutal gang rape and torture of a young woman that included her being paraded through the streets and humiliated. The incident took place on Wednesday in East Delhi's Kasturba Nagar area as the nation celebrated Republic Day — marked by a grand military parade through Central Delhi.  The woman, 20, was allegedly abducted and raped by a group of men in a revenge attack. The victim's head was shaved, face blackened, and a garland of shoes put around her neck as she was hit and paraded through the streets in East Delhi. Video of that part of the abuse went viral, causing widespread out

Kehinde Bamigbetan, co-Founder of Grassroots Network for Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, says there is nothing wrong with the presence of bullion vans at the Bourdillon’s residence of the All Progressives Congress leader on the eve of the presidential elections in February 2019. Bamigbetan, a former Commissioner for Information in Lagos State, stated this during an interview with Nigeria Info’ s ‘Daily Digest’ programme. Speaking on the radio programme aired on Wednesday and monitored by The PUNCH, Bamigbetan said running an election is not a cheap affair, noting that some circumstances warrant the movement of cash during electioneering. Viral pictures on the eve of the 2019 presidential election had showed two cash-laden bullion vans driving into Tinubu’s Bourdillon residence in Lagos. The then acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ibrahim Magu, had refused to answer a question regarding a petition submitted against Tinubu for alleged money laundering. Tinu

The Oyo State Judicial Panel of Inquiry into Police Brutality, Violation of Rights of Citizens and Unlawful Killings, on Wednesday, submitted its report to the state governor, Seyi Makinde. The Governor, in a post on his official Facebook page, commended the panel led by Hon Justice Badejoko O. Adeniji (rtd). He promised that his administration will implement the recommendations in the report. “I commended members of the panel for the thorough job they did and thanked them for their service. “I promised that the recommendations in the report would be implemented by our administration while we would pass on the necessary recommendations to the Federal Government,” he wrote. Copyright PUNCH.

The Federal Government says it is set to amend its relevant statutes and code to enforce the operational conditions of Twitter in Nigeria on other social media platforms. The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed disclosed this in Cairo at a meeting with his counterpart, Egypt Minister of Communication and Information Technology, Dr Amir Talaat. The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the meeting was on the sidelines of a bilateral discussion with Africa Export Import Bank (Afreximbank) on how Nigeria can access funding to support its growing creative industry. NAN reports that Mohammed had led some private sector stakeholders involved in Digital Switch Over, to Afreximbank to assist them on how they can source fund to complete the wholly private sector financially driven project. In his interaction with Talaat, the minister disclosed that Nigeria was amending its National Broadcasting Act and Broadcasting Code to ensure that all online platforms operatin

The Minister of State for Health, Dr Olorunmimbe Mamora, on Tuesday, debunked news about free deoxyribonucleic acid tests popularly known as free DNA tests for Nigerians. The minister disclosed this in an interview with The PUNCH In Abuja. The PUNCH reports that some Nigerians took to the popular micro-blogging site, Twitter, with claims that the minister had said government hospitals and clinics would conduct free DNA tests. The tweets had generated several reactions. While certain individuals expressed joy at the opportunity of exposing paternity fraud, other citizens wondered if the government would be able to finance the free tests. A tweep, with the username Chijioke, P.HD, was among the first to tweet about a free DNA test attributing the statement to a Health Minister. The tweep wrote, There will be free DNA test in government owned hospitals from June this year. -Nigerian Health Minister. Another tweep, with the username, Omotayo of Lagos wrote, Nigerian government

The Ogun State Police Command has started investigation into the killing of the traditional ruler of Agodo, in the Ewekoro Local Government Area of the state, Oba Ayinde Odetola. A senior police officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told PUNCH Metro on Tuesday that detectives assigned to the case had already established clues, which they were following. “We already have clues to people who killed the monarch. We are sure that we will get them in a matter of days,” the source said. Oba Odetola and three of his aides were reportedly attacked and set ablaze in their car on Monday by suspected hoodlums. The incident drew outrage of residents, who demanded the arrest and prosecution of the killers. The state Police Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Oyeyemi, on Tuesday, said villagers deserted the community after the incident, adding that no arrest had been made. He said, “Once we make any arrest we will issue a release on it. The people in the village have fled the plac

A top source privy to the information, leading to the gruesome murder of Olu of Agodo  said that a long term feud between the Owu people and Ake people led to the fatal killing of the late king and his elder bbrothe The long term feud, the source said has killed so many people, and renders so many homeless. The king who avoided Agodo village, though he is king for the fear of his life, he  doesn’t step there, or even live there because his elder brother was also killed, and his body was also burnt. The king on his way to settle the long term old scuffle, was ambushed, killed and burnt with three of his aides, and not his children as it was previously reported  The sister to the King, who escaped the death, said she was not at the scene, as it was reported by several media houses. That, she was at the hospital. She added, that she was just discharged.  When intel region contacted her, she was in pains, and sounded disturbed. We could not asked further question on the long term feud betw

Men of the Nigerian Army has intercepted hundreds of heavily armed thugs of the Oyo State PDP chapter while heading to Ekiti State with an alleged mission to disrupt the scheduled Ekiti State PDP gubernatorial primary election. Ekiti State is set to elect a new Governor in 2022 as parties across the State scramble to appoint a strong candidate to take over from Dr. John Kayode Fayemi at the end of his tenure. According to reports gathered by Intel Region, several PDP armed thugs coming from Ibadan to Ekiti was intercepted in the early hours of Wednesday at around 3AM in Ita Awure/Efon Junction. Images of the sophisticated weapons including guns, cutlasses including an ID Card belonging a member of the Oyo State Park Management System has circulated around social media during a parade by soldiers. Some of the images are attached below: The Inspector-General of Police, Usman Baba, has revealed that he has deployed additional policemen from Abuja to Ekiti State to complement p

Lagos State Government, on Tuesday, suspended the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) activities at Eyin Eyo, Church Street and Idumota Bridge, in Lagos Island, indefinitely.  The indefinite suspension became necessary following violence in those areas. Special Adviser to the Governor on Transportation, Oluwatoyin Fayinka announced the suspension. Fayinka stated this at a stakeholders meeting comprising NURTW, Central Business District, CBD, and Lagos State Market Women Association (Iya Oloja General and Iya Oloja of Lagos Island) held at Alausa, Ikeja, to address the crisis often caused by activities of transport union members. To prevent further acts of violence at Idiomatic, Fayinka explained that the Lagos State Parks Monitoring Authority will resume work at Eyin Eyo. Fayinka further stated that the Rapid Response Squad, RRS, has been directed to deploy Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC) on Idumota Bridge to deter motorists from driving against traffic in compliance with

The Nigeria Police Force has charged the owner of Hilton Royal Hotel, Dr Ramon Adedoyin, and six others to an Abuja High Court over the circumstances surrounding the death of Timothy Adegoke, the MBA student of the Obafemi Awolowo University, who reportedly died at the hotel on November 6, 2021. Adedoyin, according to a statement on Tuesday, is being charged with the offence of unlawful interference with a dead body, while the other six accused persons are charged with various offences ranging from murder, conspiracy, altering receipt, along with other stated offences. According to the case summary and proof of evidence filed by the Police, Adedoyin is being charged for illegally disposing of Adegoke’s body, altering and cancelling his payment receipt and the removal of the hotel’s CCTV cameras with intent to destroy evidence. Others charged with the educationist are, Adedeji Adesola, 23, Magdalene Chiefuna, 24, Adeniyi Aderogba, 37, Oluwale Lawrence, 37, Oyetunde Kazeem, 3

By Benedict Olalere Neo Black Movement of Africa (NBM), Malaysia Zone, has provided free medical checkups and medicines to indigenes and non-indigenes of Ogbe-Udu in Udu community of Delta State, Nigeria. The event, the first of its kind in the area, which took place at Ogbe Udu community hall on January 21, 2022 is part of its implementation of the zonal blueprint. About 400 elderly people and other indigenes benefited from the exercise and were all smiles at the end of the day. Many of the beneficiaries, who spoke with our correspondent, commended NBM of Africa for the gesture. They noted that the organisation braved the odds to reach out to the poor and needy in Udu community. The medical outreach was the organization’s (NBM's) Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), a way of giving back to society and a lifeline to the less privileged. It expressed profound gratitude to Delta Zone, for its immense logistical assistance. It urged the people to work and cooperate for t

Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, and the United States Ambassador to Nigeria, Mary Beth Leonard, at the signing of the Cultural Property Implementation Act Agreement between Nigeria and the United States in Abuja on Thursday. (Photo: Information Ministry) The Federal Government and the United States, on Thursday, signed the Cultural Property Implementation Act (CPIA) Agreement. According to the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, the CPIA will reduce the pillage of Nigeria’s ancient arts which are mostly smuggled to Europe, the US and other places for the benefit of art collectors. Mohammed said the signing of the MoU became necessary because, despite all efforts by the Ministry of Information and Culture and the National Commission for Museums and Monuments, with the assistance of law enforcement agencies, to prevent illicit export of the nation’s archaeological and ethnological materials, widespread looting and illicit excavation of

Nollywood actor, Muyideen Oladapo, has bagged his second degree from the University of Lagos. The actor, known for his roles in Yoruba movies, shared pictures from the convocation ceremony on his Instagram page on Thursday. According to him, the ‘rare oppportunity’ of attaining his new educational qualification was a dream come true, as he appreciated God for his attainment. “I am sincerely grateful to the Almighty for this rare privilege. I have always had a burning passion for attaining a greater height in education from my tender age and I thank God I achieved the dream despite fame and other engagements,” he said. Lala, as he is famously called, noted that he would not relent in attaining the highest level of education, noting that he had a lot of distrations yet he could attain another degree. Oladapo said, “This is a stepping stone for me to greater achievements because I am not relenting because I want to attain the highest level of education. “I am grateful to God f

By Benedict Olalere The Leadership of the North Central Citizens Council (NCCC) has rejected the arrangement made by the All Progressive Congress (APC) to zone the office of The Chairman of the party to North Central, the leadership after a news briefing in Abuja on the 20th of January cited that it is not a favor done to the region by such arrangements, rather a move for further shortchange the region as usual. The Coordinator of the council, Comrade Mohammed Eneji emphasized that anything short of the office of the President is not acceptable by NCCC, He further lamented that the North Central, over the years have been relegated to the background politically and can no longer condoned such maltreatment, adding that the region has been among the major deciding factor for who becomes President of Nigeria and hence be given the opportunity to contest and lead the nation. Mohammed further stated that the North Central region has candidates who are not just qualify to be Presi

A huge  inferno has erupted  at SAO filling station around the Alao-Arisekola way, near Fresh FM Challenge in Ibadan, the fire outbreak spread like wildfire amid tears and wailing Ibadan indigene. Accroding to reports, the fire outbreak occured from the station’s gas tank which exploded. We cannot ascertain the number of casualties as at the time of filling this report.

Folashade Yemi-esan and President Buhari The Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Dr Folashade Yemi-Esan, on Monday, said the Nigerian Medical Association and the Academic Staff Union of Universities, as well as their affiliates, were not recognised labour unions in the public service. The bombshell came during the opening  of the separate and joint meetings of the national public service negotiating councils, which was attended by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige, and the National President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Ayuba Wabba. She also backed it with Federal Government was considering creating two additional councils in the education and health sectors. Yemi-Esan stated this during the opening of the separate and joint meetings of the national public service negotiating councils, which was attended by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige, and the National President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Ayuba Wabba. The HoS said, “Sustain

By Ayodele Awojobi We all have oríṣiríṣi ways of saving our friends and loved ones phone numbers in our phone books. On my phone, you will see some names like E N G R, B A R R, omosco_bg, D V C, P. Dilly et al. On some phones you see funny ones like Kasali Eleran, Iya Sulia Òní Bread, Engineer Somolu Bariga. Which other ones do you know? 😀 Over the years, church members of different denominations know how to identify themselves either by dressing, mode of talking, stickers on cars or things like that. Few years ago during my NYSC at Ẹ̀fọ̀n Alààyè, while waiting for him in his car in Ado Ekiti, one man approached me and said 'Glory to Jesus' and I responded 'Hallelujah'. The man knew I didn't belong. Why? My friend is a Catholic and the man saw the rosary he hung on the central mirror 😀. I'm sure you know where I belong. So, sometimes last year, I went to work in a Primary Health Centre and one of the Matrons noticed by wrist. Few minutes later, she

Cameroon captain Vincent Aboubakar scored his fifth goal of the Africa Cup of Nations as his already qualified side were joined by Burkina Faso on Monday in the second round. The Saudi Arabia-based forward, who turns 30 on Saturday, put Cameroon ahead and substitute Garry Rodrigues equalised for Cape Verde after half-time in a 1-1 draw in Yaounde. Cyrille Bayala put Burkina Faso in front and Getaneh Kebede levelled for Ethiopia from a penalty in another 1-1 draw that sufficed to take the west Africans through. Cameroon topped the final table with seven points, Burkina Faso edged Cape Verde on head-to-head records for second place after both accumulated four points and Ethiopia were eliminated with just one point. While Cameroon and Burkina Faso are assured of last-16 places, Cape Verde must wait to see if they go through as one of the best four third-placed teams from the six groups. In Yaounde, Cameroon broke the deadlock on 39 minutes in a cagey opening half dominated by

Rwandan-born referee Salima Rhadia Mukansanga will make history in the next few hours when she becomes the first woman to referee a match at the finals of the TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations. Mukansanga, 35, will take charge of the group stage match between Zimbabwe and Guinea on Tuesday, 18 January 2022 at 17:00 local time (16:00 GMT) at Ahmadou Ahidjo Stadium in Yaounde. She is part of the quartet selected as match officials at the matchmaking it the first time ever that an all-women team officiates a match at the Africa Cup of Nations tournament since the competition was established. The other women match officials are assistant referees Carine Atemzabong (Cameroon) and Fatiha Jermoumi (Morocco) as well as VAR referee Bouchra Karboubi (Morocco). On 10 January 2022, Mukansanga made history by becoming the first woman to officiate a match in the Africa Cup of Nations when she was appointed as a fourth official in the game between Guinea and Malawi in Bafoussam. CAF Hea

The Oyo State government, on Monday, called on all residents of the state to remain calm over the reported cases of the Lassa Fever in Iwajowa Local Government Area of the state. The Commissioner for Health, Dr. Bode Ladipo, made this known in a statement issued by the ministry and made available to journalists in Ibadan, noting that the state government is doing everything possible to curtail the further spread of the virus. He added that in response to the development, the government has already set up a surveillance system across LGs in the state to abate further transmission of the illness. According to him, the Ministry of Health has repositioned doses of antiviral agents for the treatment of the reported cases, adding that personal protective devices had been provided for health care providers at Iwere Ile and Iganna. He, therefore, enjoined the general public to refer similar cases to the nearest government hospitals for free and quality care, and also call the follo