A 2nd response to Lai Mohammed & APC's second statement

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Femi Fani Kayode releases another statement which he says is his final reaction to Lai Mohammed and the APC's latest response to him. 

"I read the second response of Lai Mohammed and the APC to my comments which appeared in yesterday's newspapers. Does this so-called spokesman for Nigeria's opposition party have nothing better to do than to join issues with me on a daily basis? It is reinvigorating and humbling to note that Nigeria's main opposition party can dedicate and deploy so much time and so many resources just to tackle me. I shall ignore the childish name-calling coming from a supposedly serious-minded political party that is looking for power. One wonders what you would do to your perceived enemies if, God-forbid, you ever get that power. 
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founder of Christ Revival Victory Chapel International Lagos, Prophet Ajanaku to be finally buried almost 1yr after he died

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The remains of clergyman & founder of Christ Revival Victory Chapel International Lagos, Prophet Iretiola Ajanaku, who died 11 months ago on August 22nd 2013, will ultimately be laid to rest on July 17th 2014.

Late Prophet Ajanaku's widow, Joy Ajanaku and some elders of the church had refused to bury him all  this while because they were convinced he'll rise again but have now accepted that after a person is actually dead, he's really dead.

In a statement released by the church's media personnel, Shola Bamidele, a lying-in-state is likely to be held at the Church premises and then interred in his home.

Check out the Statement after the break.

'Obanikoro, PDP aiding Boko Haram' - Bola Tinubu

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 National leader of the APC and former governor of Lagos state, Bola Tinubu has reacted to the allegations made against him by the Minister of Defence, Musiliu Obanikoro yesterday July 2nd. Obanikoro in a series of tweets had alleged that Tinubu's friends created the Boko Haram mess being experienced in Nigeria today. 

In a statement released last night through his media aide, Tinubu refuted the allegations, saying it is the PDP and Obanikoro that are aiding Boko Haram. 

Find his statement after the break.

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Pro Wole Soyinka: Boko Haram Menace Worse Than Biafran War (Video)

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Nobel Laureate, Wole Soyinka, has condemned the Boko Haram sect, describing it as a worse menace than the Biafran war, which led to the death of many Nigerians.

In an interview , Soyinka, who turns 80 in two weeks, said the terrorists are enemies of unity but are not likely to disintegrate the country. Wole said:
There were atrocities which were committed. But you never had such a regular, getting to a near predictable level of carnage. I think this is what is terrifying.
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Photograph: Popular Igwu bridge linking Ndi Ebe Abam breaks in Abia State.

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The popular Igwu bridge linking Ndi Ebe Abam to other towns collapsed on July 1st the moment a 25 tons tipper carrying gravel plied on it. Fortunately no life was lost however now the villagers say they've been cut off from other towns as a result of the collapsed bridge which served as the only real motor-able wood-road which  the indigenes used for connecting with other towns.

The people  of Ndi Ebe Abam have asked that we appeal to the Arochukwu L.G.A. Chairman and Abia State government to come to their aid, saying people residing in the town have been adversely affected by this mishap.

British parliament approves legalization of gay marriages

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Following the French National Assembly, the House of Commons in the UK approved the bill of same-sex marriages. MPs supporting this initiative had a decisive superiority over their opponents – 400 against 175. Now the bill is to go through several more ballots.

The bill will be debated in special parliamentary committees and then it will have to be approved by the House of Lords, Reuters reports.

JAMB Releases 2014 Admission Cut-Off Marks, Universities 180 While Poly, COE 150

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The Joint Admission and Matriculations Board, JAMB, has released the cut-off marks for the 2014 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, UTME.

The board retained the existing 180 cut-off mark for admission into universities in Nigeria.

It also pegged the cut-off marks for admission into Polytechnics and Colleges of Education (COE) at 150.

Pentagon pays for scientist's experiment over 700,000 Facebook users

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A secret psychological experiment over emotions of hundreds of thousands of Facebook users was carried out by a scientist financed by the US Department of Defense. This information caused a rush of indignation in social networks. Researchers turned people into guinea pigs without their knowledge or consent, informs Russia Today.

Part of Brooklyn Bridge crushed in New York, five people were injured - TV

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The facade of the Brooklyn Bridge in the US city of New York has fallen down, having injured five people, reports CBS television on Thursday, referring to the Fire Department of New York, reports RIA Novosti.

Decorative facade collapsed onto the pedestrian part under the bridge. The injured were taken to hospital with minor injuries. An investigation of the incident is being conducted, the cause of the collapse is under study.

French ex-president Sarkozy denies breaking law, denounces 'political interference'

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Nicolas Sarkozy on Wednesday denied he had broken the law after being charged with corruption-related offences and denounced what he said was political interference in the case. In extracts of an interview released by LCI television and Europe 1 radio, Sarkozy said: "I have never committed any act contrary to the values of the republic or the rule of law. I have never betrayed the confidence" of the French.

US possible tapping mission in Serbia not incredible to Serbian foreign minister – media

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Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic is not surprised by the fact that Serbia is on the list of countries where the US National Security Agency (NSA) could have carried out a tapping mission, the B92 TV and radio company reports on Wednesday.

"If they (NSA) can tap other countries, including Germany, why can't they tap us?" Dacic said speaking at a press-conference. He pointed out that the Serbian government is openly declaring its position.

'White Book' of human rights' violations in Ukraine is 'invitation to act' - Moscow

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The Russian Foreign Ministry's White Book on large-scale human rights violations in Ukraine is not "a propaganda product" but an invitation to the international community to act, the Foreign Ministry's human rights ombudsman Konstantin Dolgov told the Rossiya-24 television channel on Wednesday.

"We have seen reaction to the White Book yet," Dolgov said. "Some partners are trying to present all this as a propaganda product. But we have facts, and facts cannot be regarded as propaganda."

Ukraine swamped by US military, intelligence advisers - Russian official

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Kiev’s political course is orchestrated by the US military and intelligence circles, Russian Security Council Deputy Secretary Yevgeny Lukyanov told the RIA Novosti news agency on Wednesday.

Ukraine’s policy is far from being the country’s own course. It’s been carefully mapped out by Washington’s envoys – intelligence and military officers, he said.

Donetsk People's Republic has evidence that Kiev uses foreign mercenaries

"It’s more than just a matter of US mercenaries. The so-called advisers from Washington have been actively working in Ukraine. I mean intelligence and military specialists."

They devise a "strategic line all of the Ukrainian government’s decisions must strictly abide by", he said.

Ukrainian military forces use bombs of American origin – representative of Lugansk People's Republic

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Spokesman for the Lugansk People's Republic, Vladimir Inogorodsky said that Ukrainian troops used American-made shells during shelling on Lugansk. "Buildings that were damaged by the bomb were on fire and specialists couldn't put it off for a long time, and at first they could not understand what was happening. When experts arrived to the place, they found out that the bombs they used, were of American origin", told Inogorodsky to RIA Novosti.
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Arisekola Alao's Eldest Wife Killed In Tragic Accident

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''With deep sense of loss and sadness, We announce the tragic loss of our beloved mother, Alhaja Jelilat Arisekola Alao,(mummy Abdul) the eldest wife of Late Aare Arisekola Alao who died last night in a ghastly motor accident . She will be buried according to Islamic rites today 2nd of July in ibadan. May her gentle soul rest in perfect peace. Amen''.
RIP.

Goodluck Jonathan Breaks Fast With Muslim faithful in Ramadan Exercise

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President Goodluck Jonathan and his entourage have joined Muslim faithfuls in the ongoing Ramadan exercise. Presidential Spokesperson, Reuben Abati revealed this hours ago by sharing photos of the President dinning with Vice President, Namadi Sambo as well as the Peoples’ Democratic Party Chairman, Adamu Mu’azu, Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mohammed Abubakar and other top government functionaries. He said “Someone asked, is the president fasting too, the answer is yes” Oga lucky need all the help he can get, abi no be so? 

#‎OsunElection‬: Armed Masquerade men behind the PDP governorship candidate cause Panic.

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There are questions being raised over the presence of armed masked men behind the governorship candidate of the PDP in Osun state, Mr. Iyiola Omisore. Omisore, who has been accused severally of violence has been sighted in many parts of Osun State with armed men who cover their faces with masks even as he visits some towns in the state. The presence of the armed masked men is causing panic among residents who say the mission of those behind masks could not have been anything good.

How Nigerian Soldiers Killed A Redeemed Church Pastor

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Many people were injured while a pastor of the Redeemed Christian Church of God was shot dead by soldiers the in Opuraja community of Okpe Local Government Area in Delta State on Tuesday.

The incident occurred when the soldiers, led by a Captain, arrived in two Hilux vans to conduct investigation in the community; however, they were mobbed by the villagers, who misconstrued their motive. As a result shots were fired into the air to scare off the surging villagers.

Loud Explosion in Osun: Bomb scare in Osun state, police say it was a dynamite

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Pandemonium broke out in the More part of Ile Ife, Osun state after having a loud explosion erupted from the dynamite planted by unknown people within the area.

Their state Police Commissioner, Ibrahim Maishanu, while confirming the incident, stated that the explosive was a dynamite and not  a bomb as earlier speculated by residents of the area. He explained other dynamites planted in the community were also detonated by police anti bomb squad who arrived the scene immediately. He stated there  was no casualty from the explosion and no property was destroyed.

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Video + Photos: Kwara police unmasks ritualist den in Illorin.

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  The Kwara state Police command yesterday July 1st uncovered a ritualist den at Eyekorin road in Illorin, the Kwara state capital carrying out a tip-off. The authorities, led by their state Police Commissioner, Ambrose Aisabor, stormed an uncompleted building the place where a decomposing headless body, human parts and some murder weapons were found.

Speaking on the discovery, the Police Commissioner said the area is believed to have been an individual parts market were folks who are associated with ritual activities go to buy human parts. 

"When you get there you would see particles of human parts scattered so we believe that place has been a human parts market where people who are involved in rituals  and ritual activities go to purchase human parts" he said. Continue to see more photos and video...

Photo: Boko Haram female accomplice, Hafsat Bako Nabbed.

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 According to a post on the Facebook wall of the National Orientation Agency Nigeria, an accomplice and informant of terror sect, Boko Haram, Hafsat Bako, pictured above, has been arrested. Information on her arrest remain sketchy but will take an upgrade later.

Senate confirms Shekarau,Abu Bulama, Adeyeye, others as ministers

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The Senate today July 2nd confirmed former Kano state Governor, Ibrahim Shekarau as Minister.  Also confirmed by the senate are Abu Bulama from Yobe State, Stephen Oru from Delta State who's the Deputy Vice-Chairman South South of the PDP and Adedayo Adeyeye from Ekiti State who's the Party leader in Ekiti state.  President Jonathan had on June 4th forwarded their names to the Senate for confirmation as ministers. The brand new ministers would now be sworn-in by the president and positions assigned to them.

'B'Haram mess was created by Tinubu's friends' - Obanikoro

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 Minister of State for Defence, Musiliu Obanikoro today tweeted that the Boko Haram mess we're coping with today was developed by friends of former Lagos state Governor and leader of the APC, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who he said had promised to make Nigeria ungovernable because of this government.  The minister also addressed earlier comments made on today's Punch newspaper credited to the APC Leader where he, Tinubu, accused Obanikoro of getting more involved with politics than in his duties as a serving minister. Continue to see more tweets...

R.I.P: Nigerian Socialite Queenent Esezebor Dies in a Car Accident in Ireland!

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Top Nigerian society lady Princess Queenent Amenaghawon Olige-Esezobor who's living in Dublin, Ireland has died. Queenent met her untimely death in a deadly car crash on Saturday June 28th. The crash happened near Mullingar on the N4 Dublin Sligo Road, at Port na Shangan in Ireland. Queenent, her 2 friends and a 10yr old girl in the automobile died immediately whilst the male driver of the jeep their car hit survived with injuries. They have since been taken to the Mullingar General Hospital for post-mortem. May their souls rest in peace. Amen. 

US pressure on French banks 'blackmail' linked to Mistral warship deal - Putin

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Vladimir Putin said that Russia was aware of pressure that the United States puts on France over the deal to build the Mistral warships for Russia and views it as blackmail, RIA reports. "What is being done now with the French banks causes nothing but outrage in Europe and in our country as well," Putin said at a meeting with Russian ambassadors and permanent envoys.

"We are aware of the pressure that our American partners exert on France with a purpose of not to deliver the Mistral warships to Russia. And we know even that the United States hinted that if the French do not deliver the Mistrals, then sanctions will gradually be lifted from the banks, or at least be reduced to minimum. If this is not blackmail, then what is it?" he added.

Policemen, families escape death as Lagos barracks collapse

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Some policemen and their families escaped being crushed on Monday night when a two-storey building in the Pedro Police Barracks, Somolu, Lagos, collapsed.

PUNCH Metro learnt that the building, which served as the kitchen, bathroom and toilet extension, collapsed at about 8.30pm when most of the residents were in their sitting rooms and bedrooms.

A resident, who identified herself simply as Faith, explained that the collapse was not surprising considering the dilapidated state of the barracks.

Gowon Laments Over Umaru Dikko’s Death

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Former Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon, has described the death of the former Minister of Transportation during the second republic, Umaru Dikko, as a great loss to the nation. Gowon stated this on Tuesday after the news of Dikko’s death was being announced by the Family.

“I have known him since our school days in 1950; he was part of the Zaria Boys Association. I was the Chairman and he was my deputy. So you can see how long we have known each other, and we have interrelated ever since”, he said.

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Fighting resumes in Lugansk (Most Populated Nigerian City), south East region Ukraine, children evacuated by self-defense - militia

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Lugansk, south east of Ukraine has the highest number of Nigerian student followed by Ternopil in the Western part of the country.  A spokesman for the Lugansk People's Republic Vladimir Inogorodskikh has said that the situation in the region remain tense following Ukrainian President Poroshenko's decision not to prolong the ceasefire in the country’s southeast.

"The situation in the republic remains tense. The information available to us indicates that minor armed clashes are underway near Izvarino. The villages of Metalist and Zheltoye have come under artillery fire. Children are now being evacuated from an orphanage in the Kamennobrodsky district of Lugansk, where fighting is taking place at the moment," he told Interfax on Tuesday.

US imperial ambitions in East Asia could push region to the brink of war

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With the US seemingly working up tensions the world over, the Far East is another region facing the risk of major instability. The ultimate cause of potential conflict would be a standoff between the US and China that it would like to "contain". How great are the risks? Experts from Japan and China are sharing their vision with The Voice of Russia.

According to a recent poll by the Japanese newspaper, Mainichi Shimbun, 71 percent of respondents said they think Japan could get dragged into an armed conflict if the government allowed the exercise of the right to collective self-defense.

West should get rid of ambitions to build 'global barracks' dictating its rules - Putin

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Russian President Vladimir Putin hopes the West will stop forcing its principles on other countries, making a "world barracks" out of the international stage. "I hope pragmatism will triumph after all. The West will rid itself of the ambitions and desire to put a 'world barracks" in place, to line all up by ranks and to force uniform rules of conduct and living on society," Putin stated. "I hope the West will build relations on the basis of equality and mutual respect, taking each others' interests into account," the Russian president said to ambassadors and permanent envoys at a conference on Monday.

On trends in global politics

Putin clearly sees, cold-bloodedly counts all moves of the West - expert

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Russian President Vladimir Putin has outlined his foreign policy priorities to ambassadors and envoys. The experts noted he was confident, revealing and sent quite a clear message to the West. He certainly has not attacked any Western leader, despite numerous personal attacks against himself.

Latvian nationalists to hold procession in honor of Hitler's intervention

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Latvian nationalists will hold a procession in Riga in commemoration of Nazi intervention, ITAR-TASS says. The union against Nazism has opposed the event.

On July 1, Riga will see two events, Riga's government says. A traditional proceeding "Steps of the living" in commemoration of the Holocaustvictims is to be held on the territory in Riga’s former ghetto. Moreover, the nationalists intend to hold their own procession from the Museum of Occupation to the Freedom Monument. The event will be consecrated to the end of the "horrible year", which is the period from 1940-1941.

US on the wrong side of history for supporting Israeli atrocities in Palestine - lawyer

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Ramallah, West Bank, Palestine: Protesters run as tear gas canisters are fired by Israeli security forces. February 15, 2013.

Diana Buttu

The Israeli military has discovered the bodies of three Israeli teenagers who were kidnapped on June 12, in the West Bank. Their abduction shocked the nation and triggered a full-scale violent offensive against the Palestinians that is unlikely to stop even now the bodies have been unearthed. That's the view of Diana Buttu, a Palestinian lawyer. The remains of Gilad Shaer, Naftali Frenkel, both 16, and Eyal Yifrah, 19, were found in a field near Hebron, the largest city in the West Bank, not far from where they were allegedly abducted
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PhotoNews: Scene of today's bomb blast in Maiduguri market

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 See more pics after the break.

Why we need to be grateful to Abacha (Must read)

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Former Head of State, Gen. Sani Abacha, unwittingly did Nigeria a big favour regarding our democracy. On May 29, 2014 Nigeria celebrated its 15 years of unbroken democracy in the Fourth Republic, which is about three times longer than the longest period of democracy we had had hitherto. If not for Abacha, this could not have been possible.

The First Republic had lasted five years and three and half months. The Second Republic lasted three years and exactly three months. That showed retrogression. After many postponements about handing over to the civilians, the Third Republic kicked off in a peculiar way: Gen. Ibrahim Babangida conducted governorship and legislative elections while he was still ruling the nation. That experiment, which started in 1991, was supposed to culminate in the conduct of the presidential election in 1993 and final handover to a democratic government.
Continue after the break..

OBJ dancing to strange music – Bode George

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A member, Peoples Democratic Party Board of Trustees and South-West leader of the ruling party, Chief Bode George, comments on topical national issues in this interview with TUNDE ODESOLA

Bishop David Oyedepo and Pastor Tunde Bakare invoke the wrath of God on the Boko Haram

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Bishop David Oyedepo and Pastor Tunde Bakare, two of Nigeria’s very popular Christian leaders, have invoked the wrath of God on the Boko Haram terrorist group that has endlessly inflicted pains in the country, killing its citizens and maiming others.
Oyedepo is the founder of the Living Faith Church, also called Winners Chapel while Bakare is Serving Overseer of the Latter Rain Assembly.

Man jumped off the cliff after fiancée dumps him

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Tragedy struck at the Onikolobo section of Abeokuta, Ogun State on Saturday when  a 33-year-old man, Oluwatosin Otaiku, stabbed himself to death after his fiancee, Olaogun Oluwatoyin, discontinued the relationship.

PUNCH Metro gathered that Otaiku killed himself after his woman told him she was no longer interested in the relationship.
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Chibok girls were not kidnapped - Asari Dokubo

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Inspite of the faces and names of kidnapped Chibok girls released, ex-Niger Delta militant Asari Dokubo still maintaining that no girls are missing. See what he wrote on his Facebook page above.

Injured Onazi Tweets From Hospital Bed

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* Nigeria's Ogenyi Onazi

Nigeria's midfielder, Ogenyi Onazi has spoken on Super Eagles exit from the ongoing 2014 FIFA World Cup holding in Brazil.

The Nigerian team were defeated 0-2 by the Les Blues of France on Monday's night with the two goals coming in the second half of the round of the 16 tie.

A header from Paul Pogba of Juventus and an own goal by Joseph Yobo secured a quarter final berth for the French team who had to dig deep for the victory.
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Bomb blast in Maiduguri market this morning

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A bomb exploded at an active market in Maiduguri, Borno state, today July1st. Eye-witnesses said the bomb went off around 8am today at the busy market near a Power Holding building.  Number of casualty is likely to be high as a result of how crowded the location is. A Borno state govt official confirmed the blast to Sahara Reporters, saying the causality number is very high but stated that security agencies are working to secure the location and rescue victims. Today's bombing would be the first major bombing by Boko Haram since the start of Ramadan.

Video Post: Pro Wole Soyinka says Boko Haram Menace Worse Than Biafran War (Video)

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Video: Kwara police unmasks ritualist den in Illorin

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Just in: Prominent Northern Politician, Umaru Dikko, is dead

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A prominent northern politician and Minister of Transportation during the Second Republic, Umaru Dikko, is dead, his son, Bello Dikko, has said.

Mr. Dikko, 78, died early Tuesday in a London hospital, family members told PREMIUM TIMES.

He has been sick for “quite some time” and suffered three strokes in a row, a family member said.

Details later….

Meanwhile, below is Wikipedia entry for Mr. Dikko.

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Yobo: It wasn’t our day; Keshi: We didn’t play to lose

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Nigeria’s Ahmed Musa and France’s Mathieu Debuchy vie for the ball in Brasilia.

We are still a young team – MosesSuper Eagles playmaker, Victor Moses  praised the team’s achievement in the ongoing World Cup. After losing 2-0 to France yesterday he said,”I thought we did well today.

“We started very well. We were organised. We got a goal which would have given us more confidence but was disallowed.

Keshi: We didn’t play to lose

We were good individually. It will get better, we are still a young squad.”

Sitting arrangement adjusted at Confab, Ozekhome gets Boko Haram threat

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MOVED by the issue of time frame,  delegates at the on- going National Conference yesterday adjusted its sittings to, among others, allow Muslim delegates observe the Ramadan fast just as Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN),  told the conference that he had gotten  a message that the Boko Harm sect  was threatening an “attack even bigger than Nyanya blast” .

Raw Gold Discovered in Osun State

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OSOGBO—All is now set for the mining of the first gold in Ilesha, in the State of Osun as the Governor Rauf Aregbesola, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with an Australian mining firm, Andalusian Mining Industry.

This came as the leader of the mining firm, Colin Miller, told the governor that his company would present the first raw gold to the people of the state before the end this year.

The signing ceremony took place at the Government House, Osogbo yesterday with a moderate ceremony with the governor in attendance.