£3,000 visa bond: FG summons British High Commissioner

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A diplomatic row  seems to be  brewing between Nigeria and the United Kingdom following a  proposed policy by the  British Government  requiring  Nigerian travellers to the UK to deposit £3,000 as bond in case they overstay  their visa limits.

On Monday,  the Federal Government  summoned the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Dr. Andrew Pocock, over the development  while the House of Representatives which flayed  the policy, argued that it could have negative impact on the relationship between  the two countries.

Nigeria, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Ghana, Pakistan and India are  listed by the UK  as  countries whose citizens are to deposit the £3,000 under  the  proposed  policy that will take off in November.

A Home Office official said the six countries highlighted were those with “the most significant risk of abuse.”

About 2.2million people are granted visas to enter Britain every year.

FG seeks $3.4bn foreign loan for power projects …says Nigerian banks charge high interest rates

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The Federal Government is looking beyond Nigerian banks to raise $3.4bn needed to fund power projects in the country because of high interest rates being charged on loans by local banks.

The Chairman, Presidential Task Force on Power, Mr. Beks Dagogo-Jack, said Nigerian banks had not done enough in terms of understanding how the ongoing reforms in the power sector worked.

He spoke with journalists on the sidelines of the Presidential Power Reform Transaction signing ceremony in Abuja on Monday.

Nigeria: Kidnapped high-ranking Lagos govt. official released unhurt

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Security - Mr. Kehinde Bamigbetan, Chairman of the Ejigbo Local Council Development Area, a suburb of Lagos, the commercial capital of Nigeria, who was abducted by gunmen Monday, has been released unhurt, according to local media reports.

The reports said the Head of the Council’s Information Unit, Rabiu Hassan, confirmed the release of the Chairman who was kidnapped Monday.

The reports said Mr. Bamigbetan, who was abducted a few metres from his home, was released over night Friday after the kidnappers collected over 20 million Naira (about US$ 133,000) in ransom.

The reports said the kidnappers had asked for a ransom of US$ 1 million.

Family members said Mr. Bamigbetan, a former Chief Press Secretary to former Governor Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is in good health.

Intelligent High School Head boy kills self after impregnating policeman's daughter

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A Phakamani High School headboy in Plumtree hanged himself yesterday after suspecting that he had impregnated his girlfriend, an O Level pupil at the same school.

Police spokesperson for Matabeleland South Assistant Inspector Christopher Ngwenya identified the pupil as Form Six student Obriel Ncube (19) of Number 759 Makariba suburb, Plumtree.

One of the teachers at the school revealed that Obriel had confided to his friends that he had impregnated his girlfriend, a daughter of a local police officer and therefore feared being arrested. She said the friends also said he had told them that he was afraid of causing more problems for his mother who was struggling to make ends meet hence his decision to commit suicide.

High school teacher busted after bombarding teen with Facebook requests for s-é x

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A married Tennessee high school teacher bombarded an underage student with Facebook messages asking him for sex, police said.  Angela Gaye Masingo, 39, was arrested after the boy's parents intercepted the communications and tipped off police. The alleged victim was not a pupil at Greenback School, where Masingo has taught since 1995, reports WBIR.com. Masingo, whose father is a teacher and administrator at the school, was arrested at her home has now been charged with solicitation of aggravated statutory rape. The Lenoir City resident is also accused of solicitation of sexual exploitation of a minor, and has been suspended from her job. She is being held at Blount County Detention Center on $80,000 bond, and will appear in court on Friday.

'President Goodluck Jonathan is eligible to run in 2015' - Abuja High Court

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An Abuja High Court this afternoon ruled that President Jonathan is eligible to contest in the 2015 presidential election, if he wants to. A lawyer, Mr Cyriacus Njoku had filed a suit challenging the president's eligibility to contest in 2015.

Below is what the presiding judge, Justice Oniyangi, said in his ruling...

"After the death of Umar Yar'Adua, there was no election or bye election, President Jonathan was merely asked to assume the office of the President in line with Doctrine of necessity. He was not elected as the President but was made to assume office by virtue of Yar'Adua's death.