Abuja Airport to be shut for six weeks, flights to be diverted to Kadana

The Federal Government has planned to close the Abuja Airport for six weeks from March 8, 2017, in order to repair its runway. The decision to shut the airport and divert Abuja-bound flights to Kaduna, an airport used primarily for domestic flights about 160 km (100 miles) to the north, was taken after airlines threatened to stop flying to the capital. Analysts have said that the temporary closure of Abuja airport, the country's second busiest after the commercial capital Lagos, will have a negative impact on Africa's biggest economy, which fell into recession in 2016 for the first time in 25 years.

Hollywood sign altered to read 'Hollyweed'

Residents of Los Angeles woke up to a new year and a big change: their famous Hollywood sign reading "Hollyweed".

A vandal, dressed all in black, scaled the sign around 3am and threw huge white and black tarpaulins over the Os to make them look like Es and the vandal could face a misdemeanour trespassing charge if caught, officers said.

LA police are investigating the incident, which was caught on security footage and park rangers have since removed the tarpaulins.

Iheanacho breaks Premier League record

Kelechi Iheanacho has the best goals-to-minutes ratio of any player in Premier League history following his strike in Manchester City’s 3-0 win at Hull City on Boxing Day. The 19-year-old striker doubled City’s lead with an effort which now means that he is scoring a goal every 96 minutes in the Premier League, the best goal ratio for any player with 10 or more goals in the league’s history. In comparison, fellow City striker Sergio Aguero has scored his 112 Premier League goals at a rate of one every 107 minutes and former Arsenal ace Thierry Henry scored his 175 Premier League goals at a rate of one per 122 minutes.

Pastor Adeboye releases 2017 Prophecies

General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor Enoch Adeboye, has given his prophecies for 2017. Daddy GO, as fondly called, urged continued prayers for the peace and development of the country. The prophetic words from the professor of Mathematics are listed below;

Senate to look into Kaduna killings

The Senate President, Bukola Saraki, has said that the senate would commence investigation into the recent killings in southern Kaduna State. According to Mr. Saraki, the Senate will on resumption from recess on Jan. 10, make the issue a priority. Fulani herdsmen have repeatedly clashed with Christians in the southern flank of Kaduna State, killing many.

Buhari removes SGF as presidential committee chairman, appoints Osinbajo

President Muhammadu Buhari has removed the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, Babachir David Lawal as chairman of the presidential committee on the reconstitution of federal government boards of parastatals, agencies and commissions, and appointed Vice President Yemi Osinbajo to chair the presidential committee, while the Chairman of the National Drugs Law Enforcement Agencies (NDLEA), Mustapha Muhammad Abdullah was appointed head of secretariat. President Buhari has now begun search for a new SGF, following the indictment of Lawal by the Nigerian Senate. The Upper Chamber of the National Assembly accused Lawal of corruption in the award of contracts as the Presidential Initiative on North East (PINE).

Veteran Yoruba actress is dead

The Yoruba movie industry has recorded its first death of 2017 as one of its own, Toyin Majekodunmi, died on Monday. The veteran actress, popularly known as Iya Kike in Yoruba movie circles, died on Monday with cause of her death not yet officially announced. The late Mrs Majekodunmi featured in numerous Yoruba movies and often starred alongside her husband, Solomon Majekodunmi aka ‘Baba Kekere’.

Social Investment Programme: FG begins monthly payment of N5,000 to one million Nigerians

The Federal Government has commenced the monthly payment of N5, 000 stipend to the poorest and most vulnerable in the country through the Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) of its Social Investment Programmes (SIP). Under the CCT, one million poorest and most vulnerable Nigerians would receive N5, 000 monthly as a form of social safety net. In the first batch that commenced last week, nine states (Borno, Kwara, Bauchi, Cross Rivers, Niger, Kogi, Oyo, Ogun and Ekiti) were covered and many of the beneficiaries had acknowledged receiving their first payment by Friday, December 30, 2016.

Christmas Tragedy: Grandma, four grand-children, burnt to death in Delta

Tragedy struck Idumuje Ugboko town in Aniocha North L.G.A, Delta State, in the early hours of 25^th December, 2016 as some hoodlums attacked the family of Mrs Comfort Ogor Ubani and her four grand-children in which they were burnt to death. According to sources, the attackers first of all raped the grand-daughter before gathering them in the parlour, poured petrol on them and set them on fire, and one of the children who tried to escape, was killed by those outside and then set ablaze.

Delta State Police Commissioner, Mr Zanna Mohammed Ibrahim, who visited the scene, openly wept after seeing a grand-mother of about 80 years and her four grand-children roasted.

Release Nnamdi Kanu to douse tension, Cleric tells Nigerian govt

The Archbishop of Anglican Diocese of Enugu, Emmanuel Chukwuma, has implored the Federal Government to release the detained Biafran activist, Nnamdi Kanu.

Mr. Chukwuma made the appeal in Enugu on Tuesday while speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

He said some leaders of the zone had expressed the need to release the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra in order for peace to reign.

Harrysong denies ‘secret marriage’ to Niger Delta ex-beauty queen

Reggae Blues artiste, Harrysong, has reacted to reports making the rounds that he secretly wedded an ex-Most Beautiful Girl in Niger Delta in 2014, Harriet Edide, last year.

In a telephone chat with PREMIUM TIMES, the Reggae Blues singer denied the claims that he had been secretly married for some months now.

He said although they dated in the past, they had to break things off because they were both AS.

RECESSION: Gov Bello Supports President Buhari

Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State has expressed optimism that the President Muhammadu Buhari administration will lead the nation out of recession into prosperity. Bello made this call at the Youth for Democracy Forum, Osogbo where he was represented by his Director General on Media and Publicity, Kingsley Fanwo. He opined that the 2017 Budget of the Federal Government is a “masterstroke against recession”, saying the nation will witness “unprecedented development in 2017”.

Gambia: Ekweremadu Warns Against Military Action

Deputy President of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu, has warned against military action in the Gambia following that country’s presidential election, saying such action could threaten the security of the entire sub-region. The warning is in a statement issued by the Senate deputy president’s Special Adviser on Media, Mr Uche Anichukwu on Tuesday in Abuja. Ekweremadu said such action could plunge the country into bloodletting and threaten the peace of the sub-region.

Man arraigned for defrauding girlfriend of car, land

 A 47-year-old historian, Nicholas Ajayi, who allegedly defrauded his girlfriend of a car and landed property valued at N1.3 million, was on Tuesday brought before an Ikeja Magistrates’ Court. Ajayi, a resident of Idimu area of Lagos, is facing trial on charges of fraud and stealing. After his plea of not guilty to the charges, Magistrate A.O. Gbajumo, admitted him to a bail of N500, 000 with two sureties in like sum.

Buhari should give way to a younger man in 2019 — Bishop Okah

The principal patriarch of the Flock of Christ Mission, Enerhen-Effurun, Delta State, Bishop Simeon Okah, has said it would be ridiculous to hear that President Muhammadu Buhari was preparing to take another shot at the presidency in 2019, urging him to abandon the ambition because he was too old and had nothing to offer the country, describing him as the most unfavourable Nigerian President to the people of Niger Delta region. Okah recalled his colleague in the ministry, Rev Ejike Mbaka, saying Buhari was a liberator of Nigerians, but he retorted saying, Buhari has liberated nothing. According to him, the people Buhari appointed are the same corrupt people who had to cross-carpet from PDP to APC.

I was overthrown in 1984 for devaluing the naira - Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari has restated his resolve not to devalue the naira or increase the price of fuel. He also disclosed that his refusal to devalue the naira and increase fuel price during his time as Military Head of State in 1984-1985, led to his overthrow. When Buhari assumed office in May 2015, the exchange rate was N197/$1. It currently stands at over N300 to $1 officially and N495/$1 in the black market.

Apostle Johnson Suleman's 50 Prophecies For 2017

President of Omega Fire Ministry, Apostle Johnson Suleiman, has released 50 shocking prophecies for the year 2017. According to him, he saw that terrorism on the increase and urged the Federal Government not to relax yet on Boko Haram. He also said he saw Crude oil flowing in Northern Nigeria as well as Donald Trump and Buhari facing impeachment and impeachment threats respectively.

China opens world's highest bridge

An enormous mountain overpass standing at a whopping 565 metres high (1,854 feet) opened to traffic today in south-west China. The Beipanjiang Bridge, which reportedly cost 1.023 billion yuan (£120 million) to build, overtook the 560-metre-high (1,837 feet) Sidu River Bridge (also in China) to become the highest bridge in the world. At 1,340 metres (4,396 feet) long, the four-lane structure links two of China most remote provinces, Yunnan and Guizhou.

Flying Eagles & Gombe United Defender Uzama Douglas Shot Dead

Gombe United defender Uzama Douglas was shot dead in Benin City by armed men believed to be cultists on Thursday. Uzama’s murder is the second tragedy to hit the domestic football scene in the last three months after Shooting Stars central defender Izu Joseph was shot dead. According to a close friend to the left back, the former Golden Eaglets and Flying Eagles defender was shot and declared dead on arrival in hospital.

Man, 25, stabs five-year-old daughter to death

A 25-year-old man, Thomas McClellan, from Michigan allegedly sat on his step-daughter’s chest and stabbed her before setting her ablaze because she asked for a snack. According to sources, Thomas was angry because the little girl, Luna Younger, refused to leave his room and insisted that he gave her food during court’s preliminary hearing on Thursday, so he wrestled her to the ground, sat on her hips and stabbed her multiple times before he covered her body with blankets, poured vodka on the pile and set it on fire. Victoria McClellan, the deceased’s mother, was said to be at work when it happened and the girl had already expired before firefighters arrived the scene.

ACP commits suicide in Edo

An Assistant Commissioner of Police, ACP, identified as Christopher Osakue, has reportedly committed suicide in Benin, the Edo State capital. According to sources, the police officer, who was in charge of training and development at the state police command after his recent posting from Ondo State, allegedly shot himself in the head with his service pistol in his residence located at Upper Sakponba around 5pm on Wednesday. Confirming the incident on Friday, the Commissioner of Police, CP, Haliru Gwandu, explained that the pistol which he allegedly used to commit the act was signed for at the Ondo State Police command before he was posted to Edo.

Nigerian Defender shot dead in Benin City

Gombe United defender Uzama Douglas was shot dead in Benin City by armed men believed to be cultists on Thursday. Uzama’s murder is the second tragedy to hit the domestic football scene in the last three months after Shooting Stars central defender Izu Joseph was shot dead. According to a close friend to the left back, the former Golden Eaglets and Flying Eagles defender was shot and declared dead on arrival in hospital.

Buhari’s New Year Message

My dear Compatriots,

I am happy to welcome you to the beginning of a New Year in our beloved country Nigeria.

I felicitate with you today at a time when our nation is witnessing a new and impressive turnaround in our security and socio-economic situation.

I know you will join me to, once again, congratulate the heroic and gallant efforts of our military and other security agencies on their remarkable successes to rid the nation of terrorism.

We’ve sold all we have – Parents of child with hole in the heart • Needs N6m for surgery abroad

Master Abdulsobur Jimoh, (a six and a half years old boy) had been diagnosed by the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital with a hole in the heart, called Tetralogy of fallot. The father said the cost of the surgery in India, according to UITH, is N3.5m; while flight tickets, other logistics and management of the patient after surgery, given the fluctuation of the exchange rate, could be about N2.5m.
Contacts and financial assistance could be made through: Tajudeen Jimoh, Guaranty Trust Bank, Account Number: 0109495526. Phone: 08052025173.