Cloned Nigerian Anchor

Author: Doris Israel Ijeoma

  • Kwara University deputy bursar dies watching Super Eagles AFCON semi-finals

    Kwara University deputy bursar dies watching Super Eagles AFCON semi-finals

    The Deputy Bursar of Kwara State University Malete, Alhaji Ayuba Abdullahi, on Wednesday night, died while watching the semi-finals between Nigeria and South Africa in the ongoing AFCON.

    Nigeria won the match against South Africa by 4-2 goals on penalties after regulation and extra time ended 1-1.

    Sources close to the deceased but who spoke on condition of anonymity said Abdullahi went to a sports centre in the Sango area before he started feeling uneasy.

    One of the sources said, “The Deputy Bursar watched the Nigeria/South Africa match from the beginning till the end of the extra time, till it was time for a penalty kick.

    “He complained that he was feeling dizzy, so he said he needed to go back home and rest not knowing that his BP had gone up.

    “On getting home, he collapsed and was rushed to a private hospital in Sango and he was referred to the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital and before he could be attended to, he died.

    “He was buried on Thursday morning according to Islamic rites.”

    The university’s Director of Information, Dr Saedat Aliyu, confirmed Abdullahi’s death.

    Aliyu, however, stated that the cause of death was yet to be ascertained by the management of the university.

     Super Eagles’ Victory: Shettima pledges government reward for AFCON finalists
    “Yes, he died last night. He was hale and hearty and was full of life on Wednesday at his office. May Almighty Allah grant him Aljanah Firdaus” she said

    A statement by the university said, “This is to announce the death of Mr. Ayuba Olaitan Abdullahi of the Bursary Department.

    “Janazah will be held this morning, and his remains will be interred at the Hausa Muslim cemetery, Apata Yakuba, Oyun area, Ilorin, at 9 am.”

    Also, a former federal lawmaker in Delta State, Dr. Cairo Ojougboh, died while watching the Eagles’ match..

    A source close to the politician said, “Cairo Ojougboh, a medical doctor died during the Nigeria vs.South Africa match.

    “The incident happened when the penalty was awarded against Nigeria. Dr Ojougboh was said to have shouted and slumped due to a massive heart attack when SA scored.”

    In the same vein, a member of the National Youth Service Corps serving in Adamawa State also reportedly died during the game. 

    The corps member identified only as Samuel from Kaduna State, allegedly passed away just before the final kick which secured Nigeria’s win in the match, The Nation reports.

  • AFCON: How Delta Monarch Slumped, Died After Super Eagles Penalty Kick Was Cancelled

    AFCON: How Delta Monarch Slumped, Died After Super Eagles Penalty Kick Was Cancelled

    The Akinuwa of Agbor Kingdom, Chief (Dr) Cairo Ojougboh, is dead.

    Sources indicate that Ojougboh’s demise coincided with the moment a penalty kick was awarded against Nigeria during the AFCON match against South Africa’s Bafana Bafana in Wednesday’s semi-final clash in Bouake, Ivory Coast.

    The tension escalated when Super Eagles Captain, William Troost-Ekong, netted a penalty at the 67th minute, only for South Africa to be granted a spot-kick shortly after.

    VAR intervened, overturning Nigeria’s apparent second goal by Victor Osimhen due to a foul on South African player Percy Tau in the 18-yard box.

    While the circumstances surrounding Chief Cairo Ojougboh’s death remain unclear, speculation suggests that it occurred at the exact moment a penalty was awarded against Nigeria.

    Reports suggest he possibly collapsed and succumbed to a heart attack following the cancellation of the penalty.

    Despite the incident, Nigeria secured a 4-2 penalty shootout victory, advancing to the final.

  • Police Arrests Woman Over Protests In Niger

    Police Arrests Woman Over Protests In Niger

    The Niger State Police Command has arrested three women and 22 youths for leading the protest in Minna, claiming that the women-led other people to disrupt the peace of the state capital.

    According to the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Wasiu Abiodun, the leader of the women, Aisha Jibrin mobilized other women and miscreants to block the Minna-Bida road and Kpakungun roundabout leading to disruption of law and order.

    Abiodun said that the protesters had deliberately refused to clear the road for public use despite the presence of Police patrol teams led by the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Operations, DCP Shehu Umar Didango, and the presence of the Deputy Governor of Niger State, Comrade Yakubu Garba.

    The PPRO further said that despite these personalities, the protesters turned deaf ears and chose to be violent leading the police to adopt minimum force to disperse the protesters.

    He said: “The Police adopted minimum force to disperse the protesters who turned violent by attacking the Police with dangerous weapons such as stones, bottles, sticks, cutlasses and damaged Police patrol vehicles and parts of the Kpakungu Division roof.

    “In the course of this, the Police arrested the initiator of the protest, one Aisha Jibrin aged 30 years, Fatima Aliyu aged 57 years, Fatima Isyaku aged 43 years all of Soje ‘A’ of Kpakungu area of Minna, and twenty-two other miscreants with the following dangerous weapons; a bench and a stick used as a barricade, three knives, one scissors, one cutlass, one saw blade, one iron pipe, four other sticks, two wraps of Indian hemp and charms.”

    The Initiator of the protest, Aisha Jibrin while defending herself said that her actions were not illegal as she believed that the plight of the hardship they are going through should be heard.

    She said that she never intended it to be a violent protest as she informed one youth leader whom she called Hassan in the community who was given the task to inform the Police about their plan to protest adding that she did not know that he did not inform the police.

    Jibrin defended herself saying that there is too much hunger in the land for the people to keep quiet about.

    However, the Police have declared Aisha’s mobilization of over 100 women and youths whom they called miscreants to block the highway for the protest was illegal

    The PPRO said that all suspects were taken to the State CID for investigation after which they will be charged to court for prosecution adding that effort is ongoing to arrest other identified members of the violent protest.

    In a related development, the Niger State House of Assembly directed the state government to provide palliatives to the most vulnerable members of society to forestall future protests which may be hijacked.

    The legislators noted that the women protested against the high cost of living in the society and inadequate response from the government compelled them to block the main roads to draw the attention of the government.

  • Nigerian Governors gift  N200m to Super Eagles

    Nigerian Governors gift  N200m to Super Eagles

    Nigerian Governors under the umbrella of Progressive Governors’ Forum (PGF) have doled out N200 million to the Super Eagles of Nigeria ahead of their Semi Final clash against South Africa.

    Minister of Sports, Sen. John Owan Enoh on Wednesday made this known in a statement by his Special Adviser, Media, Diana-Mary Nsan.

    The Minister commended Gov. Hope Uzodimma of Imo and Chairman of the Forum, including all members for the swift response, after he raised the need to motivate the team ahead of their semifinal clash.

    Enoh confirmed that the N200m has already been redeemed to the players by the Forum.

    “I want to thank the Progressive Governors’ Forum under the leadership of Uzodimma of Imo for galvanising and redeeming the sum of N200 million to the Super Eagles.

    “The Super Eagles have shown immense commitment and tenacity through every match, this shows that they are on the path to conquer the continent again and bring home the coveted Cup of Nations.

    “Therefore, we must rally support for them because upon their shoulders lie the enormous responsibility to make Nigeria our great Nation proud,” Enoh said.

    Nigeria will on Wednesday (today) take on perennial rivals, Bafana Bafana of South Africa at the Stade de la Paix, Bouake by 6 pm (Nigerian time) at the on-going 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Cote d’Ivoire.

    The match will be a repeat of the 2000 AFCON semi-finals in Lagos, which saw Nigeria defeat South Africa 2-0.

    Also in the 2019 AFCON in Egypt, Nigeria again showed superiority by eliminating the Bafana Bafana 2-1 in the quarter -final stage.

  • Details of official report of Ibadan explosion emerge

    Details of official report of Ibadan explosion emerge

    Gov. Seyi Makinde of Oyo State has received the official report of the Jan. 16, explosion that occurred at Adeyi Avenue in Bodija, Ibadan, in which five persons died.

    The Special Adviser to the Governor on Security, Mr Fatai Owoseni, made this known on Wednesday while briefing newsmen shortly after the presentation of the report to the governor.

    Owoseni said that three persons of interest have been identified in connection with the cause of the unfortunate incident.

    He added that the identified persons will face prosecution based on the investigation carried out.

    Owoseni also revealed that the character of the explosive is known as ‘Water Gel Type Based Explosive’ and that the explosion was triggered by an electric spark.

    He explained that a Closed Circuit Television in one of the affected houses gave footage of how the incident happened.

    Owoseni, the former Commissioner of Police in Lagos State, assured that the state government would bring the perpetrators to book.

    He added that the government would also check the immigration status of all the people of interest since majority of the suspects quizzed were from Mali.

    “We have been able to report that the swiftness with which security was deployed to the epicentre had so far successfully made the state to fully secure the environment.

    “And with the security that was provided, the state has also been able to prevent untoward happenings, especially opportunistic crimes that hoodlums always take advantage of such situations to carry out.

    “We would recall that an emergency situation centre was put in place by the governor, and was located at the premises of Oyo State Housing Corporation, Ibadan.

    “The EOC has so far collated information, data of things that happened there and some of the data collated include census of the respective houses and the fatalities that were affected including the extent of losses suffered.

    “As of 6 p.m, Feb 3, which was the 18th day of the incident, a total of 335 affected persons registered at the emergency situation centre.

    “These include 16 companies or business operators, churches, mosques, three schools and the UCH also approached the centre to report on their losses.

    “The losses reported also include fatality, injuries of various degrees, damages ranging from total collapse and submerging of houses, houses that suffered collateral damage and the ones that suffered minimal damages,” Owoseni stated.

    The chairman, Nigeria Institute of Structural Engineers, Mr Mbim Okutinyang, who is also the lead coordinator of the team that carried out structural integrity on the affected houses, also told newsmen that 282 houses were affected.

    He however said that only four of the houses would have to be demolished due to the degrees of the damage.

    Okutinyang added that the seismic report was still being awaited.

    On his part, the Head of the Emergency Operation Centre, Prof. Temitope Alonge, said 80 victims in total were managed across various hospitals following the incident, but only five patients were on admission as of the time of the press briefing.

    Alonge explained that four of the patients are being treated at the University College Hospital (UCH) and were at various levels of recovery, while one patient is at the Redeemers Hospital being managed for a spinal cord injury.

    He said that most of the cases at UCH will likely be discharged within the next one week.

    The head of the EOC added that some of the affected victims that experienced medical disorder such as respiratory illness had been treated.

    He also explained that those with symptoms suggestive of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder were being attended to by clinical psychologists from UCH.

    Giving an update on the tests for radioactivity, Alonge said the site of the incident had been cleared in terms of radioactivity, as the EOC invited the Nigerian Nuclear Regulatory Agency (NNRA) to conduct another screening.

  • Reps To Probe MDA Involvement In Alleged Certificate Racketeering

    Reps To Probe MDA Involvement In Alleged Certificate Racketeering

    The House of Representatives has resolved to investigate some officials of Federal Government Ministries, Departments and Agencies involved in alleged certificate racketeering with Nigerian students.

    The resolution followed the adoption of a motion on the floor of the House, on Wednesday, moved by the member representing Birniwa/Guri/Kiri-Kasamma Federal Constituency of Jigawa State, Abubakar Fulata

    Recall that a Nigerian reporter, Umar Audu had, in December 2022, bagged a degree from a university in Cotonou, Benin Republic, in six weeks and subsequently participated in the mandatory National Youth Service Corps scheme.

    Audu subsequently accused unnamed officials of the Ministry of Education as members of the racketeering syndicate; a development that elicited widespread criticisms by well-meaning Nigerians.

    Leading the debate on the motion, Fulata called on the House to “identify officials of MDAs and students who benefited from such institutions and their campuses in the last ten years.”

  • LinkedIn Unveils “Catch Up” Feature

    LinkedIn Unveils “Catch Up” Feature

    LinkedIn is set to enhance user engagement with the introduction of a fresh feature called “Catch Up” in the revamped My Network section. 

    This new tab aims to bridge the gap in communication among users by highlighting significant updates from their connections, such as new jobs, work anniversaries, or job postings.

    Users can easily interact by liking posts with a single tap or initiating a direct message using automatically generated prompts, fostering more meaningful connections.

    The redesign doesn’t stop there; LinkedIn is relocating options like connection requests, newsletter invites, events, and connection recommendations to a designated tab named “Grow.” 

    This strategic move aims to streamline user interactions and provide a more organized and efficient networking experience.

    Additionally, LinkedIn is rolling out an AI-powered messaging feature for premium users, assisting them in crafting compelling first messages to individuals not yet in their network. 

    Leveraging data from both profiles, the feature offers ready prompts for introductions, seeking advice, or discussing work experiences. 

    Users maintain the flexibility to customize these messages before sending, enhancing the personal touch in professional communication.

    This innovation follows LinkedIn’s previous initiatives in integrating AI across its platform. 

    From AI-assisted writing features for profiles, ads, and collaborative articles to an AI assistant for learning and soft skills advice, LinkedIn continues to leverage technology to cater to the evolving needs of its user base.

    With a keen eye on the job market, LinkedIn aims to be a central hub for job-related activities. 

    Recent tools like “Job Collections,” released in January, allow users to explore job openings through various filters.

  • Afdb Injects$540 Million into Nigeria’s Special Agro-Industrial Zones

    Afdb Injects$540 Million into Nigeria’s Special Agro-Industrial Zones

    Oyo, Cross River, and Imo, along with four other states and the Federal Capital Territory, are set to receive the initial disbursement of $540 million from the African Development Bank (AfDB).

    The funds aim to propel the development of Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZs) across the nation.

    Prof. Banji Oyelaran-Oyeyinka, Senior Special Adviser on Industrialization to AfDB President Akinwumi Adesina, revealed the development during a report presentation at the Presidential Villa in Abuja. 

    The SAPZs initiative seeks to transform Nigeria’s rural areas into hubs of economic prosperity.

    This news follows a promise made by Adesina to President Bola Tinubu, announcing a $520 million investment in the zones during a summit in Paris in June 2023. 

    The first phase is already underway, with Kaduna, Oyo, and Cross River States in the process of receiving disbursements.

    Oyelaran-Oyeyinka emphasized the importance of private-sector involvement, stating, “It is a government-enabled project but private-sector driven.” The first phase involves seven states: Cross River, Imo, Kaduna, Kano, Kwara, Ogun, Oyo, and the Federal Capital Territory.

    Vice President Kashim Shettima urged swift action, emphasizing the need for both the government and development partners to turn plans into reality. The three mentioned states will be the initial beneficiaries of phase one, with others to follow as documentation concludes.

    In a related report on the revitalization of the Ajaokuta Steel Company Limited, the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation proposed a comprehensive recovery plan. 

    This plan includes rehabilitating, modernizing, and expanding the integrated steel plant, transforming it into strategic business units.

    VP Shettima stressed the urgency for concrete actions, declaring, “We have passed the age of talking; we must walk the talk.” 

    He emphasized the necessity of realizing the vision of President Tinubu and cited examples of successful industrial transformations, urging determination and collective effort to bring positive change to Nigeria.

  • Police Denies Involvement In Formation Of Vigilante Group

    Police Denies Involvement In Formation Of Vigilante Group

    The Commissioner of Police in Nasarawa State, CP Shehu Umar Nadada, has dismissed claims of the police command’s involvement in the creation of a Fulani Nomad Vigilante team. 

    This comes in response to the recent formation of a 1,144-member security team by the President of Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, Abdullahi Bello Bodejo.

    During a courtesy visit by members of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, CP Nadada clarified that the command had no prior knowledge of the establishment of the Fulani Nomad Vigilante team and cannot be held responsible for their actions.

    While acknowledging that the police provided security during the inauguration ceremony, CP Nadada emphasized that it was done solely to prevent potential disruptions and maintain law and order.

    Residents had expressed concerns about alleged collaboration between the police and the nomad vigilante group, but the Commissioner affirmed that the police only secured the event venue and had not officially endorsed the vigilante team.

    In his statement, CP Nadada asserted, “We have been working with some vigilante groups that are recognised by the government, but we will not work with any vigilante that is not recognised by the government.”

    The Chairman of the NUJ, Nasarawa State Council, Salihu Alkali, congratulated the CP on his recent posting and pledged cooperation to ensure the success of the police command’s programs.

  • Plateau Governor Sacks University VC, Four Others

    Plateau Governor Sacks University VC, Four Others

    The Plateau State University’s Vice Chancellor, Professor Bernard Matau, has been dismissed.

    Matau assumed the role of Vice Chancellor of the state university while concurrently serving as the Commissioner for Higher Education during the previous administration led by former Governor Simon Lalong.

    Reports indicate that Matau, whose tenure has not yet concluded, was relieved of his duties along with four other heads of tertiary institutions in the state.

    These include the Rector of the Plateau State Polytechnic in Barkin Ladi, the Provost of the College of Health Technology in Pankshin, the Provost of the College of Health Technology in Zawan, and the Provost of the College of Education in Gindiri.

    A statement issued by the Secretary to the State Government, Samuel Jatau, confirmed the development on Tuesday.

    The statement read in part, “His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Plateau state, Barrister Caleb Mutfwang, has approved the dissolution of the Governing Council of the Plateau State University, Bokkos, with immediate effect.

    “Similarly, the governor has also approved the removal of the following heads of tertiary institutions: Plateau State University, Bokkos; Plateau State Polytechnic, Barkin Ladi; College of Education, Gindiri; College of Health Technology, Zawan and College of Health Technology, Pankshin“.

    The statement, which did not provide a reason for their removal, instructed all affected heads to take note and promptly hand over any government property they possess to the next most senior officers in the institutions.

    It added, “The governor has also approved the cancellation of recruitment earlier conducted by tertiary institutions in 2022 and early 2023 that have been under suspension.

    “Consequently, applications for an all-inclusive recruitment for all tertiary institutions would be advertised.”

    The statement cited the governor as expressing gratitude to the chairman and members of the Governing Council for their services in the state.

    Additionally, he wished them success in their future endeavours.