Author: Vardiafrica

A Federal Government panel constituted to probe bribery allegations regarding controversial crossdresser Idris Okuneye, widely known as Bobrisky, says the social media sensation served his six-month jail term in prison but he enjoyed several privileges. A member of the panel, Uju Agomoh, who read the initial report of the probe at the Ministry of Interior on Monday, said the panel “did not find any evidence thus far that suggested that Mr Okuneye slept outside the custodial centre during the period of his imprisonment, which was from 12th April 2024 to the 5th August 2024, which is a six-month correctional sentence…

The Nigerian Army has dismissed media reports suggesting that there is a leadership vacuum following the absence of the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Taoreed Lagbaja. It also issued a warning to those calling for a military coup, describing it as a treasonable offence under the law. The clarification comes in a statement signed by the Director Defence Information, Brigadier General Tukur Gusau on Monday, after a viral video where some persons were aggrievedly calling for a military takeover surfaced online. It also clarified that there was never an appointment of an acting Chief of Army Staff (COAS) to…

Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has announced that the ruling party is set to dominate the South-West region, starting with a win in the upcoming November 16 off-cycle governorship election in Ondo State. Ganduje made this declaration during a stakeholders’ meeting in Akure, the Ondo State capital, where he was accompanied by Governors Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos, Abiodun Oyebanji of Ekiti, and Ogun State’s Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Talabi Olatokunbo, among other key party leaders. He emphasized the APC’s commitment to extending its influence ahead of the 2027 general election, particularly targeting…

Liverpool moved back to the top of the English Premier League table by beating Chelsea 2-1 at Anfield on Sunday evening, October 20. Mohamed Salah’s penalty and Curtis Jones’ winner made it 10 wins in 11 games for the Reds since Dutch tactician, Arne Slot took charge of the team. The win takes Liverpool one point ahead of Manchester City and four clear of Arsenal, who they face at the Emirates next weekend. Liverpool’s only defeat under Slot was to Nottingham Forest before September’s international break. The Dutchman handed Jones just his second league start of the season and the…

The Transmission Company of Nigeria on Sunday said it was unfair for Nigerians to vent their anger on its officials every time the national grid experiences failure in power supply, saying it is not their fault. The Managing Director of TCN, Sule Abdulaziz, raised the concerns when he featured as a guest on Channels Television’s Politics Today. Abdulaziz was reacting to calls from electricity consumers across the country for the dismissal of officers responsible for managing the national grid, following its collapse on Saturday morning. Saturday’s collapse marks the second in the week and the seventh in 2024 But the…

The Nigerian Army has dismissed the rumoured death of Taoreed Lagbaja, the chief of army staff (COAS), as fake news. There have been public concerns about the whereabouts of the army chief. On Sunday, Jackson Ude, an X user, made a post claiming that COAS had died of cancer in a hospital abroad. “CHIEF OF ARMY STAFF DIES OF CANCER The Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja has died,” the post reads. “Lagbaja died in an undisclosed hospital overseas nearly 48hrs ago from a stage three Cancer, according to a senior Government official. The death of the Chief of Army…

The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has announced the appointment of Ben Iloanusi as its acting Managing Director. This follows the completion of Fidet Okhiria’s tenure as MD. Yakub Mahmood, deputy director of public relations at NRC made this known in a statement on Sunday. He noted that Okhiria, who completed his second four-year tenure on October 18, has handed over to Iloanusi. Mahmood said Iloanusi, who joined the NRC in 2011, is the most senior executive director in the corporation and has served as deputy director of procurement since 2019. Iloanusi, according to Mahmood, holds a degree in political science…

The Federal Government has introduced a new bill proposing a 5% excise duty on telecommunications, gaming, and betting services as part of a broader effort to overhaul the nation’s tax framework. This proposal, which is contained in the “Nigeria Tax Act,” aims to impose excise duties on various services across the country. The bill, titled “A Bill for an Act to Repeal Certain Acts on Taxation and Consolidate the Legal Frameworks relating to Taxation and Enact the Nigeria Tax Act to Provide for Taxation of Income, Transactions, and Instruments, and Related Matters,” was obtained from the National Assembly and is dated October…

The Lagos State Police Command says it has released all demonstrators who were arrested in the early hours of Sunday, during #EndSars commemoration at the Lekki Toll Gate. The Command’s spokesperson, Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed this via a post on his X handle, stating that Lagos State Commissioner of Police, CP Olanrewaju Ishola, personally oversaw the process. “All protesters in our custody have been released. CP Olanrewaju Ishola was on the ground at the SCID to personally ensure this,” Hundeyin wrote. A human right lawyer, Inibehe Effiong, also confirmed the release of all those arrested at the Lekki Toll Gate by the…

The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) and the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) on Thursday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the implementation of the NCDMB-UBEC Smart Schools Development Initiative (NUSSDI). The MoU will enable the provision of educational infrastructure, particularly in areas with high rates of out-of-school children as well as underserved rural communities, integration of technology in learning, building the capacity of teachers and educational administrators and improving overall learning outcomes. At the signing ceremony on Thursday in Abuja, the Executive Secretary, NCDMB, Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe, explained that the NUSSDI would leverage the combined…