Author: Vardiafrica

Oluyinka Olumide, commissioner for physical planning and urban development in Lagos, says 80 percent of buildings in the Ibeju Lekki-Epe corridor have no government approval. The Lagos government has been facing backlash for the demolition of buildings and shanties across the state. Tokunbo Wahab, commissioner for environment in Lagos, has repeatedly said the demolished structures were erected in contravention of the city’s masterplan, were never approved by the relevant agencies, and occluded drainage channels. Punch reports Olumide as saying that despite the rigorous procedures involved in securing government approval, property developers and owners are still circumventing due process.  “Just last Thursday and Friday, my…

Referee Jarred Gillett will wear a camera during Monday’s Premier League match between Crystal Palace and Manchester United, officials have announced. The Premier League stressed footage from the camera will not be broadcast live, but rather used as part of a programme to be shown later in the year that aimed to “offer further insight and education into the demands of officiating” in English football’s top flight. Gillett will wear a head-mounted device that will form part of the standard referee communication system for major fixtures. The one-off use of the camera has been approved by the sport’s lawmakers, the…

Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has said that the pressure mounted by the political crisis in the state has been weathered sufficiently, giving way for his administration to provide focused leadership and governance to the people. Fubara made the assertion when he hosted on a courtesy visit, members of the House of Representatives Committee on Public Petitions, led by its Chairman, Mike Etaba, at Government House in Port Harcourt on Saturday. This was contained in a statement issued on Sunday by the governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Nelson Chukwudi. The governor declared that as long as his administration and the Rivers…

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, have smashed an international drug syndicate with networks in parts of Nigeria, South Africa and Thailand. No fewer than five members of the cartel were arrested in a two-weeks intelligence led operations in Lagos, Abia and Anambra states following the seizure of their illicit drug consignments at the NAHCO import shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA, Ikeja Lagos. The unravelling of the drug cartel started on Sunday 20th April when their cargo of four big suitcases arrived the NAHCO shed on an Airpeace airline flight from Johannesburg, South Africa. After…

The Nigerian men’s 4x400m quartet of Dubem Nwachukwu, Dubem Amene, Sikiru Adeyemi and Chidi Okezie put up an absolutely stellar performance at the 2024 World Relays, clocking a time of 3:01.70 to secure qualification for the Olympic Games! Drawn against sprint and relay powerhouses, Jamaica and Belgium, Nigeria needed a top 2 finish to qualify for the Olympics. The well-put-together team set off with Dubem Nwachukwu on lead-off leg where he came in 2nd and handed over to Dubem Amene. Amene after breaking on the second leg, ran a masterful race, leaving no openings before handing over to Sikiru Adewale…

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has distanced itself from a purported list of ex-governors under investigation for alleged corruption in circulation. On Saturday, several reports emerged in the media (not Channels Television) that 58 former governors were under the radar of the anti-graft agency. They were accused of misappropriating N2.187 trillion over 25 years. According to reports, the 58 former governors – drawn from the six regions of the country – were being probed, while others have been investigated, and prosecuted. But in a statement on Sunday, the EFCC spokesman, Dele Oyewale, described the reports as false and…

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has filed a lawsuit against the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike before the Federal High Court in Abuja. Also joined in the suit were the 36 state governors over over their failure to account for, and publish the agreements of the N5.9 trillion and $4.6 billion loans obtained by their states and the FCT, respectively. Disclosing this in a statement on Sunday, SERAP Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, said the group asked the court to “direct and compel the governors and Mr. Wike to account for N5.9trn and $4.6bn loans obtained…

Russia has added Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to its list of wanted criminals, a government database showed on Saturday. Zelensky appeared in the Russian Interior Ministry’s “wanted” list, an online database of alleged criminals sought by the authorities. It stated that the Ukrainian leader was wanted “under an article of the criminal code,” without providing further details. There was no immediate comment from Russian officials on why Zelensky had been added to the list. Moscow has targeted Zelensky since the start of its military offensive in February 2022. The Ukrainian President said last year he was aware that at least…

Dozens of protesters from Zamfara State have occupied the entrance to the headquarters of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), calling on the commission to reopen investigations on the former governor of the state, Bello Matawalle The protesters under the auspices of APC Loyalists Forum is asking the EFCC to investigate all petitions against the former governor, including the alleged contract diversion up to the tune of N70 billion during his tenure as governor of the state. The EFCC Director of Public Affairs, Wilson Uwujaren, who received the protest letter on behalf of the chairman, assured the protesters that…

The National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, has called for the full implementation of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Amendment Act 2024, including the operationalisation of the National Cybersecurity Fund by all regulators and businesses specified in the second schedule of the Act. In a statement signed by the Head, Strategic Communication Office of the National Security Adviser, Zakari Mijinyawa, said the directive was part of efforts to secure Nigeria’s Critical National Information Infrastructure (CNII), counter-terrorism and violent extremism, strengthen national security, and protect its economic interests. On July 6, 2022, Nigeria joined 66 other countries that had signed and ratified…