These are the top five Nigerian stories that drove conversation today.
Benue State governor, Samuel Ortom on Monday said the call for the declaration of a state of emergency in Benue and one other state by the leadership of Miyetti Allah is untenable.
The governor, in a statement issued by his media adviser, Tahav Agerzua, restated his call for the declaration of Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore as a terrorist organisation.
Ortom said, “The call is unrealistic, untenable and unacceptable because many other states across the six geopolitical zones of the country have been affected by similar crisis, sometimes at a greater magnitude than the two states, yet the call does not include them.”
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has apologised to Nigerians over mistakes it made while in power.
National Chairman of the party, Uche Secondus said this on Monday at an event in Abuja.
“We made mistakes. On behalf of my colleagues and members of this party, I apologise to Nigerians,” Secondus said.
“We have learnt from our mistakes. It was all part of our evolution process. Without it, there can be no maturity. I believe that PDP is more matured, to provide the best for this country.”
Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun has said there is no ulterior motive behind the letter she wrote to Ibrahim Magu, acting chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
In a letter dated February 9, Adeosun asked Magu to provide more information on recovered loot.
In a statement by Oluyinka Akintunde, the minister’s media aide, Adeosun denied reports that there is a rift between her and Magu.
“The minister wishes to state explicitly that the letter dated 9th February 2018, was a standard letter aimed at improving controls over the recovered funds,” the statement read.
Former President Goodluck Jonathan says there is a campaign to tarnish his reputation.
While speaking through Reno Omokri, his former media aide, Jonathan challenged his accusers to substantiate their claims.
“It has been brought to my attention that while I am away promoting democracy in Sierra Leone, a campaign will be unleashed against me to falsely impugn my name using both faceless and identified persons,” he wrote on Facebook.
The Federal Government has empowered 180 Bakassi returnees who were trained in Poultry, Fishery Production, Processing, Preservation, Packaging and Marketing at the University of Calabar, Cross River State with N500,000 each.
In a statement from the Ministry, the Minister of State, Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs (MNDA), Prof. Claudius Daramola admonished the graduands to make good use of the Skills they have acquired, by running profitable enterprises that will engage other women and youths in their various communities while charging them to contribute to the food security of the Niger Delta Region and Nigeria at large.
And now, stories from around the world…
Russian businessman Sergei Mavrodi, whose MMM pyramid scheme deprived millions of Russians of their savings in the 1990s, has died of a heart attack, according to Russia media.
Reports said the 62-year-old was rushed to the hospital late on March 25 with pain in his chest and died several hours later.
The United States and its European allies are expelling dozens of Russian diplomats in a co-ordinated response to the poisoning of a former Russian spy in the UK.
It is said to be the largest collective expulsion of Russian intelligence officers in history.
Nineteen countries have aligned with the UK, expelling more than 100 diplomats.
Anthony Joshua believes Joseph Parker will face an “overwhelming” experience in a unification bout which will go down in “history” on Saturday.
WBA and IBF world heavyweight champion Joshua meets WBO title-holder Parker at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium.
It will be Briton Joshua’s fourth stadium bout but, with 80,000 fans expected, represents a new level of interest for New Zealand’s Parker.
“It took me a few times to get used to it,” Joshua told BBC Radio 5 live.
Saudi Arabia says one person was killed after seven missiles were fired from Yemen by Iranian-backed Houthi rebels on Sunday. It’s the first death on Saudi soil since the Saudi-led coalition began a military intervention in Yemen three years ago.
The missiles were fired at four targets, including the capital city of Riyadh, and all were intercepted and destroyed, said Saudi coalition forces spokesman Col. Turki al-Maliki in a statement. Fragments from the intercepted missiles killed an Egyptian resident, the statement added.
“These hostile acts continue to pose a direct threat to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and threaten regional, as well as international, security,” the statement said.
Russian President Vladimir Putin will visit China later this year, for his first meetings with senior Chinese officials since being elected for a fourth term.
According to Russian state media, an official state visit will be held in conjunction with a meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in Qingdao, scheduled for June.
Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Russia last year, and during an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting in November, the two leaders promised to enhance bilateral ties and cooperation on international affairs.
Leave a reply