Gist Arena

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission today arraigned the Taraba State Accountant – General, Joel Joseph Lenbang, before Justice Donatus Nwabueze Okorowo of the Federal High Court Jalingo for defrauding Taraba State Government to the tune of  N1.56 billion. He was docked on an 8-count charge bordering on obtaining by false pretense, offenses contrary to and punishable under the Advanced Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act, 2006. When the charges were read to him, the accused person pleaded not guilty. Continue... The malfeasance came to light following a petition received from a concerned Taraba State indigene, sometime in February 2014, alleging massive looting of Taraba state funds. The petition triggered investigation of the lifestyle of some of the officers mentioned in the petition and who were believed to be living above their means. The investigation uncovered systematic withdrawal of state funds through a scheme mastermind by the accounta...

THREE years ago, Romanian witches, who have long thirsted for government recognition, got the type of deal they never imagined – the law asked them to pay tax. Anger greeted the law with the witches threatening to bring misfortune on government and its officials. They carried out rituals at certain rivers to make government change its mind. The witches also prayed for enough misfortune would visit government officials that they would patronise witches more. The Romanian government dragged more people into its tax net as it grappled with the economy. Witches are in great demand in the country of 21.5 million people with a rich culture of consulting witches and fortune tellers on all matters. Professionals like witches, astrologers and fortunetellers were not in the country’s labour code. They did not pay income tax. Under the 2011 law, they started paying 16 per cent income tax and contributing to health and pension programmes, as self-employed people. Their batt...

The Nigerian Army have released a statement explaining their side of what transpired last Friday July 4th where soldiers allegedly beat up some civilians and set some BRT buses ablaze. The statement signed by Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, Lieutenant Colonel Omale Ochagwuba, says contrary to reports, the Lance Corporal killed by the BRT bus was driving on the main road used by other motorists and not on the lane reserved for the BRT buses. It also denied the army officers being responsible for setting some BRT buses on fire. The statement reads in part; "On July 4, a Lance Corporal of Nigerian Army, who was on his way to the office on Ikorodu Road around Obanikoro area between  6:30 and 6:45am , was knocked down and killed by a BRT bus with number plate KSF 995 XJ. It is pertinent to state here that the late soldier was riding a power bike approved by the state government and he was neither riding inside a BRT lane nor was the BRT bus that killed him dri...

President Goodluck Jonathan has sworn-in the four new ministers, who were cleared by the National Assembly. They include Ibrahim Shekarau, Stephen Oru, Adedayo Adeyeye and Abdul Bulama. Mr. Shekarau, a former Kano State governor, decamped from the All Progressives Congress, APC, to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. Shortly after swearing them in, the President announced their portfolio and also announced a minor rearrangement in the current cabinet. The President announced Mr. Shekarau as the new Education Minister; Mr. Adeyeye was named Minister of State for Works; Mr. Oru, Minister of Niger Delta; and Mr. Bulama, Minister of Science and Technology. Mr. Jonathan also announced that the current Minister of Works, Bashir Yuguda, will now be the Minster of State for Finance and substantive Minister of National Planning. Mr. Yuguda is filling the vacancy created by the exit of the former minister of state of finance, Yerima Ngama. In his cabinet shake up last year S...

It was a matter of minutes before the internet was overloaded with viral images mocking Brazil for their 7-1 defeat to Germany. Christ the Redeemer, the iconic statue of Jesus Christ in Rio de Janeiro, is normally seen as an image of hope - but the famous landmark was quickly photo-shopped at the expense of the defeated host nation, following their semi-final humiliation. Here are some of the best images from across the web... Greetings from Brazil: German Chancellor Angela Merkel is mocked on to the Rio statue Awkward: Neymar advertising the fizzy drink 7UP Not so incredible: Brazilian striker Hulk failed to impress in the semi final Sharp shooter: In-form striker Thomar Muller fires Brazucas, the official ball of the World Cup Heartbreak: Internet virals have been a theme of the World Cup ever since Luis Suarez's biting incident Jumping ship: Brazilian legend Pele has been one of the faces of this year's tour...

35.6million people talked about this disastrous match on Twitter last night. I'm still recovering from it

Three pregnant women and a 36-year-old man (pictured above) suspected to be involved in producing babies for sale were paraded by the Rivers State Police Command yesterday July 8th,  Punch  reports. The suspects, who were arrested in Igwuruta, Rivers state on July 5th, were identified as Odinchinma Nwala (25), Glory Anyanwu (22), Goodness Nwankwo (19), and Stanley Okechukwu (male, 36). The DPO of Igwuruta Police Station, Mr. Bello Muhammed, who spoke with newsmen, explained how the suspects were arrested, saying they were alerted by well meaning Nigerians. "We sent a patrol team that went and confirmed the information. When the police traced and arrested Okechukwu, who took the team to where he kept the girls on Saturday, July 5, 2014, it was discovered that the suspects had been involved in the business for a long time." Continue... “The girls were brought from different local government areas, and further investigation revealed that after deliveri...

Burial arrangements for late Pop-Gospel singer, Irikefe Obareki Don-Momoh have just been announced on behalf of the family, by the Kefee Memorial Committee (a coalition of Kefee's family & friends in the Gospel Music & Entertainment Industry). The singer will be laid to rest at her hometown, Okpara Inland in Delta State this  Friday 11th July. Read full details after the cut... Thursday 10th July 2014 CandleLight / Service Of Songs Venue: Oba Akezua Cultural Centre, Airport Road, Benin City,Edo State Time:  5pm - 7:30pm Friday 11th July 2014 HomeGoing Service/Internment Venue: Akpevweoghene Educational Centre, Open Field, Okpara Inland, Ethiope East, Delta State Time:  12Noon - 2pm Friday 11th July 2014 Celebration of Kefee's Life Venue: Events Galleria, Okirigwe Junction by MFM, Sapele, Delta State Time:  4pm - 7pm ‎ Announcer: Kefee Memorial Committee for the family

Stephen Keshi has reportedly demanded a significant salary hike to sign a new contract to remain as Nigeria coach. According to africanfootball.com on Tuesday, Keshi, who announced last week that his contract with   the Nigeria Football Federation had expired after the Super Eagles crashed out of the World Cup following their 2-0 defeat by France, told President Goodluck Jonathan that he will sign a new deal if the NFF agrees to pay him N10m a month. The former Nigeria captain received N5m a month in his initial contract. Africanfootball.com reported that Keshi made the demand when he met with Jonathan at the Aso Rock Villa in Abuja on arrival from the World Cup in Brazil. He was also said to have demanded that his new salary be paid upfront to avoid the delays he suffered in the previous deal, as well as the recall of his former assistant Sylvanus Okpalla. A top official at the Presidential Villa told africanfootball.com, “He (Keshi) demanded for N10m a month, whic...

The Council of State, made up of former heads of government, on Tuesday held its second meeting in the year and came out with a promise that the abducted pupils of Government Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State, would soon be rescued. More than 200 girls were seized from the school on the night of April 14 by members of the terrorist Islamic sect, Boko Haram. The incident has attracted global condemnation and protests. Almost 90 days in the custody of the terrorists, there have been many not-too-pleasant stories about the welfare of the girls. But briefing journalists at the end of the Council meeting, presided over by President Goodluck Jonathan, Akwa Ibom State Governor Godswill Akpabio said the military high command had given assurances that the girls were safe and would soon be rescued. Akpabio said the council was satisfied that those security agents knew where the girls had been kept and that the soldiers were on top of the situation. He said, “Top on the ...

The inability of the delegates to agree on the percentage of derivation to be paid to the oil-producing states forced the National Conference to adjourn before time on Tuesday. The conferenre adjourned at 12.58pm instead of the usual 3.30pm that the delegates had agreed to since the commencement of the Ramadan. While some of the delegates were clamouring for the increase in the 13 per cent derivation fund currently being paid to the zone, others especially those from the North said the status quo must be maintained. Senator Ibrahim Ida in his contribution said the status quo must be maintained as recommended by the committee, adding that degradation, just like it was being experienced in the Niger Delta, was also affecting the northern part of the country. He specially mentioned Plateau State, which he said also suffered environmental degradation. But he appealed to the Federal Government to pay its debt to the Niger Delta Development Commission. Another delegate fro...

Two former military heads of state led the embattled Adamawa State Governor Murtala Nyako to a meeting with President Goodluck Jonathan on Monday night in Abuja as part of the efforts to save Nyako, who is battling to escape impeachment by legislators in his state. The PUNCH learnt that the meeting was at the instance of the two ex-heads of state. A source close to the meeting confided in one of our correspondents that the two former dictators’ intervention rested on the fact that Nyako was a mutual friend. Nyako is a retired Vice-Admiral and one-time Chief of Naval Staff under ex-dictator Ibrahim Babangida. The source said, “The two military leaders took the governor to meet with the President last night. They, however, did not get a commitment because the President insisted that the governor should withdraw his contentious memo to the Northern Governors’ Forum and publicly apologise for his indiscretions. “The governor, who did not appear prepared to buckle, said h...

LAGOS—THE Police in Lagos State are currently investigating a visually impaired middle-aged man, identified as Kingsley Anyanwu for allegedly defiling a 12-year-old girl (names withheld). Vanguard gathered that the incident occurred at the residence of the suspect, 32, Mosalasi Street, Maza-Maza bus stop on Friday, June 20, when Kingsley Anyanwu sexually abused the victim by forcefully having canal knowledge of her inside his bedroom, thereby inflicting serious bruises on the victim’s private part. It was learnt that the victim started residing with the family early January this year in a three-bedroom apartment after she was introduced to Kingsley’s sister, Maurine, a staff of one of the new generation banks located at Oba Akran. According to reports, the victim was until the unfortunate incident a housemaid to Kingsley Anyanwu’s old mother. Trouble, however, started after Kingsley’s wife went to work. The suspect allegedly asked her to come to his bedroom, supposedl...