Gist Arena

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has called on APC members to come together and resolve the issues they've been having following the recent crises in the National Assembly. In a statement released this evening, Atiku who is currently in Saudi Arabia for the lesser Hajj said it is time for members of the party to stop the blame game and work together for the unity, cohesion and harmony of the party. He added that he is concerned that after winning the elections, APC is now engulfed in internal crises. The statement after the cut... Former Vice President and chieftain of APC, Atiku Abubakar has urged leaders of the APC to shift from extreme positions to a centrist one for the interest of democracy and the party, the new administration and the country at large. The counsel of the former Vice President comes against the backdrop of the APC NEC meeting in Abuja on   Friday, 3 July . A statement released by his media office in Abuja on Thursday, 2 July quoted...

Here is a photo of the new DG of the State Security Service Mr Lawal Daura from Katsina state. He replaces Ita Ekpeyong who was fired by President Buhari today July 2nd.

The press statement from the Force HQ below... In line with the determination of the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Solomon E. Arase NPM, fdc, to inject fresh ideas in the security architecture in #Lagos, #Rivers and #Ogun States, and some other Force Headquarters Formations. The IGP has ordered postings of new Commissioners of Police as stated - below 1. CP AJANI FATAI OWOSENI to CP LAGOS STATE COMMAND 2. CP CHRIS EZIKE to CP RIVERS STATE COMMAND 3. CP ABDULMAJID ALI to CP OGUN STATE COMMAND 4. CP DAN BATURE to CP INTELLIGENCE FCIID FHQ, ABUJA 5. CP VALENTINE U. NTOMCHUKWU to CP ADMIN DEPT OF LOGISTICS & SUPPLY, FHQ, ABUJA 6. CP HYELASINDA KIMO MUSA to CP FED. SPECIAL ANTI-ROBBERY SQUAD, FCIID FHQ, ABUJA 7. CP KAYODE C. ADERANTI to CP ADMIN, DEPT OF OPERATIONS, FHQ, ABUJA 8. CP E. J. IBINE to CP PORT AUTHORITY EASTERN COMMAND 9. CP OGBUSUA AJA OLEH to CP PROVOST, FHQ, ABUJA It is expected that the new postings will reverse the crime wave in the affe...

Lets keep waiting

According to a report by  AFP , Boko Haram extremists gunned down nearly 100 Muslims praying in mosques in the northeast during the holy month of Ramadan. Read below... The attack Wednesday night on the town of Kukawa came the day after the Islamic extremist group attacked a village 35 kilometers (22 miles) away and killed another 48 men and boys, according to witnesses who counted the dead. The people of Kukawa were in several mosques, praying ahead of breaking their daylong fast, when the extremists attacked. They killed 97 people, mainly men, said self-defense spokesman Abbas Gava and a senior government official who spoke on condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to give information to reporters. Gava said his group's fighters in Kukawa said some militants also broke into people's homes, killing women and children as they prepared the evening meal. Kukawa is 180 kilometers (110 miles) northeast of Maiduguri, the biggest city in northeast...

Well, in Nigeria, you can marry more than one wife, but not in the US. All 50 states outlaws bigamy and holding multiple marriage licenses. But following last week's U.S. Supreme Court decision legalizing gay marriage, a Montana man said yesterday that he will apply for a marriage license so that he can legally wed his second wife. Nathan Collier and his wives Victoria and Christine applied at the Yellowstone County Courthouse in Billings on Tuesday in an attempt to legitimize their polygamous marriage. Collier said he plans to sue if the application is denied. "It's about marriage equality," Collier told The Associated Press Wednesday. "You can't have this without polygamy." County clerk officials initially denied Collier's application, then said they would consult with the county attorney's office before giving him a final answer, Collier said. Yellowstone County chief civil litigator Kevin Gillen said he is reviewing M...

People pictured on top of a train in the Oshodi area of Lagos this evening. They are people trying to avoid payment so they resort to climbing the train. That's quite dangerous! Can they please grow some sense? Another photo below

What's currently trending on social media are men asking for equal pregnancy rights as women using the  #transpregnancy #Pregnancyforall. These 'men' displayed photos of their pregnant selves on social media. They are demanding equal rights just like real pregnant women. Just in case you're wondering, these are men that used to be women. Check out some of the reactions to this trend.

Black men in the US better stay away from this phone case...police can mistake it for a gun. If they are being shot unarmed, imagine if a police officer saw this. The controversial new phone case which is shaped like a handgun is now being sold on Amazon for $10 and critics are calling it a 'deathtrap'. In fact, NYPD is begging people not to buy the case to avoid issues with police ... Retired New Jersey state trooper and firearms instructor Al Della Fave told CNN Money: “Most kids carry their cellphone in their back pocket and if someone reaches for it, in my mind they're reaching for a gun. The first thing they're going to see as it's coming up is the trigger guard and the butt of the gun. This doesn't seem like a good idea at all to me.”

Governor Nasir El-Rufai, on Thursday, said he would institute legal action against The Union newspapers over a story in which it claimed the governor declared N90 billion as his asset. A statement by the governor’s media aide, Mr Samuel Aruwan in Kaduna, described the report as the work of “irresponsible hacks”. “Malam Nasir El-Rufai is dismayed by the blatant falsehood being practiced as journalism by The Union newspapers. He has consequently directed his legal team to vigorously enforce his rights to protect his reputation from the vandalism of irresponsible hacks. “The Union chose to write a spurious story alleging N90b as his assets declaration without seeing the declaration made by Malam El Rufai.” The statement said the governor would not succumb to any form of blackmail and would pursue the matter in order to protect his integrity. “Fair minded people who read the story will notice that it is not grounded in any evidence. It is just the animus ...

The Nigerian naira could weaken in the parallel market next week after the central bank restricted access to foreign exchange by importers, while Ghana’s cedi may be buoyed further by central bank dollar sales, reports Reuters. NIGERIA The naira is expected to weaken further driven by pressure from importers excluded from the interbank market after the central bank restricted access to forex by importers in its bid to protect its foreign reserves. The local currency was trading at 230 to the dollar at the parallel market, versus 222 to the dollar last week. The naira was trading at 196.95 at the interbank from 199.40 a week ago. Moves have been limited in the official forex market after the central bank imposed curbs in February to halt speculation on the local currency and prevent its rapid decline. “Since the central bank introduced the new measure, exempting some items from access to official forex market, pressure has continue to mount on the parallel mark...

GOtv is giving new subscribers an elongated viewing experience in its latest consumer promotion termed ‘GOtv Double Double’. From 1 July, every new subscriber who buys a complete GOtv set (decoder and antenna) for N4,500, and pays a one-month subscription to GOtv Plus will be rewarded with two months extra viewing. The subscription must be made at the point of decoder purchase or within 48 hours after. This means that at the expiration of the first subscription to the GOtv Plus bouquet, the subscriber will, for another two months, have access to 42 of the best international and local channels including, AfricaMagic Family, AfricaMagic Epic, CNN, Al Jazeera, SuperSport Select 2, MTV Base, PRTV, Telemundo, Zee World, Discovery World, Disney Junior, Nickelodeon and many more at no additional cost. “As a trusted digital migration partner, the ‘GOtv Double Double’ promo not only allows consumers to access digital television at a price everyone can afford but it also give...

Omodara Adedapo Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has recovered and returned 10,000 euros to F. Mercade, a French citizen, who was victim of internet love scam. The fund was wired to the victim through his account in France on the recommendation of the French Embassy in Nigeria. Roger Balima, French Police Liaison Officer who confirmed the receipt of the funds by the victim, thanked the EFCC “for the good job.” Mercade was duped by two internet fraudsters, Omodara Adedapo Oluseye and Adesuyi Ayodeji Adedapo after he was deceived into a phantom relationship that was supposedly alter-bound. The scam was reported to the Commission via a petition from the French Consulate in Lagos, on behalf of Mercade. The petitioner alleged that he met a Nigerian beauty by name, ‘Kate Williams’ on the internet sometime in 2009 and they developed a relationship which was to culminate in marriage. ‘Williams’ was to relocate to join Mercade in France, to consummat...

Yesterday Femi Adesina, the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to President Buhari tweeted what you see above and Nigerians descended on him and the office of the president with the hashtag #Wailingwailers. It's hilarious and sad. Read below  

Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila claims the speaker of the House of Representatives Yakubu Dogara and his loyalists in the House are planning to defect to the opposition party, PDP. According to  The Cable , he made the claims while speaking at a meeting with President Buhari and Vice Presient Osinbajo at the Presidential villa yesterday July 1st "The conduct of the 39 APC members colluding with the PDP is tantamount to affront, ultimately targeted at polarising our party so as to give room for many of them to decamp to the PDP. The 39 APC members in the house continue to collude with the PDP to flagrantly disobey Mr. President, the governors and the party with a view to bringing the party and government to ridicule before Nigerians. It is therefore imperative for Mr. President to take a stand and save the integrity of the party, by cautioning, the 39 members, which include the speaker and the deputy speaker, to respect, honour and obey our party leaders and their directives.  ...

President Buhari has sacked the Director General of the State Security Service SSS, Mr Ita Ekpeyong (pictured above) and has appointed Mr Lawal Daura as his replacement. Mr Ekeyong's sack was contained in a statement released and signed by the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Danladi Kifasi. The new DG was born in Daura on August, 5, 1953 and attended the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria from 1977 – 1980. Mr Daura's appointment is with immediate effect.

Following the legalization of gay marriage across America by the Supreme Court last week, Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe, who is known for his extreme anti-gay views has been making headlines. Earlier this week was a marriage proposal to president Obama and yesterday, he allegedly said what you see below during another interview; "Even satan wasn't Gay, he chose to approach naked Eve instead of naked Adam." - President, Mugabe on homo sexuality.

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo arrived Adamawa state this morning where he is expected to visit some IDP camps. More photos below