Gist Arena

Rowland Nakanda, a brother-in-law to former Delta State governor James Ibori has been sentenced to a UK prison for his involvement in money laundering. London Metropolitan reports below... Nakanda had previously been found guilty of two counts of money laundering following a month-long trial at Southwark Crown Court and was sentenced on Friday, 24 July. The investigation into Nakanda commenced during the wider inquiry into the corrupt activities of the former governor of Delta State, James Ibori, between 1999 and 2007. Nakanda, 54 (29.01.61) of Tyne Gardens, South Ockendon in Essex is the older brother of Teresa Ibori, James Ibori’s wife. James and Teresa Ibori were convicted of fraud and money laundering in 2012 and were sentenced to a total of 18 years’ imprisonment for corruption. Following the conviction of the Iboris, the Nakandas became guardians of the Ibori’s three children. Police identified that the Ibori children, despite their parents’ convictions, were being...

Suicide bombers have now device the use of fashion bags to convey improvised explosive device (IED). People in and around Yobe State as well as the entire country should watch out for excessive and gorgeous dressing bag carrying young girls/older women. This bag is one of such recent discovery in Yobe State by Police EoD Personnel. Source: NPF

18-year-old Nigerian Isaiah Ekpaloba (left) was stabbed to death in Wood Green, UK, after a fight with his friend Jaydee Dorsett (right) following what police believe was a dispute over drugs on 9th January, 2015.   Jaydee, 20, has now been found guilty of his murder and was sentenced to life yesterday, July 27th for murder and will serve a minimum of 12 years before he is eligible for parole. He was also sentenced to fours years for attempted wounding with intent. According to the Police, the altercation which led to the murder began when Isaiah Ekpaloba and Lamont Roper (pictured above), 18, drove to Dorsett's house in Wood Green with the intention of robbing him of drugs. Dorsett was also found guilty of attempted wounding of Lamont Roper. Meanwhile, Lamont was found guilty of conspiracy to rob Dorsett and sentenced to seven and a half years for conspiracy to rob and three and a half years for both counts of robbery.

Garba Shehu, the Senior Special Assistant (SSA) on Media and Publicity to President Buhari this afternoon announced new Volunteer Media Team for president Buhari. The Volunteer Media Team were members of APC Presidential Campaigns Team and according to Garba;  "They have voluntarily decided to support & work with the Pres Buhari led administration in the interest of Nigeria as members of #PMBmediaTeam. They will be complementing our efforts in promoting the #Change. See their names below @Ayourb @JohannesMathews @naanamee2 @DOlusegun @DebolaLagos @Laurestar

The Nigerian army announced this on twitter.

Early this morning in Guaraka, Tafa LGA Niger State ( About 7km from Zuba Abuja) was a scene of angry women protesting that electricity task force will not disconnect power.... When situation got worsen the women have to apply some diabolic means as you can see in the picture below....

A known gang member who was arrested last month for allegedly stabbing to death a transgender girl in Mississippi appeared in court today for a preliminary hearing in the murder case. Joshua Vallum, 28, (left) was arrested on June 2, the day police recovered the body of 17-year-old transgender teen Mercedes Williamson (right) buried in his father's backyard. The murder case in a rural Mississippi town gained national attention last month, when Caitlyn Jenner mentioned Williamson as just one of the many transgender teens murdered in the U.S. this year. Prosecutors say Vallum admitted to his father on June 1 that he killed someone and hid their body in the wooded area behind the house. Vallum allegedly told police that the remains belonged to Williamson, and his admission was confirmed with a DNA analysis.   Since then, the member of the Latin Kings gang has been held on $1million bail for first-degree murder charges.  While the motivation behind...

The Nigerian Defence Academy twitter handle that shared MI and Carass photos yesterday wearing Camo and threatening them, also shared photos of some cadets harassing members of the public who they claim broke the law. Well, Defence Headquarters this afternoon reacted to the pics, saying the act is against the military's principle and will be investigated. The photos have since been deleted from NDA twitter handle. Continue to see more tweets...  

Press statement from the presidency "The implementation of a three-pronged financial intervention of President Muhammadu Buhari to assuage workers plight and support the states is now in progress. Specifically, state governments will start benefiting from the special intervention fund of between N250B to N300B in a matter of weeks. Currently, planning meetings are being held between members of the Federation Account Allocation Committee, FAAC and CBN, on the one hand, and also between CBN and commercial banks on the other hand, regarding details of the special intervention fund and the debt relief program of the President for the states. Such meetings are reviewing loan profiles of the states, issues around restructuring of existing loans including time span, and reconciling the figures. Already, it has been agreed that existing state loans be restructured for 20 years, and regarding the bond option, the rates to be applied would be market-based but with a cap to m...

Selfies of the newly constituted Media team with The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr Garba Shehu. More photos below Photo Credit: @BashirAhmaad

Bundles of Naira notes in various denominations, guns and gadgets were found in a Boko Haram hideout. See the full pic below.. *warning - graphic photo* Photo credit: AS Aruwa

Boko Haram insurgents on Monday launched a fresh attack on Buratai, a small community in Borno State, where Nigeria’s army chief, Tukur Buratai, comes from, just a week after a similar attack there killed two people. The attack on Buratai was the fourth since February 2014, PRNigeria, which distributes media releases for the Nigerian military, reported Tuesday. The website quoted the acting director of army public relations, Sani Usman, a colonel, as saying that the “suspected terrorists made a futile attempt to attack Buratai town in Borno State and military camp located in the area”. In February 2014 when Buratai was first attacked by the group, Mr. Buratai, a major general, served as commander of the Joint Task Force in the Niger Delta. His elevation a fortnight ago by President Muhammadu Buhari, as head of the army, has ostensibly drawn greater attention to the community, more so after Mr. Buratai vowed days after to crush Boko Haram and force its members to beg for mer...

National leader of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu has said that President Mohammadu Buhari and the party have at least 100 days of honeymoon before embarking on the implementation of “change” programme. Tinubu who defended his assertion said it was a norm the world over for new leaders to settle in the office before unfolding their agenda for their country. The APC leader who is also a former Governor of Lagos State was in the Presidential Villa, Abuja on Tuesday for a private meeting with President Buhari. He added that change does not come by magic, stressing that it is driven by people and proper planning. “Excuse me! Let us calm now here. How long ago? May 29th was when this president was sworn in. It is an international norm all over the world, there is an honeymoon period, at least minimum of 100 days honeymoon. And you won’t allow honeymoon at all? You said change is not coming. Change is not by magic. It driven by t...

The Senate and the House of Representatives on Tuesday announced the receipt of a letter from President Muhammadu Buhari, requesting the confirmation of Service Chiefs, recently appointed by him. President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki, read the letter at plenary as the Red Chamber resumed after five-week recess. Mr. Saraki said the letter for confirmation of the appointments was in accordance with the provisions of Section18 (1) of the Armed Forces Act, 2004. At the house, the speaker, Yakubu Dogara, appointed a committee to screen the service chiefs. The president on July 13 announced the appointment of news service chiefs for the nation’s armed forces. They are Maj-Gen. Abayomi Olonishakin, Chief of Defence Staff; Maj-Gen. Tukur Buratai, Chief of Army Staff; Rear Adm. Ibok-Ete Ibas, Chief of Naval Staff. Air Vice-Marshal Sadique Abubakar is new Chief of Air Staff, while Air Vice-Marchal Monday Morgan is Chief of Defence Intelligence. The pre...

The leadership crisis in the House of Representatives appears to have been resolved as the member, representing Surulere Federal Constituency of Lagos, Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila, has emerged the Majority Leader of the House. President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday met the representatives ahead of their resumption today but the federal lawmakers emerged from the meeting singing discordant tunes, suggesting that the meeting with the president had failed.

President Buhari will be visiting Cameroon between 29-30th July. President of Cameroon, Paul Biya tweeted about the visit and it went viral..

This is the list of 81 senators who raised the motion to pass a vote of confidence on Senate leadership as shared on Twitter by Saraki's media aide, Banks Omishore. More below

While speaking to African leaders at the African Union Headquarters in Ethiopia today July 28th, President Obama asked African leaders to leave office whenever their tenure comes to an end and shaded the heck out of Mugabe and Burundi president. What he said below... "I am in my second term. Its been an extraordinary privilege for me to serve as President of the United States. I love my work but under our constitution I cannot run again. I actually think I am a pretty good president. I think if I ran I could win. But I can't. So there is a lot that I will like to do to keep America moving but the law is the law and no one person is above the law. Not even the president. And I will be honest with you. I am looking forward to life after being president. I wouldn't have such a big security detail all the time. It means I can go take a walk. I can spend time with my family. I can find other ways to serve. I can visit Africa more often. The funny thing is I don...

No fewer than 29 people lost their lives after Boko Haram members attacked Dille community and other surrounding villages of Askira Uba Local Government Area in Borno state yesterday July 27th. A member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Jubrin Satumari confirmed the recent attack and said his plea for more troops to be drafted to his constituency has over time fallen on deaf ears "I am much worried over the spate of killings by suspected insurgents in my constituency. I have pleaded to security authorities, particularly military to deploy troops to most of the affected villages to safeguard my people’s lives and property, but all my cries failed on deaf ears as there are no security presence in my constituency yet, but I still want to assure my people that we are doing everything possible to see that military troops are deployed immediately” he said.

President Buhari will be visiting Cameroon from July 29th to July 30th for further discussions with President Paul Biya on ways to combat Boko Haram activities in the West African region.

Some inspiring quotes by President Obama's sister, Auma. "When Barack first came to Kenya he slept in a small camping bed in my flat" "I once drove Barack in my battered beetle here in Kenya. 27 years later he gave me a ride in the Beast. Poverty is not an excuse for failure. Everyone can succeed. Do something!"

Immediate past governor of Akwa Ibom state, Godswill Akpabio has been announced as the Senate Minority leader. His nomination is against the rules of the senate that exempts first time senators from becoming Senate Minority leaders. He was nominated by the South South Senators in the Senate. Senator Emmanuel Bwacha was named Deputy Minority Leader, Senator Philip Aduda becomes Minority Whip and Senator Bioudun Olujimi is Deputy Minority Whip.

Nigerians took to twitter to react to Governor Adams Oshiomole allegation that US government officials revealed to President Buhari and his delegation last week that a former minister in the past administration stole $6 billion. See more tweets below..