Gist Arena

During his state visit to the Republic of Benin yesterday August 1st, President Buhari was decorated with the country's highest honor, the Grande Croix Du Benin (The Great Cross of Benin). He is seen above being decorated by President Boni Yayi of Benin republic. More photos below.

Former adviser to former president Jonathan on Amnesty programme, Kingley Kuku today released photos of himself at the St. Andrew Hospital, Birmingham, Alabama where he is recuperating after a knee surgery. Kuku was to appear before EFCC on July 28th to answer questions bordering on misappropriation of funds but had immediately written a letter to the agency saying he will not be honoring their invitation because he is currently at a US hospital. In a statement released accompanying the photos, Kuku said he had nothing to fear and was not on the run. He says he operates no foreign account and does not have any house apart from the one in Nigeria. The statement in part “Today, Amnesty project has trained pilots as we have sent our students to the best aviation school in the world. We have about 100 students in Lufthansa training school in Germany. In addition, we have about 550 students in the United States, more than 300 in Europe and more than 1000 in Nigeria. I ther...

Press statement from the PDP below... The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) wishes to bring to the notice of President Buhari that the apparent absence of an economic team in the third month of his administration is leading the country into economic quagmire and doldrums. In the past, we had given examples of the devastating effect of lack of an economic team and a clear-cut fiscal policy by this administration as evidenced in the lull and painful decline in the stock market, spiral rate of inflation, the disastrous outing of the government team in bilateral talks during the recent visit to the United States of America and the shambolic state of our economy at present. This confusion has been extended to operations and regulations of the foreign exchange transactions in Nigeria wherein the government is making it impossible for honest Nigerians to engage in free trade and regulate their personal activities as guaranteed by the constitution, and this is clearly an agenda to illega...

Lagos state governor, Akinwunmi Ambode received some members of the US congress at his office in Alausa Ikeja Lagos state today August 2nd. More photos below

Israeli high school student, Shira Banki, 16, (left and the one in green with the knife in her back) was one of six people stabbed by ultra-orthodox jew Yishai Shlissel during a gay pride march in Jerusalem on Thursday July 30th . She died today at Hadassah hospital from injuries sustained during the attack. She wasn't gay...she went to the march in support of her LGBT friends. Sad In a statement her family said:  'Our magical Shira was murdered because she was a happy 16-year-old – full of life and love – who came to express her support for her friends' rights to live as they choose. For no good reason and because of evil, stupidity and negligence, the life of our beautiful flower was cut short. Bad things happen to good people, and a very bad thing happened to our amazing girl.  'The family expresses hope for a less hatred and more tolerance.' The family requests the public respect their privacy as they grieve.  We won't permit the terrible m...

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has accused President Muhammadu Buhari of running a communist economic agenda. The party said the administration’s attempts to repeal the provisions of the Foreign Exchange And Miscellaneous Provisions Act, otherwise known as Decree No.17 of 1995 and replace it with “unilateral imposition of new regulations was not acceptable. In a statement on Sunday by the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Chief Olisa Metuh, the PDP kicked against what it described as moves by Buhari to deny Nigerians the right to freely open and operate domiciliary accounts. “This Act remains the subsisting law regulating the operations of domiciliary accounts in Nigeria and by its provisions therefore, Nigerians are empowered to freely open and operate domiciliary accounts. “As such, any enactment and or regulation inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are deemed void. Thus, the recent foreign exchange transaction restrictions by this government are illeg...

Office of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Obingwa Local Government Area of Abia State was on Sundayset on fire by yet to be identified hoodlums. Sources within the area that confirmed the incident expressed fear that sensitive materials used in the conduct of 2015 general elections, including the ones used for the governorship elections may have been burnt by the fire. But another source told our correspondent that although the level of damage was yet to be ascertained, the fire had already been put off. Another account has it that the whole structure was engulfed, but the Abia State Fire Service is yet to comment on the incident. Enabor Godwin, the state INEC Public Relations Officer when contacted by our correspondent said he was not aware of the incident, but the state Police Public Relations Officer, Onyeke Udeviotu Ezekiel confirmed the inferno. Onyeke said he was yet to be briefed on the extent of damage to the INEC office in Obingw...

No fewer than 13 villagers were killed by suspected Boko Haram members in Malari Village in Konduga Local Government of Borno State. The village which is located along Bama road came under attack in the early hours of Sunday by members of the Boko Haram according to eyewitness. The gunmen in convoy of about 11 Toyota Hilux vehicles and motorcycles laden with explosives and petrol-bombs invaded the village killing 13 people. They also burnt several houses and set ablaze many shops and kiosks in the early hours of Sunday, according to one Shettima Bulama who escaped to maiduguri. Shettima narrated; “Yesterday’s attack on our village was terrifying and shocking. We are surprised how they were able to overcome the soldiers patrolling this road on an hourly basis without being killed by these insurgents. It was devastating because many of my neighbors had to flee into nearby bushes and farmlands, before escaping to Maiduguri. Many people were killed and hou...

True word

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) in a combined effort with the Nigerian Army has successfully repelled Boko Haram terrorist group (BHT) attacks on Bita village, Borno State. In a statement signed on Sunday by Air Commodre Dele Alonge, the Director of Public Relations and Information (DOPRI), NAF used its Alpha jet to provide combat air support to the ground force to repel the terrorists who were observed to be mobilising to carry out a deadly attack on the village.  “Consequently, a large number of the insurgents were killed and several others were injured" he revealed. "Thereafter, the NAF A-Jet conducted an armed reconnaissance along Bita-Gwoza road and through Yamtege, Hamdaga, Dure and Pulka.The NAF will continue to give all necessary support to the ground force through its intensified and persistent efforts in the ongoing fight against Boko Haram terrorists in the North-East until all portions of Nigerian 

Earlier today, a man narrated an incident he claimed happened at The Bank club Abuja, where his friend was nearly killed after being hit on the head with a red label bottle (read  here ) following a misunderstanding. Reacting, the club denied involvement in the incident. Their statement below...   Our attention has been drawn to an ongoing rumour that a man identified as Mr. Rex had his head broken at the  Bank  Club in Abuja on July 5th. Even though we hardly respond to a made up story based on writer's imagination, we are quick to say the writer is on a witch-hunt mission, which we can only term self destructive. We are not oblivious of the fact that we have big competitors in this business, but we are shocked that some individuals could be so pushed to the extent of connecting us to an incident that does not involve us directly. We beg to dissociate ourselves from the incident, and for the record, The  Bank  is against all forms of violence...

Beautiful couple. More photos below

According to a twitter user @Xantaplus, this man was caught raping a 5 year-old boy in Ojo, Lagos and was stripped, beaten and made to walk naked. 

The Chief Priest of Oduduwa and Obadio Agbaye Orisun of Yoruba land, Oba Farotimi Faroba, has dismissed the reported arrival of remains of Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuwade, to Ile-Ife, Osun. Faroba told NAN on Sunday in Ile-Ife that the Ooni was hale and healthy. “Ooni is hale and healthy, and that is to confirm to you that nothing has happened to him.  “And if he is still alive why the rumuor that his remains has arrived in the ancient town? “Ooni’s death cannot be hidden,” he added. “Assuming his reported death is true, you will notice crowd at the main palace gate, while the gate would be locked and no one will be allowed to enter. “Also, the Oduduwa chief priest will announce the demise of the Ooni upon sounding of a bell at Enuwa square located in front of the palace. “After the announcement, all the trees in the market would be cut; markets would be closed while all forms of merrymaking such as drumming or partying would be suspended in t...

Abia state Governor, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu has visited victims of the incident at Ariaria market in Aba where men of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA ) shot innocent traders while trying to arrest illegal dealers of drugs in the market. Ikpeazu who arrived at Holy Wound Christian Hospital at No 169 Faulks Road, where the victims are receiving treatment promised that the state will foot the medical bill.