Gist Arena

In 1916, Lord Frederick John Dealtry Lugard, the 1st Baron Lugard, the fourteenth Governor of Hong Kong and the first Governor-General of Nigeria, said the following: “Lagos has for 20 years opposed every Governor and has fomented strife and bloodshed in the hinterland. I have spent the best part of my life in Africa; my aim has been the betterment of the natives for whom I have been ready to give my life. But after some 29 years, and after nearly 12 years as Governor here, I am free to say that the people of Lagos and indeed the westerners are the lowest, the most seditious and disloyal, the most purely prompted by self-seeking money motives of any people I have met.” As if that were not bad enough, two years later, on September 25th 1918, in a letter to his colleague Walter H. Lang, Lugard wrote the following: “The Hausa-Fulani has no ideals, no ambitions save such as sensual in character. He is a fatalist, spendthrift and a gambler. He is gravely immoral and is ser...

A robbery suspect, yesterday, met his waterloo, following attempt by an angry mob to lynch him at Berger Yard, along Apapa/Oshodi Express way. The suspect, it was gathered, sneaked into a park under the bridge where second hand cars were kept at about 5.30am. He reportedly detached the side mirrors of one of the SUVs, unknown to him that guards had sighted him. Vanguard reports that, the guards were said to have blocked all exit points, apparently to prevent him from escaping, before they raised the alarm. The suspect was said to have used the vehicles as means of escape, but was sighted by a Mobile policeman attached to one of the companies nearby who rushed to the scene on hearing the alarm. He shot the suspect in the leg. Attempt by the policeman to take the suspect to the station failed as a mob descended on the robber. The mob, put an unused tyre round the suspect’s neck in an attempt to set him ablaze. An eye witness said the suspect spoke...

Donnette Skellington put up a photo of her breastfeeding her baby and it was reported by some Facebook users to Facebook. She fired back at those who reported the photo by putting up yet another breastfeeding photo and captioned the photo "To the losers who reported my breastfeeding photo,It's not coming down. Since you cannot mind your own, I'll be posting many more. Oh and good luck getting them all down!" #Normalizebreastfeeding"

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has decried the increasing involvement of married women in drug abuse. According to Daily Trust. the Assistant Superintendent in charge of Exhibits at the Sokoto State Command, Ali Baba Mustapha, said this at the Jigawa Day celebration organised by indigenes of the state at the Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto yesterday. He said women took cough syrups that contained codeine believing that it would enhance their sexual appetite. Mustapha warned that if unchecked, this trend could generate into marital crisis and even divorce. He dismissed the belief that cough syrups enhances sexual appetite.

President Buhari earlier today September 8 got briefing from the officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs led by the permanent secretary Amb. Bulus Z. Lolo. Continue to see more photos..

As part of efforts to bring relief to its esteemed customers, MTN Nigeria has announced an extension in the closing hours of its SIM registration and revalidation outlets till 8pm, with an increased number of staff to cater to subscribers who want to register or revalidate their SIM cards. Announcing the extension, Mr. Akinwale Goodluck, MTN Corporate Services Executive, said “we have increased the number of staff across our customer service outlets to cater for the SIM registration and revalidation of our esteemed subscribers across all our channels. We have also mandated all our registration outlets to remain open till 8pm every day during this period.

Former President Olusegn Obasanjo earlier today paid a visit to President Buhari in Aso Rock. Photo credit: Philip Ojisua

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti State has asked the state governor Ayodele Fayose to declare his assets in line with President Buhari and VP Osinbajo, who he always criticizes. In a statement released today September 8 and signed by its Publicity secretary, Taiwo Olatunbosun, the party accused Fayose of having properties in Ghana, Dubai, South Africa, Abuja, Ibadan & Ikoyi. Continue after the cut...

The Nigerian Army says it has uncovered plans by some international media organizations in partnership with collaborators in Nigeria to undermine ongoing operations to end insurgency in the country by accusing it of human rights violations. In a statement released today by the acting Director of Army Public Relations, Col. Sani Usman, the army said such actions, if not addressed, will thwart the gains they have so far recorded in the fight against Boko Haram. The statement in part reads

Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike met with former President Jonathan at the Samson Siasia Stadium, Yenagoa during Seriake Dickson’s declaration for second term today. They also met at Jonathan's country home in Otuoke after the event at the stadium. See more photos after the cut...

A 17-year-old boy is facing 10 years in prison after being charged as an adult for having sexually explicit photos of a minor – that minor is himself. Cormega Copening, from North Carolina, where the age of criminal responsibility is 16, is facing two counts of second-degree sexual exploitation and three counts of third-degree exploitation. The third-degree charges are of sexual exploitation of a minor actually stem from the pictures Copening had of himself. Each count is a felony charge carrying at least two years in jail. “In North Carolina you are considered an adult at 16 years old as far as being charged,” said Sgt. Sean Swain of the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Department. “But to disseminate and receive sexually explicit texts, photos or videos, you must be over 18.” The Authorities said the sexting charges came about when police took Copening’s phone while investigating another incident. Officers discovered ‘sext’ messages between Copening and his 16 year ...

Below is a press statement from ICPC The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), has declared a staff of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Mr. Joseph Tony Ogah, wanted for defrauding the Federal Government of N36.2 million. Ogah, an indigene of Idah, Kogi State, was part of a crime syndicate that defrauded the Federal Ministry of Environment. Preliminary findings by ICPC revealed that the syndicate used a company called Soft Alliance Disco, Limited to pay huge salary arrears totaling N36, 194, 636.00 to fictitious staff on the payment platform of the Ministry of Environment. Ogah, 38 years old, allegedly, in connivance with the others perpetrated and benefited from the fraud as N9.4 million was paid into his account with the United Bank for Africa (UBA). A statement of accounts obtained from UBA revealed that the money was drawn from the Ministry of Environment and paid into the account (1006521816) belonging to Ogah...

The man shared a photo of himself at a Nigerian airport and wrote that he was waiting for a flight back to 'India from Lagos International Airport, Nigeria'. When a friend asked him to bring something special back for him, the man's answer was - well, see it for yourself after the cut...

The Anti-Kidnap Squad of the Rivers state Police Command have arrested a 3-man kidnap syndicate that specializes in kidnapping people and hiding them at their hideout at Aku on the East/West Road in Rivers state. A statement from the police say a team of the anti-kidnap squad stormed the kidnappers den in the early hours of today September 8th following a tip off.The kidnappers were arrested after a raid and two locally made short guns were recovered from the suspects. Also one of their victims, a man who was kidnapped on September 5th was rescued. The police say operations to safely rescue all persons being held against their will by criminal elements within the State are continuing.

Embattled Minnesota dentist Walter Palmer returned to work today for the first time since being identified as the hunter who killed a treasured lion in Zimbabwe in early July, pictured center and right. Palmer's practice, River Bluff Dental in Bloomington, officially reopened August 17, but the controversial doctor was nowhere to be found.  However, after more than a month of laying low, the dentist announced his plans to return. 'I'm a health professional,' the 55-year-old said. 'I need to get back to my staff an my patients, and they want me back. That's why I'm back.'  Police in Bloomington said they plan to keep tabs on Palmer's office in case there are any disturbances, but no officers will be dispatched to provide protection. Palmer's killing of Cecil the lion, pictured inset, sparked a global backlash and made him the target of protests and threats which continued at the practice today, left.

The construction of a new World Trade Center is nearing completion in Nigeria' capital city, AbujaThe complex will offer business, residential and commercial spaces and will be the first of its kind in West Africa. (CNN)Nigeria's capital city of Abuja is about to get a new heart: a brand new World Trade Center complex .The development is expected to open to the public early next year after the completion of the first phase of construction. It will join a network of 323 locations in 89 countries, started in 1970 with the inauguration of the first World Trade Center in New York City. Funded by local and foreign financial institutions, as well as private investors, to the tune of 200 billion Nigerian Naira, or just over $1 billion, the WTC Abuja will be the largest mixed-use development in West Africa.

Some Nigerians on twitter feel Lagos state governor, Akinwunmi Ambode hasn't performed to expectation in his first 100 days in office. Maybe we should give him more time? See some tweets after the cut...

The Coalition of Civil Societies for the Emancipation of Edo State, CCSE, has called on Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State to take the path of honour and apologise to Nigerians for misleading and misinforming them over his alleged statement that N140 billion had been expended on consultancy services for the 2nd Niger Bridge project and that $700 million was surreptitiously moved from the Sovereign Wealth Fund, SWF, for the same bridge. This is coming on the heels of the Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority, NSIA’s, declaration, that it had only spent about N14 billion on the project and that the money include N10 billion as part of the N18.3 billion so far released by the Federal Government for the project, which had been disbursed for early construction work on the bridge. NSIA also said that about $2.2 million only had been spent as consultancy on the project, including feasibility studies, legal due diligence, environmental impact assessment, traffic studies, ...

The new Assistant Inspector General of Police in charge of Zone 2, Onikan, Lagos State, Bala Hassan, has warned that Divisional Police Officers and Area Commanders who do not pick their calls may be sacked. Speaking to journalists on Monday in his office, Hassan said the phone numbers of senior police officers should be available to members of the public so they could reach them on time in case they wanted to report crime or give information. “A DPO who doesn’t pick his calls is not fit to be in that position,” he said. “All my Commissioners of Police, in Lagos and Ogun States, including DPOs and Area Commanders, should make their phones open to members of the public. They must always pick their calls.

The governor of President Muhammadu Buhari’s home State, Katsina, Aminu Masari, lied to the president to get more than N11 billion bailout supposedly to pay workers’ salary arrears, PREMIUM TIMES can authoritatively report today. Feigning insolvency, Katsina State applied as one of the 27 states in need of bailout from the Federal Government to pay workers owed salaries for months. In a letter to the speaker of the state’s House of Assembly, titled: “Bailout on Outstanding Salary for Workers of the State and Local Governments” with number S/SGKT/154/3 dated August 26, 2015, Mr. Masari said when he took office on May 29, his government inherited two months outstanding salary of workers of the state and local government from the previous Ibrahim Shema administration. “I would like to request for the Honourable House’s consent for the State government to collaborate with the Central Bank of Nigeria for a Bail Out of outstanding workers’ salary in the State and Local ...

30-year-old Lorraine Kekana was made to listen to the cries of her four dying children who had just had their throats slit, allegedly by their father, IOL news reports. Minutes before, her husband had allegedly phoned her to ask whether she had any final words for her children before they died. The four boys, aged 13, 10, 6 and 4, were killed on Sunday morning Sept 6th at their home in Moletlane village in Limpopo’s Zebediela area South Africa.Two of the boys were killed inside the sitting room and the other two in their bedroom. Sitting hundreds of kilometres away in Pretoria, Kekana dropped the phone in shock. Her husband can’t be named until he appears in court. On Monday, Kekana couldn’t hold back the tears as she recalled the gruesome murder of her four boys. Moments after the phone call, Kekana phoned her neighbour and asked her to find out what had happened. "I phoned her back and she said all the children had died,” said the grieving mother. Again she...

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has apologised to the Commissioner of Police Zakari Biu, for mentioning his case on a Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) Programme "Good Morning Nigeria." A statement on Monday by PDP national publicity secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh, said the party mentioned in passing, the issue of the reinstatement of Mr. Zakari Biu, while discussing the sensitivity and feelings of Nigerians on the war against insurgency on the programme. "The comment is highly regretted, especially as we are now very much aware that Mr. Zaraki Biu’s exoneration and reinstatement were done in line with extant laws of the country, and is beyond any irregularity.

This is Omar Jabang. At 23, he is Gambia's youngest Magistrate. Omar was appointed First Class Magistrate in February 2014, shortly after obtaining a degree at the University of The Gambia.

25 year old woman identified as Amina Usman reportedly gave birth to 'slippers' at the Azare General Hospital in Katagum local government area of Bauchi state on August 30th. According to a report by NTA, Amina was taken to the hospital after she complained of abdominal pains. When they got to the hospital, they met with the Principal Nursing Officer, Ahmed Yeru who after observation said nothing was wrong with her...

In a surprising twist of events, the British man and his wife who claimed their baby born in El Salvador was swapped at birth  and sold to traffickers were last night reunited with their lost son.  Investigators tracked down the child by ordering other new mothers to have their babies DNA tested. The parents of four other boys who were also born on the same day, May 21, had last week brought their babies to be DNA tested last week after an order was issued by the country's Prosecutor General's Office, which had taken over the investigation. The baby whose tests were last to be processed proved to be the couple's real child. Speaking last night, Prosecutor General Luis Martinez said that the babies of two couples had been mixed up and that each would be returned to their rightful parents at a special court hearing with the presence of a judge.  The family's lawyer, Fernando Meneses, said that the case "apparently" seemed to be an accidental...

An Iraqi woman has reportedly killed an Islamic State (Isis) militant commander Abu Anas. She allegedly killed Anas three months after he forced her to marry his militant comrades. Saeed Mamouzini, spokesman for the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) in Mosul, told the al-Sumaria TV network that the woman killed the terrorist, known as Abu Anas, in Tal Roman district, west of the IS-held city of Mosul. The report comes two days after IS militants brought non-Iraqi women to Mosul as sex slaves, following an order by Ibrahim al-Samarrai (aka Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi), the regional IS leader.

The youth wing of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, are demanding an apology from lawyer, Festus Keyamo, over his comments on Buhari's appointments. Keyamo had defended the appointment, saying those who are criticizing the president have selfish agenda and are just making noise. Responding, the socio-political group said Keyamo attacked the Ndigbo because he's 'a desperate political sycophant who sees insulting the Ndigbo as the fastest way to get the attention of Buhari for consideration for a political appointment.”

The article is by former presidential aide, Reno Omokri. Read below... Recently there was a big uproar about the appointments made by President Buhari. I disagreed with those who complained that the President's appointment were lopsided. Appointments should not be made on the basis of ethnicity, region or religion. Appointments should be made strictly on merit! As far as I am concerned, the President can appoint all his appointees from the same state as long as they are the best Nigeria has to offer. In 2013, Nigeria won the Africa Cup of Nations. That victory was only possible because we selected our best players.  A large proportion of the squad were from the Southeast and Southsouth including Vincent Enyeama, Austin Ejide, Chigozie Agbim, Joseph Yobo, Elderson Echiejile, Kenneth Omuero, Efe Ambrose, Azubuike Egwuekwe, Godfrey Oboabona,  Mikel Obi, Reuben Gabriel, Nosa Igiebor, Obiora Nwankwo, Brown Ideye, Ogenyi Onazi, while Ejike Uzoenyi, Victor Moses, Ikechu...

A tenant, identified simply as Abdullahi, has been arrested for allegedly killing his landlady, Raliat Olasupo, in the Ibafo area of the state.  According to Punch,   Abdullahi slaughtered the 85-year-old landlady with a knife during an altercation over N9,000, said to be an amount the landlady was supposed to pay Abdullahi for a service rendered. Our correspondent learnt that the service was the roofing of one of the rooms in the house, which Abdullahi reportedly coordinated and demanded N9,000 from the landlady. It was gathered that Olasupo, popularly called Iya Ibadan, had accused Abdullahi of being a trouble maker, and had got the police to arrest the tenant and eject him from the house. However, on Friday, Abdullahi allegedly sneaked into her landlady’s room at about 8pm, and slaughtered her with a knife.It was learnt that other tenants and neighbours later found the woman in a pool of blood. A tenant, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said A...

An 11 month old  baby boy died after his family left him in a scorching hot car after returning home from church. Jaxon Taylor was left inside the vehicle for more than two hours as temperatures reached 78C on Saturday. The boy's family - including his grandparents, aunt and another grandchild, returned home from church in Georgia around 3pm. No one remembered to take Jaxon inside the house. The family only realised the devastating mistake when the baby's mother, Mandie Hendershot, who works overnight as a nurse, woke at 5.30pm and asked for her son. "It appears that there were other things on their mind," Walker County Sheriff Steve Wilson Wilson told CNN. "There was a lack of communication within the three adults. They assumed that one of the others had brought in the child and laid him down. They didn't communicate who would get the child."

Following high expectations of his first outing at the Nigeria-Tanzania match which ended goalless this past weekend, newly appointed Coach of the Super Eagles  Sunday  Oliseh says he is not a magician and that patience will be needed to achieve the desired results from the Super Eagles. He said this at a press conference at Hotel Presidential, Port Harcourt ahead of  Tuesday’s  friendly with the Mena of Niger Republic.

A robbery suspect, Mr. Danie Usman, confessed that he stole a Hyundai jeep belonging to his boss, simply identified as Xans, to punish him for cheating him.The suspect had confessed to removing the vehicle from the company yard at Ado-Ekiti and was enroute to Abuja to sell it when he was apprehended. The CP said,  “Usman said he was forced into the crime to punish Xans who was the site manager of the company. “He said Xans, who is his direct supervisor, had used him many times to allegedly commit several crime of cheating the company of its money and resources.

A 12-year-old girl (name withheld) has contracted the dreaded HIV/AIDS disease after she was allegedly raped by her 25 year old step brother, Abdullahi Mohammed and his friends at her father's house in Jahi district in Abuja. According to  Daily Trust , the girl's father and mother separated and the father married another woman who already had a son from a previous relationship. Narrating what happened, the girl said her step brother started raping her when she was 8 years old and each time he raped her, he would threaten to kill her if she told their father.   “My father married my step mother who has a son. We were living peacefully until one night when I was lying on the floor and Brother Abdullahi came and started fondling my breasts. When he didn’t see breasts, he said he would suck them until they came out. When I objected, he raped me. He used a handkerchief to wipe off the blood that was coming out from my private part. He threatened to slash my th...

The Nigeria Immigration Service has begun the withdrawal of diplomatic passports from former government officials including former governors, former Senators and House of Reps members, former Ministers and commissioners, former special advisers/special assistants, former chairmen/deputy chairmen of local government areas, all retired heads of parastatals and retired public servants.

This is the moment a devastated mum confronted the El Salvador doctor suspected to have swapped her new born child for a darker skinned baby after s he gave birth at his hospital in May, as he was being led away by police men. (Read previous story  here ). Mercedes Casanellas screamed 'where is my son' as the doctor, Alejandro Guidos was being led away in court. Mercedes  tried to tear covering from his face before collapsing in tears, asking the government to help her locate her children, who may have been sold by people traffickers.

An Ado-Ekiti customary court, yesterday, dissolved the 26-year marriage between a bricklayer, James Kayode Oguntuase, 75 and his wife, Felicia, 53, over sexual deprivation. Oguntuase accused Felicia of denying him sex, adultery, stealing and stubbornness, allegations which she denied.The petitioner told the court that he had caught his wife with 3 different men and that she had aborted three pregnancies for her lovers. He also accused also alleged that his estranged wife stealing N35,000, the money he had saved for the purchase of carpentry materials. He asked the court for the custody of their 6 children,Caroline, 25; Peter, 23; Akin, 18; Ife, 15; Rachel, 12; and Tolulope, 6 stating that he'd be responsible for their upkeep and everything else.   However, the wife, in her response, said she denied the petitioner sex on grounds of ill-health, and also denied the allegations of adultery and stealing. She urged the court not to dissolve the union.

Today, the Senate will begin an inquest into alleged mismanagement of funds appropriated to the power sector from the Olusegun Obasanjo civilian administration to date. In a statement by the Clerk of Senate ad hoc Committee on Power, Cletus Ojabo, yesterday, the power sector probe will be in the form of investigative hearing/interactive session. According to Ojabo,  the investigation would centre on funds appropriated for the power sector since 1999 and the unbundling of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria, PHCN. He said: “ It is expected that all those who played key roles in the power sector since 1999, including ministers and heads of government departments and parastatals, will appear before the panel.” It will be recalled that Senate President, Bukola Saraki, had last month announced a  13-man ad hoc committee to carry out a holistic investigation into the management of funds appropriated to the power sector from the Olusegun Obasanjo civilian admini...

An offshore oil worker working with one of the oil companies in Delta state died unexpectedly after lodging with two women at Beji's court in Ugborikoko area of Warri in Delta state on September 5th. According to police report, the man arrived the hotel in company of two women but was later found unresponsive in his room by one of the hotel cleaners. The two ladies were no where in sight.