Gist Arena

The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development – Chief Audu Ogbeh has assured Nigerian farmers that there would be no mandatory fees for protecting them and their farms under the Civil Defence Corps special force unit being planned in conjunction with the Ministry of Internal Affairs. He gave the assurance today while reacting to a news report published in a daily newspaper and circulated in the social media alleging that he said Nigerian farmers would be made to pay fees to be protected under the scheme. The claims, which have generated huge controversies, were drawn from a media report after the Honourable Minister’s media interview at the State House, following the endorsement of the Road map of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Green Alternative. The Minister wishes to reassure Nigerian farmers that no security fees will be imposed on them, and that the government will continue to protect and support them with relevant i...

The Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, has replied former Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Obong Victor Attah on his alleged comment that Biafra is for Igbo alone, asking him to explain who Philip Effiong was if Biafra is just for Igbo. IPOB in a statement signed by its spokeman, Dr Clifford Iroanya and Mr. Emma Mmezu, titled “Obong Victor Attah who is Philip Effiong if Biafra is for Igbo alone,” regretted that “some elders in Biafra land have become the most clueless people in the world and it rings more true for people who are supposedly seen as educated like the former governor of Akwa Ibom State, Obong Victor Attah who last week made an objection against the statement made by the President Muhammadu Buhari that Nigeria’s unity is not negotiable. “While we generally applauded Obong Attah on his response to President Buhari that the unity of Nigeria is negotiable, we regrettably read few days later the same man blabbing and saying Biafra is for the Igbo alone. So, we be...

The Senate has passed the Repeal and Re-enactment Bill of 1955 Nigerian Railway Corporation Act. After a clause by clause consideration of the report of the Senate Committee on Land Transport, the bill passed its third reading. This is the first amendment of the bill in over 50 years. Addressing journalists at a briefing, the Chairman of the Committee, Senator Olugbenga Ashafa, said that the bill has separated the regulator from the operators. Senator Ashafa added that with the passing of the bill, Nigerians should expect a radical change in the sector.

Media reports in Germany have cited local police saying that several people have been injured and six people feared dead as a gunman went on rampage in the Olympia shopping center in Munich, southern Germany Friday evening. The assailant entered the shopping mall and randomly opened fire on people in a cafe located at the centre. Then the shooter left the mall and headed towards a railway, German BR24 news reports, adding that the shooter is apparently still on the run The "Süddeutsche Zeitung" newspaper said it received confirmation of the incident from the police. Police have responded with a major operation surrounding the area. Workers at the shopping center have told the paper that they could not leave the shops. Underground train services have also been suspended. A helicopter has been filmed hovering overhead. According to AP, one person has been killed and 10 injured.

Singer Flavour shared this video on his IG page of him shaking his waist seductively. Watch the video below #oneafricamusicfest #ijele #nyc🗽 A video posted by Flavour N'abania (@2niteflavour) on Jul 22, 2016 at 8:35am PDT

A former Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Nuhu Ribadu, on Friday returned to the All Progressives Congress. Mr. Ribadu said in a statement he posted on his Facebook page that he rejoined the party online on Friday, and then hosted officials of the party from his Bako Ward in Yola South Local Government Area of Adamawa State. Then on Friday, he visited the Yola South secretariat of the APC to present himself to the party. He had left the party for the Peoples Democratic Party in 2014. Mr. Ribadu, a former presidential candidate of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria, explained that his return to the APC was triggered by his belief that all politics were local and that almost everyone around him who started politics with him believed the time had come for them to make sacrifices and concession. He said, “My decision to return to the APC was triggered by my belief that all politics are local. Almost everyone around me, and with whom we...

A Kenyan pastor was yesterday, Thursday, July 21, convicted of stabbing and strangling his former lover to death after she threatened to expose their affair. Paul Ng'ang'a of Well of Faith church in Kawagrare was found guilty by a High Court judge... The judge said circumstantial evidence showed Ng'ang'a stabbed Caroline Chajira several times in her face, strangled her using a wire and hit her on the head with a metal bar. The attack led to Chajira's death on March 9, 2012. Lessit said the nature of the attack showed the pastor intended to kill the woman. Ng'ang'a will be sentenced on Monday, July 25.

The Comptroller General of Customs, Hamid Ali, a well known ally of President Muhammadu Buhari, was spotted on Tuesday flying first class on British Airways flight from London to Abuja, in clear violation of President Muhammadu Buhari’s directive banning public officials from flying first class. The BA flight BA83 which took off from Gate 43 of Heathrow Terminal 5, London, on Tuesday, nearly an hour behind its scheduled 10.43pm departure time, arrived the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, on Wednesday morning at about 5a.m, with Mr. Ali on board. The reasons for Mr. Ali’s travel to London remained unknown as at the time of publishing this report, but customs insiders said the trip was official. Several passengers on the flight told PREMIUM TIMES they saw Mr. Ali seated in the First Class compartment of the aircraft during the flight. “It was a major talking point among some passengers whether the policy (barring public officials from flying first class) is bein...

Operatives of the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS Delta), Warri, Delta State have arrested and paraded suspected members of the Niger Delta Avengers. The Commander, NNS DELTA, Commodore Joseph Dzunve, while parading the suspects, gave their names as Felix Ibiador and Prince David. They were arrested on July 10th with new 11 motor batteries and electric cables allegedly used for bombing oil and gas pipelines in the state. “They are suspected members of the Niger Delta Avengers. Ibiador was the supplier of the equipment used for the bombing of oil pipelines. David was the mechanic who repairs their boats which they use in conveying these materials whenever they run into problems. Further investigations would be handled by the appropriate quarters who will review the extent to which they partook in criminal activities in the region” Commodore Dzunve said. During interrogated, both men denied claims they were members of the militant group. When asked why they were in possessi...

Governour Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State today was at FRESH 105.9FM Ibadan, where he spoke on several issues bothering on the state of the nation. Speaking today in the studio of fresh FM, Fayose set the record straight by making some remarks. Gov Fayose said that Ekiti State will be in economic bondage until 2036 because of debts collected by former Governor Kayode Fayemi, so his hands are tied" The opposition party have been accusing APC, the ruling party for blaming that past Government, mean while a sitting Governor is also blaming the past governor for putting the state in huge debt, and saying his hands are tied. As a Governor, is he not suppose to move ahead and proffer solutions on how to govern his state, without blaming the past governor?  Among what he said are as follows, "Tope Aluko is not my friend. I didn't collect money for election from anybody. Aisha Buhari is as guilty as me on corrupt charges. Nobody can win any battle agains...

In a speech termed offensive to Americans, Donald Trump on Thursday implied that Hillary Clinton was responsible for ISIS' growth claiming that pre-2009 before she became Secretary of State and head of America's Foreign policy, feared terrorist group ISIS wasn't 'even on the map'. Trump also implied that Clinton helped spawn the different crises happening in the Middle East. "In 2009 - pre-Hillary - ISIS was not even on the map," Trump said during the fourth day of the Republican National Convention on Thursday at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. "Libya was stable, Egypt was peaceful, Iraq was seeing a really, a big big reduction of violence. Iran was being choked by sanctions, Syria was somewhat under control - after years of Hillary Clinton, what do we have?"  "ISIS has spread across the region, Libya is in ruins - and our ambassador and his staff  were left helpless to die at the h...

Twin sisters, Jessica and Jessilove Oduro were laid to rest yesterday, Thursday July 21 at Asafo NA, Kumasi, Ghana. According to the Facebook user who shared the obituary, a night before their tragic death, the two young girls decided to spray their room with insecticide spray in order to kill insects like mosquitoes and the rest. They were found unconscious on their beds the following morning, and were immediately rushed to the hospital but was unfortunately pronounced dead. May their souls rest in peace.

Speaking to state house correspondents at the end of the National Economic Council, NEC, yesterday July 21st, the Minister of Budget and National Planning, Udoma Udo Udoma, said that the economy is presently in a bad shape but would start to pick up as from the third quarter. He confirmed Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun's comment at the senate briefing yesterday that Nigeria is technically in recession. “Recession is basically when you have two quarters of negative growth. We had a first quarter of negative growth and we are still waiting to get all the figures for the second quarter, which has just ended in June. The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) will be giving us all the figures but if as we suspect the second quarter is also negative, then of course technically you could say that we are in recession if those figures turned out to be so. But even if we are not, the situation in the economy right now is one that, of course, we are addressi...

This story trended in Nigeria yesterday but I didn't pay it much mind until the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA reacted to it. Here's what happened. A girl named Madonna Djebah @6fthobbit (pictured left) & Uduak @uduakisbae (pictured right) dragged themselves on Twitter over a Stolen mifi and revealed their secrets which range from Drugs (Cocaine & weed) addiction to Lesbianism. It gets more interesting below.. First of all, Madonna accussed Uduak of coming to her home and stealing from her. She said Uduak stole her mifi, (Moblie wifi), money and makeup belonging to her friend. Madonna revealed when she confronted Uduak via phone, she went on to Twitter to indirectly insult her. Hence she had no choice but to publicly call her out and disgrace her. Uduak responded and admitted to taking the wifi. She said she wanted to get an hotel but Madonna was the one who invited her over. Uduak then threatened Madonna, saying 'You are a big girl but yo...