Gist Arena

President Buhari, has approved the composition of the governing boards of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) as follows: A. NIGERIAN PORTS AUTHORITY (NPA) (i) Emmanuel Olajide Adesoye​​​-​Chairman (ii) SupoShasore​​​​​-​Member (iii) Suleiman Ibrahim Halilu​​​-​Member (iiii) Constance Harry Mashal​​​-​Member (v) Umar Shu’aibu​​​​​-​Member (vi) Charles Efe Emukowhate Sylvester​-​Member (vii) Hadiza BalaUsman​​​​-​Member (viii) Mohammed Bello Koko​​​-​Member (ix) Dr. Sekonte Davis​​​​-​Member (x) Professor Idris Abubakar​​​-​Member (xi) Mrs. I. J. Uche-Okoro ​​​​-​Member B.  NIGERIAN MARITIME ADMINISTRATION AND SAFETY AGENCY (NIMASA) (i) Major General Jonathan India Garba -​ Chairman (ii) Asekomhe Oaakhia Kenneth​​-​Member (iii) Mohammed Gidado Muazu​​-​Member (iiii) Hon. Barrister Ebele Obi​​​-​Member (v) S. U. Galadanchi​​​​-​Member (vi) Ms Nene Betty Dike​​​-​Member (vii) Dakuku Pete...

The Enugu State Police Command in its resolve towards unmasking those behind the dastardly act perpetrated at Ndiagu Attakwu community of Akegbeugwu in Nkanu West Local Government Area of Enugu state in the early hours of 25/8/16 which left one person dead and four others critically injured, have nabbed a suspect identified as one Umaru Isah from Gusau Zamfara state on 25/8/16 over his alleged involvement in the incident. His arrest came through intelligence information gathered. According to the statement released by the command today, August 25th, the suspect who claimed that he is 20 years old revealed that he came in from Gusau Zamfara state to Enugu recently for the purposes of rearing cattle but has none to rear till now. Meanwhile investigations have commenced in full scale into his alleged nefarious activities and with a view to unmasking his gang members so that they can be brought to book. The state commissioner of police Emmanuel Ojukwu h...

Professor Charles Soludo,  on Thursday  in Kaduna State, took the Muhammadu Buhari-led All Progressives Congress (APC) government, to the cleaners detailing what the government must do to take Nigeria to a progressive change. Soludo spoke as a guest lecturer at Kaduna Progressive Governance lecture series with the theme: “Building the economy and developing inclusive sustainable growth.”  Here are the 16 hard truths Soludo told APC governors with Vice President Yemi Osinbajo in attendance.  Read More

Yahaya Bello, governor of Kogi state, was on Friday stoned after Juma’at service at Central Mosque, Old Market, Lokoja. Confirming the incident to TheCable, a witness who observed the prayers in the same mosque as the governor, said the angry residents claimed that the governor had not paid them their salaries but was spending state funds on celebrations. “The boys said he (Bello) had not paid their salaries, yet he is busy spending state money on Kogi at 25 celebrations,” the witness, who did not want to be named, said. “Part of their grievances were tied to the forthcoming ‘Big Sallah’ People have no money to celebrate, and the governor and his boys are all over the place shouting Kogi at 25.” Another resident, who works as a driver, said the state is economically challenged and the people are very angry. He said business, even for drivers, had gone down, adding that the people took out the anger on him because he delayed Juma’at prayers at the ce...

The Niger Delta monarch with Minister of Petroleum, Kachikwu In a joint text that was signed by the monarchs and read at the headquarters of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) in Abuja by the Bolowei of Gbaramatu Kingdom, Chief Wellington Okirika, the traditional rulers listed out six items which the Federal Government should do in order to build confidence and stop the destruction of the country’s oil assets by militants in the region. According to a report by Punch, among the six items, the monarchs demanded; 1. The return of a golden sword taken from Gbaramatu kingdom by Nigerian troops 2. The opening of maritime university 3. The release of 10 youths arrested during a raid on Oporoza community and cessation of hostilities by the military They added that peace and confidence of the people would return if these demands and others stated below are met by the federal government. They said,  “Having acceded to the call for a cea...

Governor Ben Ayade of Cross River yesterday said although he is a PDP member, he is in love with the style and ability of President Buhari. “I am in love with the style and ability of President Muhammadu Buhari as leader of Nigerians. He does not see himself as a party leader but as father of the country. His efforts at streamlining the country’s resources, as well as tackling corruption drew me closer to him. Besides, he has shown me love even though I am of the PDP. He gives utmost and prompt attention to my requests”he said.

Islamic State just released a horrible video showing three gruesome execution scenes in Raqqa, Syria. The video shows five ISIS children executing 5 Kurdish prisoners. The children are reportedly from Egypt, Britain, Tunis, Uzbekistan, and a Kurd. One of the prisoner is even a child himself.  Photo credit: Jenan Moussa

A Leader of a notorious kidnapping and robbery gang terrorizing Oghara community, in Ethiope West LGA of Delta state, lost his life through Jungle Justice on Wednesday August 24th. Identified as Onos Okeribo, he was reportedly lynched by angry residents of the community following his arrest by members of a vigilante group. Okeribo and some others, who were arrested by the Police, led the criminal gang responsible for kidnappings, armed robberies, pipeline vandalism and other crimes. See the graphic photos below..

20 foreign shipping companies operating in Nigeria have reportedly left the country, leaving over 3000 of their staff unemployed. According to the President of the Dockworkers Union of Nigeria (DUN), Anthony Emmanuel Nted, the Federal government's importation policy is largely responsible for the closure of some of the shipping businesses. The Federal government have put a ban on the importation of some commodities as part of efforts to revive the economy. “The current government policy on importation though with the best intention seems to be wreaking more havoc on the economy and ought to be reviewed urgently” he told Guardian He urged the Federal Government to review the ban on the importation of rice, wheat, vehicle spare parts and industrial machinery until the nation is able to produce for local consumption. Nted added that the failure to do this would encourage smuggling, diversion of ships to neighboring countries, idle ports, retrenchment of wo...

President Muhammadu Buhari media aide, Garba Shehu has explained that Nigeria's number one citizen isn't concerned or behind the arrest of a trader, Joe Chinakwe, who was accused of attempting to cause a breach of public peace for naming his dog "Buhari" in Ogun State. His message was delivered yesterday via microblogging site, Twitter, to the general public. See screenshots below:

Enugu state commissioner of police, Emmanuel Ojukwu has urged members of the Ndiagu Attakwu community of Akegbe ugwu in Nkanu West Local Government Area of Enugu state to be calm just as he sympathized with family of the victims as well as the entire community over the attack by suspected herdsmen in the early hours of yesterday Thursday, August 25th which at least 3 persons dead and four others critically injured.  The commissioner of police made the appeal when he visited the family and the community to have on the spot assessment of the incident and to commiserate with the family and the community and urging them not to panic as the state command in partnership with the relevant stake holders and the state Government have stepped into the incident.  Security made up of personnel of Anti Riot Police men, counter Terrorism unit as well as operatives of the Homicide section of the State criminal and investigation Department Enugu have ...

President Muhammadu Buhari has not come to terms with the economic realities of the day, as he has failed to combat economic challenges confronting the nation.  This was the assertion of the former Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Governor, Professor Charles Soludo, who said the President’s economic policies, since he took over last year, were still based on campaign promises. Soludo spoke, Thursday, in Kaduna at the Progressive Governors Forum’s 4th Progressive Governance Lecture series with the theme Building the Economy of States: Challenges of Developing Inclusively-Sustainable Growth. According to him, the country was dealing with political, economic and social shocks.  He said: “Nigeria is facing unprecedented and tremendous political and economical challenges with global and local dynamics. He said: “Nigeria is facing unprecedented and tremendous political and economical challenges with global and local dynamics. “Regardless of the...

Illustrative photo The he National Secretariat of the the Isoko Development Union (IDU), has reportedly been bombed earlier today by suspected youths from the area.  According to a shocking report by Vanguard , tension has heightened at Oleh, the headquarters of Isoko South Local Government Area, Delta State on Friday, following the bombing. It was learnt that the youths, who had earlier invaded the secretariat on 13 August, 2016, blew up the building at about 4:00am this morning, destroying the entire structure.  This is a developing story, we'll be bringing you more details soon...

Donald Trump went on Twitter on Thursday night to lash out at Hillary Clinton, labeling her a liar and also promised to help fix the African- American community. He needs to fix his mouth first before he can fix anything else. See more tweets below...

A middle-aged woman was paraded in the streets of the suburban setting for stealing Ksh.5, 000 from a Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB) customer on Thursday, August 25 in Ruiru town, Kenya. The suspect was taken round the town with a placard written: "I am a thief. Mimi ni mwizi." hung on her neck. According to eDaily Kenya, the suspect was caught on closed-circuit television (CCTV) stealing Ksh.5, 000 from a lady’s bag when the client had gone to fill deposit slips a few metres away.  KCB Ruiru branch operations manager Moses Mwanza, who confirmed the incident said the woman has been arrested and she is being held at Ruiru Police Station. CCTV footage further showed the suspect was part of a three-member female gang. The other two managed to escape and authorities are on a manhunt for them.

Fulani herdsmen who graze their cattle in areas that are not designated for grazing will soon be sent to jail for six months without an option of fine. This is according to a new bill titled 'Prohibition of Cattle and Other Ruminants Grazing in Ekiti, 2016' that was passed by the Ekiti state House of Assembly on Tuesday. The legislatures at their plenary unanimously passed the law. The bill presently awaits the accent of the state governor, Ayo Fayose. Speaker of the House, Kola Oluwawole, while speaking on the proposed law said; “If the bill is eventually accented to by the governor, it will now become crime for any cattle, sheep and goat to graze on undesignated land for ranches in Ekiti". Part of the new bill reads ″Anyone found violating the bill upon conviction shall be sentenced to six months in prison without option of fine. The Governor shall by an order designates land in each of 16 Local Government Areas in the state in re...

Read the statement below... The attention of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Foreign Affairs and Diaspora, Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa has been drawn to an old CBC video circulating on social media creating an impression that Nigerians in Canada go through hell in securing a new Nigerian Passport. This is not true. Watch the Video HERE The video in circulation was broadcast on CBC in 2013 and the High Commissioner to Canada at the time, the late Amb. Ojo Maduekwe diligently dealt with the issue then to strengthen the structure of the Passport Section of the Nigeria High Commission, in Ottawa, making it possible to obtain passports in less than a day in Ottawa. The lady who was at the helm of affairs in Immigration section at the time was asked to leave Ottawa. Not only that, the late Ojo Maduekwe granted interviews to put into perspective what happened and promised Nigerians then that it would never happen again. And it never did. It must be ...

I just arrived the United States of America from the United Kingdom and trying to locate where I kept my keys and later see how I can get some rest after the long trip. Everything sorted out, refreshed, I have to relax on the internet to keep myself abreast of the goings on in the world, especially my dear country, Nigeria, before delving into the few concerns that took me out of Nigeria. I dare say with the advent of the social media, take it or leave it; it has in a way given credence to democracy in the country to continue to flourish beyond imagination; now people can express themselves, either on personal matters or matters that affect them through policies of the government. And there can be no better times than this when the country is grappling with recession and the government is doing everything round the clock to bring the economy right on track and begin to bring back that lost smiles and hope on the faces of dejected, and atimes, disappointed and frustrated Nigerian...

22-year-old Oweniwe Chukwudi (pictured) who has been arrested in connection with the murder of his girlfriend, Adeyeye Nifemi, says he killed her for the fun of it and not for rituals as being speculated. Chukwudi, who is a National Diploma student of the Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo, Ondo State, denied removing body parts of the deceased after he murdered her. “I did not remove any part of her body; I only killed her for the fun of it. I made love with her in the bush before killing her. I am not a cultist. It was when I killed her that I realised I made a big mistake and I wept bitterly”he said when interrogated Ondo state commissioner of Police, Hilda Harrison, who paraded the suspect, said investigations carried out so far shows that Chukwudi whose parents are cassava farmers in Ogbese area of the state, had tricked his girlfriend to Ayede Ogbese, about 10 to 15 kilometres away from their campus where he stabbed her. He left her in the bush, thinking she...

Suspected Fulani herdsmen attacked Akagwe Ugwu community in Nkanu West Local Government Area Enugu State on Thursday morning, killing a Catholic Seminarian and wounding several others. According to Eneh Victor Chigozie, who shared the photo, the Seminarian just returned from apostolic work. The armed herdsmen reportedly invaded the community and started shooting everyone in sight. "They have been taken to the hospital. The community is in disarray now. However report reaching us indicates that the youths of Akagwe Ugwu have quickly mobilised and are in hot chase of the herdsmen. They must be caught definitely. We also learnt that the Enugu state commissioner of Police has arrived the community. Gov Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi is too weak, he is still sleeping and snoring at the govt house. He must be Corrected come 2019"

Usain Bolt, Olympic champion and one of the greatest athletes ever, is simply not cooling down on his wild antics post-Rio 2016. The Jamaican sprint king had dinner with a large group of friends at Nobu restaurant on Wednesday night before heading to Libertine nightclub near Oxford Street, London and partied till 5 a.m before he asked a hired taxi to carry five girls to his hotel room. This comes after he was pictured partying in a Rio club, kissing and cuddling a Rio student in bed and partying on Tuesday night in London. More photos below.