Gist Arena

M inister of Women Affairs, Aisha Alhassan, has denied media reports claiming she linked Kaduna state governor, Nasir El-Rufai to the abduction of the Chibok school girls. An unknown source infiltrated social media this morning with news that the Minister who is currently under fire for her public declaration of support to ex-president Atiku Abubakar, had granted an interview where she allegedly said that the Kaduna state governor was one of those that masterminded the abduction of the school girls in April 2014.  Alhassan has released a statement distancing herself from the report. Read the statement released by her SA on Media and Publicity, Dantsoho Suleiman. 

E arlier today, a news report claimed that the Minister of Women Affairs, Aisha Alhassan, had accused the Kaduna state governor, Nasir El-Rufai, of being one of the masterminds of the abduction of Chibok school girls. She has since released a statement denying the report. Former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode FFK, went on his twitter page to react to the news and urged her to spill some more. Aisha has replied him, asking that he delete the tweets as it is demeaning of him, as a former minister to peddle false news. See their tweets below

T he Nigerian Army has denied media reports that some of its officers invaded the home of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu. According to a statement released by Major Oyegoke Gbadamosi, Assistant Director Army Public Relations 14 Brigade Nigerian Army, it was members of the secessionist group that attacked the troops. Read the statement below The attention of 14 Brigade Nigerian Army, has been drawn to fictitious news going round especially on the social media that troops have invaded the home of Nnamdi Kanu and killed 3 persons. This is far from the truth. Rather, it was a group of suspected IPOB militants that blocked the road against troops of 145 Battalion while on show of force along FMC-Word Bank Road in Umuahia town, Abia State at about 6.00-6.30pm, today. They insisted that the military vehicles would not pass and started pelting the soldiers with stones and broken bottles to the point of injuring an innocent female passerby and a s...

The Nigerian army on Sunday allegedly invaded the home of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, barely 24 hours after it announced the start of its second phase of Operation Python Dance II in the South-Eastern states. However, it was gathered that the military personnel, who stormed Kanu’s home with an armoured vehicle were resisted by some members of the pro-Biafra group. Some IPOB were reportedly shot in the process. According to the spokesman of IPOB, Emma Powerful, “The Hausa Fulani soldiers and Police Nigerian uniforms came to kill our leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu in his compound at Afaraukwu Umuahia and started shooting sporadically  Every effort made to obtain reaction from the Nigerian Army failed as the Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, 82 Division, Enugu, Colonel Sagir Musa did not pick all the calls put across to his mobile line. Earlier, the Igbo National Council (INC) gave the Chief of Army staff, Lieutenant Gener...

T he perceived supremacy battle between two charismatic Roman Catholic priests, Rev. Ejike Mbaka of the Adoration Ministry, Enugu, Nigeria, and Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Obinma of Adoration Ministry, Uke, Anambra State is far from over. The battle which now borders about the pro-Biafra agitation got messier on Sunday with a stern warning coming from Mbaka’s parishioners. Obinma, popularly known as ‘Ebube Muo Nso’ had reportedly fired the first salvo, accusing Mbaka of being fake and being less popular than Nnamdi Kanu of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB. He was quoted as saying “Nnamdi Kanu is more important to Igbos and more prophetic than Mbaka. “At least, he Nnamdi Kanu foresaw what is happening now while Mbaka was busy then campaigning for APC, now that APC has failed, Mbaka has not condemned the same APC partythat he campaigned for, let the will of God be done and let Mbaka go to rest.” The fiery Enugu priest, Mbaka has kept mute and refused to reply to an...

T he Presidential Fertilizer Initiative (PFI) will deliver 4 million bags of 50kg Nitrogen, Phosphorous and Potassium (NPK) fertilizer to farmers, at an affordable price, before the end of the year. Senior Special Assistant to the President (Media & Publicity), Mallam Garba Shehu disclosed this at the weekend on Hannu Ya Dawa, an audience participation programme on FRCN Kaduna. Also, the presidential aide said the 11 fertilizer blending plants in the country will be increased to 18 by the end of the year; which will, in turn, provide direct employment to no fewer than 50,000 Nigerians. Shehu said the projected delivery of the commodity (4 million bags of fertilizer) by December is in addition to the six million bags of 50kg fertilizers already sold to farmers since the Initiative commenced early this year. ‘‘The problem of the shortage of fertilizers and its attendant high cost plaguing the nation’s agricultural production, seemingly intractable for decades,...

T he Father of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu, Isaac Okwu Kanu, has alleged that the Federal Government has hatched out a plan to kill his son over his agitation for the creation of Biafra.  In a recent interview with The Sun, the older Kanu who is the traditional ruler of Afara Ukwu Ibeku in Umuahia North Local Government Area of Abia State, said plans by the Federal government to re-arrest his son would only bring more problems than solving any.  "When they talk of re-arresting him, it means they want to kill him, but God will not allow them because my son has done nothing wrong. I am using this opportunity to call on the United Nations to call the Nigerian government to order because they are planning to kill my son. My son did not do anything; government should go after those who have committed offence against Nigeria Re-arresting my son will definitely cause more problems for the country. Why would they re-arrest my son...

P resident Muhammadu Buhari may effect a cabinet reshuffle at Wednesday’s federal executive council meeting. The expected development would see some ministers booted out of the federal cabinet. This may not be unconnected with the recent declaration by the Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Senator Aisha Alhassan (Mama Taraba) that her loyalty lies with her “godfather” and former vice president, Atiku Abubakar. DAILY POST yesterday reported that Abubakar in his reaction backed the comments by Mama Taraba. Atiku, who recently said he was sidelined by the party after the 2015 general elections, said Alhassan’s declaration “couldn’t have been said any better”. Atiku insisted that the All Progressives Congress (APC) is a coalition and that appointees have the right to keep their allegiance with whosoever they please. Atiku, recently elevated to the Waziri of Adamawa, disclosed that even other Ministers in the cabinet have different views and o...

C hief Sylvester Debe Ojukwu, the eldest son of the late Biafran warlord, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu has revealed where leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu is going wrong. Ojukwu said although Kanu had every right to agitate for Biafra Republic, his utter disdain for people’s right was wrong. Speaking with Sun, Ojukwu noted that the renewed clamour for Biafra might not be unconnected with some inadequacies and misapplication of powers in the nation. On where Kanu is going wrong, Ojukwu said, “It’s the seeming disregard for the rights of others. If you agitate, fill up the roads, block the roads, you are impeding on peoples right of movement, you are trampling on the rights of others. I have always said that. “If you are protesting peacefully, you can go to the stadium, you can go to a public place, get a police permit to do that and then get the media houses to record you and expose it to the whole world for viewing.” Asked if K...