Alarming! DMO Puts Nigeria’s Debt at N8tn

 DMO Director-General, Dr Abraham Nwankwo

Barely 24 hours after the Minister of State for Finance, Dr Yarima Ngama, gave the debt profile of the country as N6 trillion, a new figure of N8.07 trillion, being the total foreign and domestic debts of the country as at 2011 emerged Thursday.

This was the outcome of the National Economic Council (NEC) meeting presided over by Vice-President Namadi Sambo.

Mark Blames Nigeria's Porous Border for Terrorists’ Influx

Senator David Mark

Senate President, David Mark,  Monday lamented the porous state of Nigeria’s borders, which he identified as a major boost for the influx of terrorists into the country.

Mark made this remark in Abuja while declaring open a public hearing on "A Bill for an Act to Amend the Border Development Agency (Establishment) Act 2013," organised by the joint Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters and States and Local Governments.

EXCLUSIVE: Police Arrest Grave Robbers, Human Parts Dealers in Lagos

The suspects with some of the human parts 

...Suspect sell siblings hands, heads and private parts N4,000, N8,000 and N10,000 respectively
By Chiemelie Ezeobi

To make ends meet, 40-year-old Agboola Kolawole, resorted to exhuming graves and selling the parts of the corpses to interested bidders. The shocker is that Kolawole chose the graves of none other than that of his deceased siblings and relatives.

According to police authorities, the suspects, Jamiu Adeleke, Ajibade Rafiu; the herbalist,  Fatai Akiwowo, Kazeem Sanni and Agboola Kolawole; the main supplier, had at different times sold human parts in Owode area of Ogun State.

Police Arrest 10 as OOU Students Protest

Olabisi Onabanjo University

Students of Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye in Ogun State, took to the streets Monday to protest the decision of the institution not to allow non-registered students to  participate in the harmattan examinations.

The protest, however, turned into confusion as the police fired tear gas to disperse the protesting students, while the Assistant Commissioner of Police in charge of Operations, Mr. Mohammed Abdulkadri, was appealing to the students.

Lagos Govt: We Are Still Consulting on Use of Hijab

Governor Babatunde Fashola

Lagos State Government yesterday denied banning the use of hijab in public schools, stating that the issue was still being looked into with a view to taking a broad-based stand on it.

The government’s clarification also came on the heels of the inauguration of a six-man panel of inquiry to look into the immediate and remote causes of the incidents of collapse buildings in the state, which had remained a recurring issue over the years.

‘7,000 Pension Cases Still Pending’

Alhaji Bukar Goni-Aji,  Head of the Civil Service of the Federation

The federal government  Monday disclosed that about 7,000 unresolved pension cases are still pending, while about 1,000 have been cleared, making it a total of 8,000 pension complaints, which was brought before it.

The Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (HoSCF), Alhaji Bukar Goni-Aji, disclosed this in Abuja, at the inauguration of the newly-constituted 25-man, Federal Civil Service Pension Complaints Resolution Committee.

Amnesty: FG Releases Detained Suspected Terrorists

President Goodluck Jonathan

President Goodluck Jonathan, in line with his promise to extend a reconciliation gesture towards peace in the Northern part of the country, has effected the release of some suspected terrorists who are detained in various prisons in Nigeria.

The Director of Defence Information (DDI), Brig-Gen. Chris Olukolade confirmed their release Tuesday in a statement, saying that it was in fulfilment of the request by the Presidential Committee on Dialogue and Reconciliation.

Achebe's Body Arrives Nigeria

Right – Left are Mr. Ikechukwu Achebe , son, Professor Mrs. Christie Achebe, wife, Engr. Austin Achebe, elder brother, Ify Adaeze Achebe, daughter and other members of the Achebe family who were at the airport. Photo: Hill Ezeugwu

The remains of the departed literary icon, Professor Chinua Achebe arrived Enugu at exactly 12.35pm today after it had first landed in Abuja.  According to Vanguard, A private aircraft belonging to Overland Nigeria marked 5N-BPE brought the dark brown casket wrapped with dark blue lace to the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu from Abuja.

Senate Okays State of Emergency

Senate President David Mark

In a unanimous decision devoid of a dissenting voice, the entire 100 senators present in Tuesday’s plenary in the Senate endorsed the state of emergency declared by President Goodluck Jonathan in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa States last week. Although only 72 senators constitute the two-third majority required to approve emergency rule, only nine of the entire 109 senators in Senate were absent at the plenary Tuesday.

Arik Air Hostesses Caught with £.6m Cocaine

Arik Air

Two Arik Air hostesses have been apprehended at the Heathrow Airport in London with six kilograms of cocaine with a street value worth about  £600,000. The two women, whose names were not disclosed, were arrested by UK Border officials on Monday night after their plane arrived from Lagos.

$1m Jewel Theft at Cannes Film Festival

Some stars walking on the red carpet at the Festival

More than $1m (£650,000; 777,000 euros) worth of jewels have been stolen 

from a hotel in Cannes, French police say. The jewels were to be loaned to 

celebrities who have arrived on the French Riviera for the famous annual film festival.

They were stolen from a safe in the Novotel Hotel room of an employee

of exclusive Swiss jewellers Chopard. Chopard is one of the official sponsors 

of the festival, which opened on Wednesday, reports the BBC.

Again, Obama Ignores Nigeria, Confirms Trip to Senegal, S’Africa, Tanzania

President Barack Obama

For the second time in his presidency, President Barack Obama and his wife Michele will be embarking on their second tour of Africa between June 26 and July 3, but will not visit Nigeria because of security concerns brought on by the Boko Haram insurgency in several states in the north. Instead, the US president and his wife will visit Senegal, South Africa and Tanzania, during their eight-day visit to the continent.

A statement issued by the Office of the Press Secretary of the White House Monday said: “President Obama and the First Lady look forward to traveling to Senegal, South Africa, and Tanzania from June 26 - July 3.

Nasarawa: Bodies of 25 Missing Policemen Found in Mass Grave

IGP, Mohammed Abubakar

The death toll of policemen killed by members of the Ombatse cult in Nasarawa State has climbed to 72 following the discovery of the bodies of 25 policemen that had been hitherto declared missing in a mass grave in an unnamed village in the state.

Security authorities had earlier confirmed 57 operatives, comprising 47 policemen and 10 agents of the State Security Service (SSS), killed in the attack that took place on May 7 when they were on a rescue mission to a village in Nasarawa State.