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Mohammed Abba Yahaya, a 26-year-old man, has been arrested by the Niger State Police Command.

He was arrested for assaulting a 400-level student of the Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University (IBBU), Lapai.

The spokesperson of the command, SP Wasiu Abiodun, who confirmed the incident said the suspect was arrested by police operatives attached to the Chanchaga Division in Minna on June 30, 2024, for criminal force and assault against the victim, Hussena Sani, who is his ex-girlfriend. 

“On 29/6/2024 at about 1630hrs, a case of criminal force and assault, causing injury, was reported at Chanchaga Division against the suspect, one Mohammed Abba Yahaya, 26, of Tungan-goro, Minna. At about 2100hrs, he assaulted one Hussena Sani, 25, of the same area, and inflicted serious injury on her,” the PPRO said. 

Yahaya claimed that he saw his female friend, Hussena Sani, being dropped off by a vehicle at Tungan-goro and, upon inquiring about the driver, did not receive a satisfactory response. 

An argument ensued, leading to a physical altercation in which Yahaya punched Sani in the face.

The victim was taken to the hospital for medical treatment, while the suspect has been transferred to the State Headquarters of the Niger State Police Command in Minna for further investigation and prosecution.

However, in a swift reaction, the victim debunked the suspect’s confessional statement to police investigators, though she confirmed that Yahaya was her former boyfriend. 

Sani, whose eyes were swollen and tightly closed, likely due to the beating by Yahaya, recounted her ordeal. 

She explained that the incident occurred on Saturday, 29/6/2024, at about 2100 hrs after she had seen off a visitor in his private car near her residence. 

Sani stated that Yahaya, who saw her alight from the visitor’s car, angrily approached her and demanded to know the identity of the car owner and her relationship with him. 

When she replied that it was none of his business, he slapped her, followed by heavy blows to her face and body, causing her to fall to the ground with one eye bleeding profusely.

She further explained that Yahaya, upon realizing she was struggling in pain and crying for help, forcefully took her iPhone/Android phone and fled. 

Sani managed to walk slowly, holding her left eye, towards Yahaya’s house to report the incident to his parents. 

Yahaya accosted her again, hitting her on the remaining eye. 

She shouted at him, “Do you still want to kill me?” Yahaya responded that she was lucky he wasn’t carrying a knife, or he would have stabbed her to death.

Sani was later rushed to Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida Specialist Hospital in Chanchaga, Minna, for urgent medical attention and was subsequently referred to eye specialists at Minna General Hospital. 

She has started responding to treatment, though she still cannot see with one of her eyes as of Thursday, July 4. 

Meanwhile, Hajiya Fatima, Sani’s mother, in a brief interview with the Nigerian Tribune, described the injuries suffered by her daughter from her former boyfriend as unacceptable, wicked, and ill-treatment. 

She sent a passionate appeal to the Niger State Government and the State Police Command to ensure that Yahaya is held accountable for his alleged dastardly acts. 

The visibly distraught mother, who was crying throughout the interview, said her daughter’s precarious health condition was a great concern. 

She added that Sani was supposed to have returned to the university for the continuation of her academic program since last weekend, prior to the unfortunate incident.

Hajiya Fatima described the suspect as a brute, heartless, and a thief for snatching her daughter’s phone after inflicting serious injuries on her. 

She advocated for justice against Yahaya and a serious penalty to serve as a deterrent to others. 

She expressed appreciation to the Commissioner of Police, Niger State Command, CP Shawulu Ebenezer Danmamman, and his officers for the immediate arrest, detention, and investigation of the suspect, with plans for his prosecution upon completion of the investigation.

Fatima expressed fears that her daughter may be left with a permanent scar and trauma from the incident, emphasizing that justice must be served. 

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Stella Justice, a Nigerian lawyer, has caused a stir with a statement she made online.

The lawyer opined that a married man who lives in his family house with his wife and children is still a boy. 

“If you are MARRIED as a MAN and YOU are STILL LIVING in your FAMILY HOUSE with your WIFE and CHILDREN, you are still a BOY. Such a man is not ready to take up his RESPONSIBILITIES,” she wrote in a Facebook post on Sunday. 

“You and wife needs PRIVACY. You don’t need to HIDE to MAKE LOVE for FEAR of anyone KNOCKING. YOUR WIFE needs to be FREE to wear transparent night gown for you as the husband.” 

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Yahaya Ibrahim, a 27-year-old employee of KAM Steel Integrated Company, has died.

The man was killed by an engine roller after slipping on the machine at the company’s factory along the Sagamu-Ogijo Expressway in Ogun State.

PUNCH Online reports that the incident occurred on Sunday at 4:50 am while the deceased was working at the company’s plant.

The Ogun State Police Command exclusively confirmed this during a phone conversation with our correspondent on Sunday.

It was learnt that Ibrahim was operating the engine roller when he suddenly slipped and fell onto the roller in the early hours of Sunday.

PUNCH Online gathered that efforts by other staff members to rescue the victim were unsuccessful, as the roller reportedly crushed him to death.

The spokesperson for the command, Omolola Odutola, confirmed the incident and stated that the deceased’s body had been taken to the Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital morgue.

“Our men on traffic inspection visited the scene when we received a distress call. It was an industrial accident. The body has been deposited at the OOUTH morgue in Sagamu,” Odutola stated.

Meanwhile, The PUNCH’s attempts to obtain a response from the company regarding the incident were unsuccessful, as the mobile phone number listed on the company’s website went unanswered on Sunday.

PUNCH Online reported a similar occupational hazard involving a 25-year-old construction worker who fell from a storey building at a construction site in Banana Island, Ikoyi, Lagos State.

The police stated that the deceased fell from the building while removing lintel wood on the construction site.

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As Nigeria’s President, Bola Tinubu’s tenure as the Chairman of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of the ECOWAS comes to an end on July 9, 2024, the presidents and representatives of 12 member states have begun meeting.

The ECOWAS heads are currently meeting at the State House Conference Centre in Abuja, for the 63rd Ordinary Summit.

The meeting, which began at 1pm, would likely see the West African leaders announce a new chair to steer the affairs of the bloc for the next one year.

However, there are indications that leaders may extend Tinubu’s tenure to give him time to possibly win back Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso into the bloc.

Details later…

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In what will come across as a really terrifying development, two journalists have been abducted by bandits in Danhonu community in Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

The bandits attacked the community on Saturday night and abducted two journalists and their families.

The victims, Alhaji AbdulGafar Alabelewe and AbdulRaheem Aodu, are reporters for The Nation and Blueprint Newspapers, respectively, in Kaduna State.

Alabelewe, the current chairman of the Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Kaduna State Council, was taken alongside his wife and two children.

Aodu and his wife were also kidnapped, leaving behind their sick daughter.

Disclosing this, Taofeeq Olayemi, a family member of one of the victims, said the bandits stormed the community at about 10:30 pm, shooting sporadically before the abduction.

The bandits initially took Alabelewe, his wife, three children, and a guest, but later released the girl and one of the children.

“They entered Abdulgafar’s house through the fence.

“They went straight into his bedroom and picked him, his wife and two of their kids and left immediately, after which the vigilantes arrived and started shooting into the air,” the source told Daily Trust.

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Millennium Chef Smith, a Ghanaian chef who was caught forging a Guinness World Record for marathon cooking, has issued an apology.

Smith on Tuesday July 2, presented a certificate confirming himself as the new world record holder for the 820-hour 25-minute cook-a-thon, which started on February 1 and ended on March 6, 2024, at a press conference.

During the briefing, which was held at La Palm Royal Beach Hotel in Accra, the chef said, “Today is the day that I will forever remember. I am incredibly humbled and honoured to stand before you today as the Guinness World Record holder.”

After announcing his record and parading his certificate, the Chef was arrested.

Confirming the invalidity of his certificate to BBC, the PR Executive for GWR, Alina Polianskaya, said, “No, this is not true at all. He does not hold the GWR title, and that is not our certificate.

In a new video shared online, Chef Smith is seen on his kneels with two women by his side tearfully apologising for forging a Guinness World Record for marathon cooking.

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The Federal High Court in Lagos has mandated former Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disasters Management, and Social Development, Sadiya Umar-Farouq, to provide a detailed account of payments totaling N729 billion made to 24.3 million impoverished Nigerians over a six-month period.

The court also ordered the former minister to provide the list and details of the beneficiaries who received the payments, the number of states covered, and the payments per state.

The judgment was delivered in June by Justice Deinde Isaac Dipeolu following a Freedom of Information suit number: FHC/L/CS/853/2021, brought by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project.

The certified true copy of the judgment was obtained last Friday by the organisation.

In his judgment, Justice Dipeolu held that “The former minister is compelled by the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act to give information to any person, including SERAP. I therefore grant an order of mandamus directing and compelling the minister to provide the spending details of N729 billion to 24.3 million poor Nigerians in 2021.”

Justice Dipeolu ordered the minister to “provide SERAP with details of how the beneficiaries have been selected and the mechanisms for the payments to the beneficiaries.”

The judge also ordered the minister to “explain the rationale for paying N5,000 to 24.3 million poor Nigerians, which translates to five per cent of Nigeria’s budget of N13.6 trillion for 2021.”

She ruled that “the minister did not give any reason for the refusal to disclose the details sought by SERAP. SERAP has reeled out the relevant sections of the Freedom of Information Act 2011 that the minister contravened and has, in line with sections 20 and 25(1) of the Act, prayed this Court for an order of mandamus to direct and compel the minister to provide the information sought.”

Justice Dipeolu dismissed the objections raised by the minister’s counsel and upheld SERAP’s arguments.

Consequently, the court entered judgment in favour of SERAP against the minister.

Reacting to the judgment, SERAP’s Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, said the ruling is a victory for transparency and accountability in the spending of public funds.

He said, “This ground-breaking judgment is a victory for transparency and accountability in the spending of public funds.

“Justice Dipeolu’s judgment shows the urgent need for the Tinubu government to genuinely address the systemic allegations of corruption in the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disasters Management and Social Development and other ministries, departments and agencies, as documented by the Auditor-General of the Federation.

“We commend Justice Dipeolu for her courage and wisdom and urge President Bola Tinubu to immediately obey the court orders.”

In the letter dated July 6, 2024, sent to President Bola Tinubu on the judgment, and signed by SERAP Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, the organisation asked him to direct the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disasters Management and Social Development and the office of the Attorney General of the Federation to immediately compile with the ruling.

The organisation also asked the President to order the release of the spending details of the N729 billion as ordered by the court.

It reads, “We urge you to demonstrate your expressed commitment to the rule of law by immediately obeying and respecting the judgment of the court.

“We urge you to direct the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disasters Management and Social Development and the office of the Attorney General of the Federation to immediately compile and release the spending details of the N729 billion as ordered by the court.

“The immediate enforcement and implementation of the judgment by your government will be a victory for the rule of law, transparency, and accountability in the governance processes and management of public resources, including the N729 billion.”

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Richard Mofe-Damijo (RMD), the veteran Nigerian actor has turned a year older.

The actor celebrated his 63rd birthday on July 6, receiving an outpouring of love and well wishes from colleagues, fans, and friends in the entertainment industry.

To mark the occasion, RMD shared stylish photos of himself on Instagram, expressing gratitude to God, his family, and friends for their unwavering support.

The post was met with a flood of congratulatory messages and admiration from his followers, celebrating the actor’s milestone and legacy.

He wrote: “Celebrating 63 years of blessings! Immensely grateful to God, my amazing family, cherished friends, and unwavering fans who stand by me. I salute you all!.”

RMD’s post received an outpouring of congratulations and blessings from celebrities like Chinedu Ikedieze, Mercy Aigbe, Ruth Kadiri, Mo Abudu, Ushbebe, Ebuka Obi-Uchendu, Broda Shaggi, and Kiekie, among others.

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Nigerian Army troops conducting a special clearance operation in Sambisa Forest have successfully neutralized 11 terrorists belonging to the Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP).

The Nigerian Army, in a statement on its official X Handle disclosed this on Saturday.

It said the feat was achieved in coordinated special clearance operations with a hybrid force on terrorists’ enclave in Jongo Village within the notorious Sambisa Forest.

It said that the troops targeted the enclave, engaged the terrorists in a fierce gun battle, killing some while others fled in disarray.

The army said its troops further conducted exploitation ahead of the enclave, leading to the capture of some arms.

According to the post, the arms include  99 rounds of 7.62 x 54mm on metal link, 19 rounds of 7.62 x 39mm, 3 AK-47 rifle magazines, two 36 Hand grenades, and two locally made guns.

“This successful operation showcases the operational effectiveness of the Nigerian army in combating terrorism and securing in the region.

“The neutralisation of ISWAP terrorists and the confiscation of their weapons will undoubtedly contribute to enhancing security and stability in the area.

“This further demonstrated the commitment of the Nigerian military to eradicating terrorism and protecting the citizens,” it said. 

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Rev. Onyebu Godwin Nwaekpe, a widowed Nigerian man, has gotten married again.

The elderly man took a new wife on Saturday, July 6, 2024. 

The groom’s son, Uzoma Nwaekpe, disclosed this in a Facebook post which has caught some attention. 

“Daddy!! My people please thank God with me for my father’s successful traditional marriage today, July 6th 2024,” he wrote.