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Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has admitted that he and some other people he did not name can no longer be laughing with President Muhammadu Buhari as they were doing when they were in opposition. He said in those days, he and others would be laughing and rolling on the floor of Buhari’s living room. The governor who apparently was talking about the funny aspect of the President spoke in a documentary, “Buhari: Beyond the Iron and Steel” put together by the President’s media team. The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, made excerpts of the interviews in the documentary, meant to show the other side of Buhari, available on his Facebook page on Sunday. “When we were in the opposition, you needed to see how we rolled on the floor in his (Buhari’s) living room, as we laughed. Of course, we can’t do that again now,” Adesina quoted El-Rufai as saying in the documentary. Vice-President Yemi O...

The Police Command in Enugu State has declared members of the “Malaysian Boys’’ gang wanted for alleged criminal activities. Police said the “Malaysian Boys’’ gang have been operating within Nimbo and Adani axis of Uzouwani Local Government Area of the state. The Command’s spokesman, SP Ebere Amaraizu, in a statement on Sunday said that the command had issued a warrant of arrest for all the members of “Malaysian Boys’’ gang. Amaraizu urged members of the public to urgently furnish it with information that could lead to their arrest. He also said that the command had intensified manhunt for the fleeing “Malaysian Boys” who had been a thorn on the flesh of the law-abiding members of the public within Nimbo and Adani axis of Uzouwani council area. “They are advised in their own interest to report to the state Criminal Intelligence and Investigations Department (CIID) of the command in Enugu. “T...

The Christian Association of Nigeria has expressed worry over the resurfacing of long queues at filling stations across the country during the Christmas holiday. The Director, Legal and Public Affairs, CAN, Evang. Kwamkur Samuel, in a statement on Saturday, urged President Muhammadu Buhari to restore normalcy immediately. Samuel said, “CAN is worried about the resurfacing of long queues at filling stations in Nigeria, after several increases in fuel price to ensure the availability of the product to all citizens. “We are not only concerned that this seeming artificial scarcity happens mostly during Christmas period. We are also disturbed that everything is looking like an attempt to deliberately sabotage the celebration of Christmas by some people. We wonder why queues would suddenly resurface after all assurances and steps have been taken towards constant availability of petroleum product. “We want to call on President Muhammadu Buhari, the Ministry of Petroleum...

President Muhammadu Buhari on Saturday assured all Nigerians that better days lie ahead of the nation despite its current challenges. Buhari gave the assurance in a Christmas message he personally signed and was made available to journalists in Abuja. “I am deeply convinced that better days lie ahead for us as a nation as we make progress on all the major fronts where we have set our energies to surmount the challenges. I wish you all Happy Christmas celebrations,” the President said. He described the commemoration of the birth of Jesus Christ as an important opportunity for Nigerians to show love to one another and encourage unity by spending quality time with their friends, families and the less-privileged. He said it was also an occasion to draw inspiration from the exemplary lifestyle and teachings of Jesus Christ, who he said constantly stood for what is right, true and honest. The President urged all, while celebrating, to remember members of the armed forces wh...

The Federal Government paid €3m for the release of some Chibok schoolgirls who were in Boko Haram custody, according to  Wall Street Journal . In 2014, Boko Haram insurgents had kidnapped 276 girls from Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok in Borno state. Of the 276, 163 are now free: 57 fled in the early days after their abduction, three escaped later, and a Swiss-coached mediation secured 103. Twenty-one of the 103 were freed on October 13, 2016, while the remaining 82 were freed on May 6 this year. In a detailed report on the incident, WSJ said while €1m was paid for the 21 first freed, additional €2m accompanied the five Boko Haram commanders that were exchanged with the next batch: the 82 girls. TheCable  had earlier reported how the €2m were reportedly paid. Ahmad Salkida, a journalist known to have links with the sect, and Zannah Mustapha, a lawyer, were said to be key mediators involved in both deals. After months of talks involvin...

President Donald Trump has tongue-lashed countries with immigrants in the US, according to a  New York Times  report. In a meeting he reportedly attended in June at the Oval Office, Trump was quoted to have said Nigerians refuse to “return to their huts” after seeing America. He was also quoted to have said immigrants from Haiti “all have AIDS”, while describing Afghanistan as a “haven of terrorists.” Trump was said to be angered by the rising number of immigrants in the US despite his travel bans. He described this as a mockery to his campaign pledge. TheCable  reported that earlier in the year, Trump had issued an executive order banning travellers from six Muslim-majority countries from gaining access to the US. “More than 2,500 were from Afghanistan, a terrorist haven, the president complained,” officials in the meeting reportedly told New York Times. “Haiti had sent 15,000 people. They all have AIDS. ...

Civil servants in some states of the federation may not be able to meet their obligations to their family members on Christmas Day (tomorrow) as their employers have failed to pay their December salary. Investigations by  SUNDAY PUNCH  across the country revealed that most workers would not have enough money to celebrate because they either have not been paid for December at all, nor have their governors paid the full sum. Some of those who shared their pains and agonies with our correspondents expressed disappointment in their various state governors who chose to deny them of their rights, despite the huge resources at their disposal. They described as unfortunate a situation whereby governors, who, just last week, shared part of the N609bn federal allocation for November and N243bn Paris Club refund, would refuse to pay their salary. In Ondo State, the civil servants who are currently being owed four months’ salary arrears had yet to receive their December pay as...

Against the latest round of fuel scarcity rocking many parts of the country, private oil marketers are calling for government intervention to enable them to access foreign exchange at a special rate for the importation of Premium Motor Spirit (petrol). According to them, selling the product at N145 per litre is no longer feasible with the current exchange rate. Private marketers stopped fuel importation last year due to shortage of foreign exchange and increase in crude prices, which they said had made it unprofitable to import petrol and sell same at N145 per litre. The National Operations Controller, Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, Mr. Mike Osatuyi, said, “The problem is that the importation (of petrol) is being handled almost 100 per cent by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation as private importers have backed out because the increase in crude price has made the landing cost enter subsidy. “When the crude price hit $59 per barrel, we could not s...

The Inspector-General of Police, Mr Ibrahim Idris  has directed immediate commencement of stop-and-search operations during the Christmas and New Year celebrations. A statement by the Force spokesman, CSP Jimoh Moshood in Abuja on Saturday, said Idris directed all State Police Commands across the country to beef up security at flashpoints, black spots and vulnerable points on major roads and highways across the country. He warned that in order to ensure the free flow of traffic and ease movement of travellers, the operation should not be located at areas susceptible to traffic gridlock or vehicular hold-ups. “The Police teams on traffic control and observation patrols have been deployed to such points and sections to manage traffic and carry out Police observation duties,” he said. Moshood said that Idris further directed all Commissioners of Police to supervise police personnel deployed to these stop and search points to make sure that they are not turned to road...

Success Nwogu A middle-aged man who pretended to be mentally ill has been apprehended in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital. Our correspondent learnt that the man, whose name could not be ascertained, as of the time of filing this report, was apprehended near the state Ministry of Environment and Forestry along the Ahmadu Bello Way in Ilorin. Sources said when he was searched, a cheque of N100m, pictures he allegedly took with top politicians in Nigeria, four automated teller machine cards, male and female condoms, Valium injections and Infinix Hot 5 phone were found on him. The sources said the man, who would have been lynched by a mob, was rescued by another man dressed in a native attire. An eye-witness who pleaded anonymity, said she got there when people caught the fake madman.  She said she witnessed how the man was searched. According to her, she ran away when it seemed the mob  might lynch the suspect. The picture of the man and a brief description of what transp...

The Inspector-General of Police, Mr Ibrahim Idris  has directed immediate commencement of stop-and-search operations during the Christmas and New Year celebrations. A statement by the Force spokesman, CSP Jimoh Moshood in Abuja on Saturday, said Idris directed all State Police Commands across the country to beef up security at flashpoints, black spots and vulnerable points on major roads and highways across the country. He warned that in order to ensure the free flow of traffic and ease movement of travellers, the operation should not be located at areas susceptible to traffic gridlock or vehicular hold-ups. “The Police teams on traffic control and observation patrols have been deployed to such points and sections to manage traffic and carry out Police observation duties,” he said. Moshood said that Idris further directed all Commissioners of Police to supervise police personnel deployed to these stop and search points to make sure that they are not turned to road...

The Inspector-General of Police, Mr Ibrahim Idris  has directed immediate commencement of stop-and-search operations during the Christmas and New Year celebrations. A statement by the Force spokesman, CSP Jimoh Moshood in Abuja on Saturday, said Idris directed all State Police Commands across the country to beef up security at flashpoints, black spots and vulnerable points on major roads and highways across the country. He warned that in order to ensure the free flow of traffic and ease movement of travellers, the operation should not be located at areas susceptible to traffic gridlock or vehicular hold-ups. “The Police teams on traffic control and observation patrols have been deployed to such points and sections to manage traffic and carry out Police observation duties,” he said. Moshood said that Idris further directed all Commissioners of Police to supervise police personnel deployed to these stop and search points to make sure that they are not turned to road...

Simon Utebor A former Senior Special Assistant on Youth Development to Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State, Nasko Egei, has died at Aridolf Resort Wellness and Spa, a hotel owned by former First Lady, Patience Jonathan. Egei is also a member of the All Progressives Congress in the state. He reportedly died in the hotel on Isaac Boro Expressway, Yenagoa, the state capital, on Friday. Two versions emerged regarding what led to the death of the father of two said to be in his late 30s. The first version claimed that the deceased was allegedly poisoned by his female companion who was with him in the hotel. The other account indicated that the deceased died peacefully in his sleep in one of the hotel rooms. A kinsman of Egei who spoke on condition of anonymity said the deceased hailed from Amassoma in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of the state. The kinsman, who is an APC leader in the state, urged the management of the hotel to unravel what led to Egei’s death. He said ...