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Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State has congratulated the Muslim faithful on the occasion of Eid-el-Kabir celebration; wishing all Nigerians love, joy, peace, and prosperity.

In his Sallah Message, Gov. Ugwuanyi prayed for God’s boundless grace and favour upon all Nigerians; stating that the solemn festival of Eid-el-Kabir, anchored on love and sacrifice, comes with the peace, unity and fulfillment which the country needs to forge ahead. 

The governor also prayed for God’s protection, unceasing goodness and mercy upon Nigerians in their individual and collective endeavours, adding: “May we all be living testimonies to God’s blessings and have every reason to continue to thank God”.

He, therefore, wished the Muslim faithful and indeed all Nigerians a pleasant and safe Eid-el-Kabir celebration; urging them to re-dedicate themselves to God and continue to pray fervently for the peace, unity, security and progress of the nation.

A suspected female kidnapper, Adeola Omoniyi, has revealed how she had been kidnapping toddlers in communities in Ondo State in the past two years for her father, Ilesanmi Omoniyi, who in turn pays her the sum of N30,000 for each operation.

The 22-year-old suspect disclosed this while being paraded at the police headquarters alongside her father.

Ominiyi, was arrested at Ore in Odigbo Local Government Area of Ondo State while on her third mission.

She said “I’m a kidnapper. I do kidnap little children and I always deliver them to my father in his house at Igbotako. I was successful with the first two children I took but I was caught with the third one.

“After delivering the kids to my father, he used to give me N30,000 for each operation. I do use the money to take care of myself. I don’t know what he normally uses the children for. All I do is just to take them to him.

“He was the one that told me to always bring the children to him. I picked the first child from Ilutitun and the from Ilowo.

“It was when I was taking the child away that the mother raised alarm.
People gathered to beat me and I was taken to the police station before I was moved to Akure.

“I have been doing the business for about two years. The first one was in 2021 and the second one this year. I always ask the children when they are alone where are they going and I hold their hand and they will follow me.”

Anambra State Governor, Prof Chukwuma Soludo has said that popular pastor, Chukwuemeka Ohanaemere, who is also known as Odumeje, will pay for the cost of demolishing his church.

Soludo, who spoke on Friday night, said there were several notices sent to all house owners, whose houses were marked for demolition, and that they were all served notices, and asked to remove such structures within a timeframe.

Soludo also said that two parishes of the Catholic church were still waiting for demolition.

“It is costing us money. They had several notices to remove such structures, but they refused.

“The demolition started yesterday (Thursday), and so far so good. The demolition went well, except for Pastor Odumeje, who according to the report drove in, in a brazen manner and attempted to take over the equipment.

“Of course, state work must go on, and security had to stop him. This was a man who was in several meetings we had, and also spoke.

“In fact, this is costing us money, and the structures should have been removed before now, but they chose to test the resolve of the government.

“Once we are done with this exercise, we will compile the bills and send to the persons involved, and they must pay.”

Soludo said two Catholic parishes involved in the illegal structures demolition are St. Dominic Catholic church and Our Lady Queen Catholic church.

He stated that the parish priest of Our Lady Queen Catholic Parish was around when the demolition team visited, and even cooperated, and also granted an interview.

He regretted that Pastor Odumeje took laws into his hands and attempted to stop the exercise.

The Minister of Police Affairs, Mohammed Dingyadi, has said that the terrorists who attacked the Correctional Centre, Kuje in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) succeeded because they came with superior weapons. 

Dingyadi made the assertion on Friday, July 8, while briefing journalists on the outcome of the National Security Council meeting presided over by President Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. 

According to the minister, the security personnel deployed to the facility did their best to repel the attack but were subdued by the superior weaponry of the terrorists.

He also disclosed that some of the assailants were killed. Asked why the terrorists could not be stopped, he said:

“You see, these kinds of things, they happen and I want to assure you all those who are supposed to play a role in ensuring that the attack is neutralized did the best that they could to neutralize it,”

Saudi Arabian authorities have deported seven intending pilgrims from Kano State, who departed to Jidda on Thursday July 7. 

While five of the intending pilgrims who were deported over fake visas issued to them travelled to  Saudi Arabia for hajj through tour operators, the remaining two were from the Kano State Pilgrims Welfare Board.

One of the deported pilgrims, Dahiru Yau Musa, told Daily Trust that he secured his visa through Quraish Travel Agency, while the remaining four got theirs from Mafimishkila Travel and Tours

The vice-presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Senator Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed says the only reason why he accepted to be the running mate of the party’s presidential candidate, Mr Peter Obi is to rescue Nigeria.

Baba-Ahmed, a 46-year-old academic, businessman and politician stated this in his acceptance speech, shortly after he was unveiled as the LP vice-presidential candidate in Abuja.

He said he believes in the genuineness, integrity and capacity of Obi to rescue Nigeria and he had no choice but to be part of the movement to rescue the country.

Baba-Ahmed, who praised the Almighty Allah for making it possible, thanked Labour Party presidential candidate and his team for finding him worthy to be his running mate in their journey to rescue Nigeria.

“I wish to begin by uploading my endless praises to Almighty Allah who gives power to whom he wills, when he wills and how he wills.

“Also, I will remain ever submissive and indebted to my leader and my principal, the President (Peter Obi) and his team who worked diligently, researched and found me worthy. I will remain forever humble and appreciate him for this honour. My task is simple to accept this nomination at this time, but in doing so, I will normally give justification as follows:

“The undeniable, unchallengeable fundamental reason for being on this ticket is to rescue Nigeria. And the whole logically and without saying it that you can only rescue that which you are involved in for Nigeria to be able to transform. I cannot afford not to be part of this movement to rescue Nigeria.

“The second reason is that I believe in the greatness of Nigeria, I believe there will be peace and prosperity, I believe that Nigerian people will unite; in fact, let me say that having come from educational background; I belong to the system where you walk into the classroom, after one hour you come out a changed person.

Suspended super Cop, DCP Abba Kyari, has relieved his experience during the attack on the Kuje prison in Abuja on Tuesday, July 5.

Kyari who is an inmate in the prison said;

‘’Only God  saved us. For over two hours and 45 minutes, more than 300 terrorist took over the Kuje prison in Abuja with GPMGs, Bombs, RPGs, Many Rifles etc.”

Kyari has been in prison since May this year following his alleged involvement in a drug trafficking syndicate.

United Kingdom prime Minister Boris Johnson is set to resign today after so many report from the inside made mention of how the prime minister was eager to resign from the office. More details coming

Former Nigeria’s deputy Senate president Ike Ekweremadu and his wife Beatrice will appear in a court in the UK later on Thursday.

Beatrice Nwanneka Ekweremadu, 55, and Ike Ekweremadu, 60, have been formally charged with conspiracy to facilitate travel of another person with a view to exploitation, namely organ harvesting, London’s Metropolitan Police said in a statement.

They were taken into custody after an investigation by police, which had been alerted in May 2022 to potential offences under modern slavery legislation.

The Nigerian Senate, which Ekweremadu is still a member, said it will work with Nigeria’s High Commission in the UK to hire a lawyer for his defence.

Funke Akindele, Nollywood actress popularly known as ‘Jenifa’, has been chosen as the running mate to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in Lagos.

She emerged the Deputy Governorship candidate, beating five other nominees for the position.

Governorship Candidate in the state, Dr Abdul Azeez Olajide Adediran popularly known as Jandor, and the leadership of the party in the state, confirmed the development.

It was gathered that the running mate would be unveiled at a soon to be held event.

Daily Trust had exclusively reported how five names were shortlisted for the position.

They included Ms Akindele; former governorship aspirant, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour; former Senatorial candidate for Lagos East, Yeye Shobajo, another governorship aspirant, David Kolawole Vaughan known as DAKOVA and Engr. Teslim Balogun.

A picture of Jandor and Akindele had since gone viral suggesting the Nollywood actress has been chosen as the candidate.

But there was serious resistance from some stakeholders of the party which led to the delay in finalising the selection of the running mate.

Daily Trust however learnt that the candidate was able to convince the party’s stakeholders, citing the popularity of Jenifa among the youth population and the fact that she hailed from Lagos East Senatorial District, precisely Ikorodu.

A source close to the governorship candidate confirmed the selection of Akindele but added, “it has not been announced officially.”

The Nigerian Correctional Services, NCS has successfully recaptured several Inmates that escaped during a Terror Attack on Kuje Prison.[/b]
POLITICS NIGERIA earlier reported that [b]hundreds of inmates escaped after gunmen suspected to be Ansaru Terrorists stormed the facility on Tuesday night with bombs and heavy gunfire.

Speaking on the matter, Defense Minister, Bashir Magashi revealed that all Boko Haram Inmates at the Facility escaped. Addressing newsmen after taking an assessment tour of the facility, the Minister said the attack started around 10:30pm with heavy gunfire and explosions.

He said they came in their numbers, gained entrance into the prison and released some of the inmates who are now at large adding that some had been recaptured.

“Very soon, we will give you the correct figure of the inmates that were taken, aside that, we are trying to see what we can do to ensure that all escapees are returned.

“The prison is accommodating about 994 inmates, over 600 escaped and many have been recaptured and brought back to the prison.

“Maybe by the close of the day, more will have been captured and returned.

“I think everything is under control and the people who came to do this activity, from the records, we believe they belong to a particular group.

“Most likely, they are Boko Haram members because we have a sizeable number of Boko Haram suspects in detention, and presently we cannot locate any of them.”

Below are photos of the recaptured Inmates being returned to the Facility;

A couple, Gidado Abubakar Auta and Amina Ahmad, both medical doctors, have died in a fire that gutted their home in Maiduguri, Borno State. 

It was gathered that the couple sustained severe burns in the fire which occurred three days ago and were rushed to a hospital where Dr. Gidado died on Tuesday, July 5.

His wife, who was said to be pregnant, died on Wednesday morning, July 6. 

Until their death, the couple worked with the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH). 

Late Amina was a House officer while Dr. Gidado Abubakar Auta was a Senior Registrar, Radiology.

The ex-militant Founder of Niger Delta People’s Volunteer Force, Asari Dokubo, has said Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, LP, is defrauding Nigerians with lies.

Dokubo said this, Tuesday, on Facebook via his Dokubo Asari Justice Foundation page, adding that the OBI-dient movement of the former Anambra State governor cannot succeed “because it is going nowhere”.

Dokubo claimed that Obi cannot contend at the polls against his counterparts from the All Progressives Congress, APC, and the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP — Bola Tinubu and Atiku Abubakar, respectively.

He also downplayed hisObi’s achievements as a governor, saying the money he saved was child’s play to what Governor Nyesom Wike (of Rivers State) spends.

Dokubo said: “There is a scammer in town. Peter Obi is a scamming people with lies and people are believing him.

“This is nauseating. Peter Obi was a governor of Anambra state for eight years.

“Anambra State is one of the advantageous states in Nigeria because of the people. They have Onitsha, Awka, Nnewi. These are the biggest goldmines in Nigeria after Lagos, Port Harcourt and Aba.

“They said he saved seventy-something billion. What is seventy-something billion? The money that Wike toys with in Rivers.

“How would you compare Obi with Tinubu or Atiku? What is his antecedent? Lies. You are showing documents. Who showed that you rejected the lands?

 group of daredevil gunmen opened fire on President Muhammadu Buhari’s advance convoy deployed ahead of his Trip to Daura, Katsina state for Sallah Celebrations on Tuesday.

Reacting to the development in a statement made available to POLITICS NIGERIA, presidential aide, Garba Shehu hailed the Presidential Security Guards for successfully repelling the attack.

“The Presidency has described as sad and unwelcome, the shooting incident near Dutsinma, Katsina State, at the convoy of cars carrying the Advance Team of security guards, protocol and media officers ahead of the President, Muhammadu Buhari’s trip to Daura for Sallah.”

“The attackers opened fire on the convoy from ambush positions but were repelled by the military, police and DSS personnel accompanying the convoy.”

“Two persons in the convoy are receiving treatment for the minor injuries they suffered. All the other personnel, staff and vehicles made it safely to Daura.”

Heavily armed gunmen Tuesday night attacked Kuje Medium Prison in Abuja freeing more than 90 per cent of the inmates.

Sources revealed that the gunmen invaded the correctional centre around 10.30pm, with heavy bombardments and successfully operated for about one hour unhindered.

It was gathered that the invading gunmen, who came with trucks, went away with Boko Haram inmates at the Correctional centre. After the operation, other inmates, apart from Boko Haram members taken away by the gunmen, also escape.

Sources revealed that after the attack not more than 30 out of the over 1, 000 inmates were found at the correctional centre.
A prison staff, who confirmed the attack in a chat with Daily Sun, said some of the attackers came from the back of the prison yard, while others arrived with trucks used to evacuate the targeted inmates.