The Director-General of the Federal Emergency Management Authority, Dr. Abbass Idriss, on Thursday morning, said the 37 rescued persons had all been taken to various medical facilities in Abuja, and that rescue efforts were ongoing, in collaboration with other rescue agencies.

A three-storey building in the Garki Area of Abuja has collapsed, following a heavy downpour, that began at about 11:30 pm on Wednesday night.The DG added that two people were fatally injured in the building collapse.

“37 persons were rescued, while two others were fatally injured. Meanwhile, FEMA Search and Rescue team are awaiting excavators to intensify the search to ensure that no victim is left in the rubble of the collapsed building.”

“A combined team of the FCT Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Federal Road Safety Corps,(FRSC), FCT Police Command and the VIO are on ground to carry out the rescue efforts.”

Another Isese activist, Oluwo Of Tede, Chief Ademola Olawoore, has been arrested and detained in a correctional facility in Ilorin, Kwara State.

A visibly shaken Olawoore, as he is fondly called, in a video that has since circulated on social media, was charged with defamation of character.

The elderly Isese activist was arrested in Ibadan on August 19 and taken to Ilorin where he has remained in a correctional facility.

Baba Tede, according to reports, was arrested for allegedly insulting a Muslim cleric simply identified as Alfa Okutagidi.

His arrest came a few days after the arrest of a prominent Isese activist, Adegbola Abdulazeez, popular known as Tani Olohun.

Abdulazeez was also arrested in Ibadan and taken to Ilorin, Kwara State by the state police command. He was arraigned for defaming the Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari, and prominent clerics from the state.

Adedamola Solesi, one of the lawyers representing Abdulazeez and a Facebook page, Kwara Info, confirmed the arrest.

However, Solesi assured Olawoore’s family and friends that he would regain his freedom soon.

“On Baba Tede’s case, we could not effect his bail today (Wednesday) as his case and Talolorun’s are being tried at the same time.

“The preliminary objection must first be heard before they can be released per the court’s instruction,” he said.

The Facebook post titled, Defamation of character, read, “Oluwo of Tede who claimed Alfa Okutagidi has an Idol at home has been arrested for defamation of character.

“A day after, the blogger who named himself Tani Olohun was arrested.

The Rachakonda cybercrime team in India has apprehended two Nigerian nationals who were involved in deceiving victims by pretending to deliver presents or packages to them.

A World Wrestling Entertainment Hall of Famer and legendary wrestler, Terry Funk, has passed away aged 79.

This was confirmed by WWE star Ric Flair, on his X (formerly Twitter) handle on Wednesday.

He wrote, “In My Entire Life, I’ve Never Met A Guy Who Worked Harder. Terry Funk Was A Great Wrestler, Entertainer, Unbelievably Fearless, And A Great Friend! “Rest In Peace My Friend Terry Funk Knowing That No One Will Ever Replace You In The World Of Professional Wrestling!

“Terry began wrestling in the 1960s, forming a successful tag team with his brother and fellow WWE Hall of Famer, Dory Funk, Jr., before breaking out as a singles star.

Funk rose to prominence in 1975 when he defeated Jack Brisco to win the NWA world heavyweight championship, He would hold the title for more than a year before Harley Race ended his reign.

Funk became well-known for his rough and rugged style brawls. He had a famous rivalry with Jerry Lawler that prompted a now-iconic match in front of an empty arena.

In recognition of nearly 50 years in sports entertainment, Terry was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame alongside his brother in 2009 by the late Dusty Rhodes.

Men of the emergency and rescue team on Thursday are clearing the rubble from the collapsed three-storey building in the Garki Area of Abuja, following a downpour that began at about 11:30 pm on Wednesday night.

The high-rise building located on the ever-busy Lagos Street in Garki, Abuja, was said to be fully occupied.

Eyewitnesses at the scene said the building served as home to many while others rented out the ground floor for their businesses.

The Director-General of the Federal Emergency Management Authority, Dr Abbass Idriss, said no fewer than 37 rescued persons had all been taken to various medical facilities in Abuja, and that rescue efforts were ongoing, in collaboration with other rescue agencies.

Two persons were fatally injured in the building collapse, the DG added.

Justice O. I. Adelaja of the Federal Capital Territory High Court sitting in Kubwa has sentenced one Abass Aminu Abdulkareem to community service for $270 Fraud in Abuja.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, on Tuesday, arraigned the convict on one count charge bordering on internet fraud.

EFCC on Wednesday revealed this in a post shared on the agency’s X app (formerly Twitter) page.

The charges read;

“That you, Abass Aminu Abdulkareem sometime in 2023 at Abuja within the jurisdiction of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory cheated by personation when you represented yourself on a Facebook profile page as Jeremiah Lincoln, a citizen of the United States of America and under that name obtained the sum of Two Hundred and Seventy United States Dollars ($270) from Amanda, a cousin to Jeremiah Lincoln and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 321 of the Penal Code Law (Laws of the Federation, Abuja) 1990 and punishable under Section 324 of the same Law.

“The defendant pleaded guilty to the charge.

Upon his plea, Justice Adelaja convicted and sentenced Abdulkareem to community service to be supervised by the Nigerian Correctional Service’s Officers.

He is also forfeit his iPhone 12 Pro and XR to the Federal Government.

The acting Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, has appealed to Nigerians to desist from taking complaints against police officers to social media. 

The police chief made the appeal while speaking at a stakeholders meeting at the headquarters of the police command in Ibadan, Oyo stateon Tuesday, August 22.

In his words;

“If you have any complaint against the police, don’t go to social media. Go to the commissioners of police in the state. Some of our men will misbehave, we cannot guarantee that all of them will behave well.

Report to the CPs or any superior officer who will take it up and ensure justice is done. There are a lot of falsehoods going on on social media. If you need clarification, go to the commissioners of police or police public relations officers (PPROs).”

Egbetokun said his mission is to put in place professional, service-driven, rule-of-law-compliant, and people-friendly police officers. He said he is desirous of having a police force that would be able to respond adequately to the dynamics of crime and criminality in society and “ensure citizens sleep with their two eyes closed”.

“Modern policing is community-based, technology-driven, and intelligence-led. We are going to focus on community in all the states of the federation.

But we are shifting to new policing strategies. We are going to adopt community policing by taking cognisance of certain peculiarities of each community through collaboration with other security agencies and state-owned security outfits to fight and reduce crime.”he said

The General Overseer of Deeper Life Church, Pastor Williams Kumuyi, has set many talking on social media following a clip where he said the country will experience a better time under the leadership of President Bola Tinubu and his ministers.

Kumuyi made this known Tuesday, while addressing newsmen ahead of his church’s monthly Global Crusade starting Thursday.

“Let’s forget the past. This is a new day and I believe we all believe that we’re going to see new things for our country through our President and the members of the cabinet. Good things will happen,” the cleric said.

His statement has since got many talking on social media platform, X (formerly Twitter).

LookwhoIbecame tweeted, “Omo, religious leaders are the enablers of politicians. They are much worse.”

ChukwunyeluOrji wrote, “After Nigerian politicians, na these people be the next destroyers of Nigeria Religious leaders.”

Tahila_O tweeted, “I believe these people are looking for validation everywhere. What I picked from this is that people should only consider the good they have done. But the evil and wickedness they have done, we should overlook. Okay, oo. I believe God Almighty takes into account both the good and the evil people do.”

“Please stop using the name of God in vain. Religious leaders are one of the worst political sycophants disguising under the name of God to yarn trash,” Nattychemical tweeted.

Cadaver_A also tweeted, “The best thing I did for myself was to stop going to church.. been the best decision of my life so far.”

KoredeOludiran simply commented, “Rubbish talk.” While many have continued to slam the cleric, a few others chose to respect the Deeper Life Bible Church leader’s statement.

Stevekayma tweeted, “Anyone who doesn’t agree with what the man of God has said, should pls continue wailing, complaining, and let’s see where that will take us.”

A yet-to-be-identified tricycle rider is feared to have drowned Wednesday morning in Utako, Abuja.

The incident occurred near the bridge after Good Tidings church, not far from Utako market.

Witnesses said the rider drowned while attempting to wash his tricycle at the river before starting the day’s business.

“He was washing his keke and slipped during the process. We’ve been making efforts to rescue him, but unfortunately, we haven’t been able to locate him,” one of the people who tried to rescue the rider stated.

But he added that the victim’s brother had not given up the search for his sinling in the river.

“Based on my experience, I suggested they search farther downstream, but they insisted that in cases like this, the victim is typically not found too far from where the drowning occurred,” a police officer at the scene said, advising the local rescue operation team.

Federal Fire Service were also on the ground to rescue the rider.

The Lagos State House of Assembly has passed a resolution urging Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to convene a security council meeting.

Governor Alex Otti has reiterated his commitment to develop Abia to a “state of our dream.”

Deputy Governor Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo has urged legal practitioners in Nigeria to protect the image of the judiciary.

He added,

On Wednesday, two men appeared at the Magbon Alade Magistrates’ Court in Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos State, for allegedly conspiring with others at large to steal electric wire worth N2.3 million.

The police charged Adedeji Waris, 27, and Isiaka Bello, 20, with conspiracy, felony and stealing.

The defendants, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The prosecutor, ASP Ekundayo Friday, told the court that the defendants committed the offences on August 19 at about 3:00 p.m. on Jehovah Witness Road, Bogije, Ibeju-Lekki.

Mr Friday said the defendants, with others at large, stole an electric wire valued at N2.3 million belonging to Tedar Grows School.

According to the prosecutor, the offences contravene the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.

The magistrate, Olumide Fusika, admitted the defendants to N500,000 bail each, with two sureties in like sum.

Ms Fusika added that the sureties must have two years of tax receipt, and their addresses must be verified.

She adjourned the case until August 31 for mention.

A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory in Maitama has granted N500m bail to a Lagos businessman, Dr. Akintoye Akindele, accused of offering a N50m bribe to men of the Nigeria Police Force.

Akindele, who has been in police custody for weeks, was arraigned on Tuesday on a charge.

The suit was marked: CR/595/2023 and was filed in the name of the Inspector General of Police.

The prosecution claimed the defendant offered to bribe policemen, who were investigating a case of funds diversion brought against him, to enable him to escape abroad.

The charge reads:

“That you Akintoye Akindele, male (49 years), MD/CEO of Duport Midstream Company Limited of D2 Mambilla Close Osborne Estate, Ikoyi, Lagos between August 5 and 9 2023 in Abuja, while being investigated by SP Ibrahim Ezekiel Sini and his team on a petition submitted to the Inspector General of Police FIB by Summit Oil International Limited on allegation of diversion of the sum of $5,636,397.01 and N73,543,763.25, you offered gratification of N150,000,000.00 and made part payment of N50,000,000.00 to SP Ibrahim Sini, a public servant in circumstance and to allow you to escape abroad and to write a report in your favour.”

The prosecution claimed the alleged offence is punishable under Section 118 of the Penal Code Law.

Akindele, however, pleaded not guilty when the charge was read to him, after which his lawyer applied for his bail.

Justice Hamza Muazu, in a ruling on Tuesday, rejected the request by the lawyer for the prosecution, Simon Lough SAN to further detain the defendant to enable the police conclude its investigation.

Justice Muazu agreed with the defence lawyer, Henry Eni-Otu that the offence, with which the defendant was charged, is ordinarily bailable.

He granted Akindele bail to the tune of N500m with two sureties in like sum.

Justice Muazu, who is sitting as the court’s vacation judge, said one of the sureties must own a landed property within the jurisdiction and should be a resident of the Federal Capital Territory.

The judge ordered the defendant to deposit his international passport with the court.

He noted that since it will be impossible to conclude the case during the vacation, which will soon end, it was nearer to return the case file to the court’s Chief Judge for reassignment to a regular court after the vacation.

Justice Muazu then ordered the return of the case file to the Chief Judge for reassignment.

Guinness World Record holder Hilda Baci has said preparing for her cook-a-thon title cost a fortune.

Appearing on Cool FM Nigeria’s ‘The Big Friday Show,’ hosted by reality TV star Tacha, Baci, in the video shared Monday, revealed the money invested into her four days GWR attempt can conveniently an expensive luxury cars around.

“I’m not going to put a figure to it but, just think of a very expensive luxury car. Go crazy,” she said.

Baci continued, “I’d rather not put a price to it. I wouldn’t want to discourage anyone. I could have done it on a smaller scale but I chose not to.

“The chef also disclosed that before her Guinness World Record victory, she auditioned for the Big Brother Naija reality show, show four to five times but was never selected.

“I tried to get on Big Brother [Naija] for a while. I think I auditioned about four or five times.

“The plan for the cook-a-thon was still in the pipeline, so my goal was to go to Big Brother and then come out and do the cook-a-thon.”

On Ekiti Chef Damilola Adeparusi, popularly known as Chef Dammy, who made headlines for attempting Baci’s feat back in May, Baci said she was not threatened by the young lady’s attempt.

Baci said,

“At the time she was attempting the record, we were still trying to submit evidence so in truth, the major focus was what was happening on social media.

“A few days before, we had received a mail from Guinness requesting evidence, and my focus then was gathering the evidence and submitting it to Guiness World Records.

“I wasn’t thinking too much about Dammy. Social media brought it to my consciousness.”

Tweeps have reacted to a picture of Super Falcons star, Michelle Alozie, and Afrobeats superstar, David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido.

The Nigerian female defender who is currently in the United States of America and has resumed duties at her club linked up with Afrobeats star Davido, whom she gifted her now-famous Super Falcons jersey number 22.

Alozie shared a photo of the link-up with Davido on Her X (formerly Twitter) handle on Tuesday which has garnered a lot of reactions from her fans.

An X user, Lekebiz324, said, “Alozie, abeg o. Olympic dey next year o. I no won hear say u are ‘unavailable’.

“Another user, anumba_chigozie, said, “I reject any spirit of Baby Mama on you sweetheart, it’s not your portion.

Unkul_Obi said, “Wow. This is nice. When stars align we see nice things such as this.

“LBGamestips wrote, “Alozie, please be careful, to give woman belle no dey hard ham.”

“We no wan hear anything after months ooo,” X user, kikijjesu added.

Smile_Ocheson wrote, “Momma We Love you. Please we don’t want to miss you next season.

“Alozie played the entire match as Nigeria exited the competition in the round of 16 against European champions England.

The defender’s name trended for days on social media after Chelsea superstar Lauren James, stamped on her butt during the Nigeria vs England match.

The pilot of the Nigerian Air Force MI-171 jet that crashed in Niger State, Flight Lieutenant Ibrahim Adamu Abubakar, has been laid to rest.

Abubakar’s remains were laid to rest in Zaria, Kaduna State, after a prayer conducted at Haruna Danja Jumma’at mosque.

The prayer was led by the Chief Imam of the mosque, Sheikh Muhammad Sani Gumi.

Family members of the deceased and hundreds of mourners from all walks of life attended the burial.

The family of the late pilot had earlier performed a proxy funeral prayer (Salatul Gha’ib) for the deceased at Gaskiya Corporation mosque in Tudun Jukun, Zaria.

An elder brother of the deceased, Abubakar Adamu in an interview with Daily Trust explained that the family earlier performed a proxy funeral prayer in absentia for the deceased when they could not receive the corpse of the late pilot.

He said,

“When we concluded that we might not see the corpse of late Ibrahim, the family decided to conduct a funeral prayer for the deceased in absentia which was observed on Thursday as ordained by our religion, Islam.

“Such prayer in Islam is called Salatul Gha’ib and it is observed when the corpse of a deceased is not found. Therefore, as relatives, we have a religious burden to perform the prayer with or without the corpse.

“However, now that the corpse has been discovered, it is also mandatory for us to perform another funeral prayer for the deceased which is not out of place. And that’s what we just did.”

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission arrested 23 suspected internet fraudsters in a sting operation in Makurdi, Benue State.

The EFCC disclosed this on Tuesday in a post shared on the agency’s Facebook page.

The suspects are namely, David Uvaa, Patrick Adakole, Cyprian Aloo, Michael Anaambe, Okti Clinton, Ibi Raphael, Anaambe George, Msaasha John, Oche Edache, Anaker Terpase, Tanko Japhet and Ayalgo Lorfa.

Others include Success Terzungwe, Suursuter Isaiah, Lawani Peter, Paul Adewa, Jacob Paul, Ibi Shedrack, Iorkosu Michael, Shiedu Leonard, Terseer Mnenge, Ikyorna Raphael and Igba Ngutor.

Items recovered from them include mobile phones and one Toyota Corolla.

The suspects have made useful statements and will be charged to court as soon as the investigation is concluded.

A housewife, Furera Abubakar, 24, has been arrested for allegedly killing her co-wife’s four-day-old baby with an insecticide in Bauchi State.

Police Public Relations Officer, Ahmed Wakil, in a statement on Tuesday, disclosed the incident which happened at Bantu Village in Ningi Local Government Area of the state.

Wakali noted that the insecticide administered to the newborn baby by the suspect killed the child.

The statement read,

“Operatives attached to Bauchi State Police Command have arrested Furera Abubakar, female (24) of Bantu village, Ningi Local Government area of Bauchi State for the offence of culpable homicide.

“The incident was reported to the Ningi divisional police headquarters on the 19th of August, 2023 which revealed that the four-day-old baby was born on the 15th of August, 2023 and was murdered by the suspect, Furera Abubakar, on the 19th of August, 2023 before the naming ceremony.

“Preliminary investigation revealed that the suspect is a co-wife to The nursing mother (victim’s mother).

“The suspect entered the co-wife’s room with insecticide liquid (Gramalin) and applied it to the unhealed baby’s umbilical cord.

“The liquid which was suspected to be corrosively affected, and led to the deterioration of the baby’s health eventually led to his death.

“Investigation into the incident is discreetly ongoing, after which the suspect would be profiled and charged in court accordingly for prosecution, Wakali added.

The National Youth Service Corps resumed orientation camp in Maiduguri after 13 years the exercise was suspended in 2011 due to Boko Haram insurgency in Borno State.

Swearing in the Batch ‘B’ Stream 2 corps members at the temporary orientation camp in the state capital, the NYSC State Coordinator, Mohammed Adamu, gave kudos to the state governor, Babagana Zulum, for efforts made to return the orientation course in the state, Channels Television reports Tuesday.

He said the military, police, civil defence and Civilian Joint Taskforce are guarding the Arabic Teachers College used temporarily as the orientation camp site for respective corps members comprising 629 males and 496 females.

Zulum noted that the return of the orientation camp in the state signified the return of peace and security to the state after years of insurgency.

He instructed the NYSC officials to identify graduates of science courses, medical and para-medicals for possible employment with the state government.