Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State has sworn in 16 commissioners recently screened and confirmed by the state House of Assembly.

Mr Sule, at the event on Monday in Lafia, urged the new commissioners to shun corrupt tendencies and key into his administration’s vision of transparency, accountability, and the rule of law.

He advised them to justify the confidence that the government reposed in them.

I also urge you to be dedicated and hardworking, as this administration cherishes hard work, commitment, and loyalty, he said.

Mr Sule further assured of his administration’s continuous determination to develop good policies and programmes that would directly affect people’s lives.

The governor specifically commended the state assembly speaker, Ibrahim Abdullahi, and his members for the speedy screening and confirmation of the commissioners.

Besides, the governor announced that the state government would distribute palliatives recently received from the federal government to alleviate the economic suffering occasioned by the removal of petroleum subsidy.

Muhammad Aliyu, the Secretary to the State Government, noted that the new commissioners were screened and confirmed by the assembly and cleared by security agencies.

Nasarawa State has never had it so good as now because of the governor’s good policies and programmes,” he said.

The new commissioners are Yakubu Kwanta (environment and natural resources), Aishatu Rufai (women affairs), Umar Dan’akano ( agriculture), Munirat Abdullahi (finance), Timothy Kasuwa (special duties on security and public matters), Ja’afaru Ango (youth and sports development), Margaret Elayo (special duties on humanitarian services and NGOs), Bala Muiki (lands and urban development), and John Mamman (education).

Others are Abubakar Zanwa (water resources and rural development), Samuel Emgba (science and technology), Aliyu Tijjani (local government and chieftaincy affairs), Muhammed Iyimoga (trade and investment), Labaran Magaji (justice), Gaza Gwamna (health), and Mu’azu Gosho (works, housing, and transport).

On August 1, the assembly screened, confirmed, and submitted 16 out of the 17 nominees forwarded to it by the governor.

The speaker had confirmed that Haruna Musa, the 17th nominee, was unavailable for the screening due to an undisclosed health situation.

Brazil forward Neymar is headed for Saudi Arabia after Pro League side Al Hilal agreed a two-year deal with Paris St. Germain, Saudi state media reported on Monday.

There was no immediate comment from the Ligue 1 champions, owned by Qatar Sports Investments, but French newspaper L’Equipe said the deal could net 31-year-old Neymar €160 million ($175 million).

The transfer fee was reported to be about €90 million plus add-ons and subject to completing a medical.

Sources close to the operation told Reuters that Neymar was having a medical in Paris on Monday and was expected to arrive in Riyadh on Wednesday to be presented to fans at King Fahd Stadium.

Al Hilal, managed by Portuguese coach Jorge Jesus, plays Al Fayha on Saturday, with Neymar expected to wear the number 10 shirt.

Neymar, who joined PSG in 2017 from Spanish club Barcelona for a world record transfer fee of €222 million ($243 million), missed PSG’s league opener against Lorient on Saturday due to a viral infection.

The Brazilian was contracted to stay in the French capital until 2025 and has scored 118 goals in 173 appearances, capturing numerous trophies, including five Ligue 1 titles, but is no longer considered a key player in coach Luis Enrique’s squad.

Multiple sources said he had hoped to return to Barcelona on a loan agreement, but the Spanish side’s financial issues had made that unaffordable.

Al Hilal had tried to sign PSG’s France international Kylian Mbappe, who was reinstated into the Paris club’s first team on Sunday.

The Saudis were also reportedly interested in Argentinian Lionel Messi, who opted to join Major League Soccer’s Inter Miami.

Al Hilal, the most successful club in Saudi Arabia and Asia, has won 66 trophies and holds the record for league and Asian Champions League titles, with 18 and four, respectively.

Strengthening the squad is a priority for the Riyadh-based club, as the Saudi Public Investment Fund announced an investment and privatisation project for sports clubs involving league champions Al Ittihad, Al Ahli, Al Nassr, and Al Hilal in June.

The Saudi Pro League season kicked off on Friday after spending nearly half a billion dollars to lure a host of top players and coaches from European powerhouses.

Cristiano Ronaldo joined Al Nassr last season soon after the World Cup in a deal that made him the highest-paid athlete on the planet, while Al Ittihad signed Karim Benzema from Real Madrid.

Champions League winners Riyad Mahrez, Edouard Mendy, and Roberto Firmino signed for Al Ahli.

The World Athletics has denied the reports that Nigerian athlete Tobi Amusan has been cleared of doping and given the all-clear to defend her title at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary next week.

Nicole Jeffery, World Athletics’ Head of Communications, made this clarification in an e-mail message to journalists, who have been accredited to cover the 19th Championships, which starts this weekend.

“Please be advised – reports appearing in Nigeria that say Tobi Amusan has been cleared to compete in Budapest are wrong.

“No decision has been made in this case yet. When a decision is made, it will be announced by the Athletics Integrity Unit,” wrote Jeffery in the message.

Recall that Tobi’s name was excluded by the Athletics Federation of Nigeria from participating in the upcoming competition billed to hold from August 19 to August 27, 2023, as a result of the doping investigation.

The AIU has said a decision regarding the matter will be made before the start of the World Championships.

In July, Amusan was charged with an anti-doping rules violation for missing three drug tests in the span of 12 months.

With the Athletics Integrity Unit to hold a hearing on her case before the World Championships, Amusan has vowed to fight the charges and prove her innocence.

The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) says a road crash on Saturday claimed five lives and injured one at the Onitsha-Ogidi-Abatete Old Road Eke-Agu market area of Anambra.

This is contained in a statement issued on Sunday by FRSC spokesperson for the Anambra command, Margaret Onabe.

The statement said the incident occurred on Saturday at about 4:25 p.m. involving an unidentified commercial Toyota Sienna driver with vehicle registration number NZM 814 ZL.

The probable cause of the fatal crash was speeding, said the FRSC statement.

According to the FRSC, a witness said the driver negotiated a bend while speeding, causing the vehicle to summersault thrice.

“Six people comprising four male adults and two female adults were involved in the crash; one male adult was injured, while three male adults and two female adults were killed,” the statement explained.

“The FRSC rescue team from RS5.33 Nteje arrived at the scene of RTC and was briefed by some persons around the neighbourhood that the crash occurred Saturday evening and was cleared by police personnel from Ogidi police station.”

Three corpses were deposited at Ahufus Hospital’s mortuary in Abatete, while the other two were deposited at Iyi-Enu General Hospital, Ogidi.

Eder Militao became the second Real Madrid player to suffer an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury this week.

This was after goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois and the LaLiga club said on Sunday that the defender would require surgery.

Militao was injured when he hyperextended his knee early in the second half of Real’s 2-0 win over Athletic Bilbao on Saturday in their La Liga opener.

The 25-year-old defender was in tears as he was helped off the pitch.“After the tests carried out on our player Eder Militao, he has been diagnosed with a rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee.

Militao could be sidelined for several months, just like Courtois, who also required surgery after tearing the ACL in his left knee during a training session on Thursday.

Tunde Bakare, the senior pastor of Citadel Global Christian Centre, has warned President Bola Tinubu not to make Godwin Emefiele, the suspended governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, a scapegoat over his role in the country’s controversial naira design policy.

Mr Tinubu publicly stated that the policy was designed to scuttle his presidential ambition.

Following his emergence as president, one of Mr Tinubu’s immediate actions was to suspend the embattled CBN boss.

Mr Emefiele has since been in SSS detention despite a court order granting him bail.

Citing the CBN Act 2007, Mr Bakare said, “There is every possibility that the erstwhile central bank governor did not act without presidential authorisation.”

He added, “However, considering the dynamics of the pre-election environment and the then-candidate Bola Tinubu’s public allegation that the naira redesign policy was targeted at him, the optics of the president targeting Emefiele for prosecution after winning the election and being sworn in as the president could be interpreted as a form of vendetta far beneath such a distinguished office.”

In the build-up to the February 25 presidential poll, Mr Tinubu in Ogun accused then-President Muhammadu Buhari’s regime of using the raging fuel scarcity and naira redesign and cash handling policies of the CBN to blunt his chances at the February polls.

Now president, Mr Tinubu said the ousted CBN governor oversaw a “rotten financial system” in which a few persons made “bags of money.”

Niger coup plotters, now ruling in place of a democratically-elected government, have announced plans to charge ousted President Mohamed Bazoum with high treason and undermining national security.

Announcing the decision on national TV, the junta read a statement, saying it had gathered evidence to prosecute “the deposed president and his local and foreign accomplices for high treason and undermining the internal and external security of Niger.”

It did not give further details.The announcement came barely 48 hours after a high-powered delegation of Muslim clerics led by the national leader of Jama’atul Izalatil Bid’ah Waikamatu Sunnah from Nigeria met the coupists in Niamey to resolve the political impasse in Niger.

Ali Mahamane Lamine Zeine, the prime minister installed by the putschists, had disclosed that “we have agreed and the leader of our country has given the green light for dialogue.

They will now go back and inform the Nigerian president what they have heard from us…(sic).”

Mr Zeine added, “We hope in the coming days, they (ECOWAS) will come here to meet us to discuss how the sanctions imposed against us will be lifted.”

Mr Bazoum was ousted on July 26, and the coup plotters that overthrew his government have since rebuffed all efforts to restore the Nigerien president to power.

The military junta has also ignored sanctions and condemnations by ECOWAS and its international allies, including the U.S. and France.

Mr Bazoum, 63, had been placed under house arrest with his family amid growing concerns over his health.

On Saturday, Mr Bazoum’s doctor visited him and declared that he was in “good spirits” despite being held in “difficult” conditions.

The Bayelsa government on Sunday linked Saturday’s shootout between the police and armed youths in Nembe-Basambri to the forthcoming November 11 governorship election.

Information commissioner Ayibaina Duba disclosed this in a statement on Sunday.

The statement said the Bayelsa government was of a “strong suspicion“ that the incident was not unconnected with the forthcoming poll in the state.

Hoodlums, believed to be terrorising the Basambri settlement in Nembe LGA, engaged a police team deployed to the area in a gun duel forcing the residents to scamper to safety.

The statement expressed the government’s displeasure that the shootings “created a serious sense of insecurity, panic and fear among the people of the community.”

“Government will continue to work with the police and its sister agencies to ensure that the perpetrators of this dastardly act are brought to book.

The Bayelsa state government calls on the inspector general of police to cause an immediate investigation aimed at unravelling the identity of these criminals and their sponsors who have continued to undermine public peace in Nembe,” it explained.

The statement added, “It is time to stop handling the tormentors of the Nembe people with a kid glove.”

It urged the police high command to be on top of the situation without further delay and unveil the perpetrators.

It was gathered that a joint police tactical team from the police headquarters and the police command in Bayelsa conducted the operation in Nembe on Saturday.

SP Asinim Butswat, the police spokesperson in Bayelsa, dismissed the rumours making the rounds that the operation was carried out by armed youths in police uniforms.

Mr Butswat said on Sunday evening that the operation was duly authorised, and the team recovered a cache of arms and ammunition.

“There was no issue at all. The operation was professionally handled by men of the command and a special team from Abuja.

They made arrests and recovered arms, and the suspects have been taken to Abuja,” stated the police officer.

“The police cannot tolerate the stockpiling of arms in that area.”

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) says 56 communities across 19 states will likely witness heavy rainfall that can lead to flooding within the month.

Ibrahim Farinloye, NEMA’s territorial coordinator in Lagos, said this in a statement on Monday.

The states are Delta (Aboh), Ekiti (Ado Ekiti), Ondo (Akure, Idanre, Ifon, Iju Itaogbolu, Ogbese, Owo, Owena, and Ondo), Lagos (Apapa, Badagry, Eti Osa, Ikeja, Ikorodu, Ikoyi, Lagos Island, Ojo, and Surulere), Anambra (Atani) and Ogun (Ifo, Ota, Sagamu), Nasarawa (Lafia and Wamba) and Cross River (Ikom and Ogoja).

Others are Bauchi (Jamaare, Misau, Azare, Itas, Kafin Madaki, Kari, Kirfi, Tafawa Balewa, and Katagum), Jigawa (Hadejia and Miga), Osun (Ilesa and Osogbo), Kwara (Kosubosu), Zamfara (Anka, Bungudu and Gusau), Sokoto (Goronyo), Adamawa (Numan and Shelleng), Taraba (Serti), Benue (Ito, Katsina-Alan, and Vandeikya), Imo (Oguta and Orlu) and Abia (Ugba).

Residents of Dutse communities in Bwari Area Council of the FCT on Sunday called on the FCT Administration to fix bad roads that had become death traps in the area.

Some of them told journalists that the bad roads had slowed down businesses and increased the hardship of residents.

Adamu Bala, a commercial tricycle operator, said he took the daily risk of leaving his vehicle at Dutse Market instead of taking it to his house because the road had become impassable.

He lamented that this was apart from spending heavily on repairing the tricycle, as it regularly broke down on the bad road network in the area.

“With the current inflationary rate in the country, one cannot break even in business.

“I beg the Bwari Area Council to come to our aid and fix the roads. If this is the only thing it will do for us, we will be grateful,’’ he said.

Mr Bala also noted that the roads would soon become impassable with the onset of torrential rains if repairs were not carried out quickly.

Peter Abu, a commercial bus driver, shared Mr Bala’s views as he said roads in the area quickly wore out his tyres, making him replace them too often.

He called on the government to alleviate the people’s suffering and not to remain adamant about their plight.He expressed regret at plying roads in the area and said he was incurring losses every day.

Another motorist, Charles Jonathan, said, “One ends up spending all his earnings to fix the vehicle because of bad roads.”

Other residents and business people in the area also expressed the same misgivings about the roads and pleaded with the government to repair them.

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted three major illicit drug syndicates that led to the arrest of a baroness and four other kingpins in Lagos State.

A statement by the NDLEA spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, on Sunday said multi-billion naira worth of cocaine, opioids and loud was recovered from their hideouts.

Mr Babafemi said a female head of one of the syndicates, Faith Nwankwo, was arrested on Wednesday, August 9, at her residence, House 6, C close, 3rd Avenue, Festac area of Lagos.

He said this shortly after she returned from a warehouse at Plot 3432, Sola Akinsola Street, Divine Estate, Amuwo Odofin, where she loaded eight cartons of tramadol 225mg into an unmarked white Honda Pilot SUV.

Mr Babafemi said a search of her residence and the warehouse led to the recovery of 2,750,000 pills of tramaking, a brand of tramadol 225mg and 250mg, packed in 39 cartons weighing 1,916 kilogrammes.

He said the drugs and the SUV were recovered, while the suspect was taken into custody.

In another operation targeted at a group of transnational syndicates involved in the importation, exportation, distribution, and dealing of cocaine and Canadian loud, NDLEA operatives on Friday, August 4, tracked the drug syndicate to Atlantic Nominee Estate in the Lekki- Ajah area of Lagos.

Mr Babafemi said a blue Toyota Highlander SUV was loaded with 8.49kg of cocaine and 10.3kg Canadian loud for distribution by the duo of Urama Chinemelum Precious, 32, and Adelakun Ilelabayo Oluade, 55.

He said a follow-up operation at the residence of Mr Chinemelum at House 7, Road 7, Lagra Estate, Eti-Osa, Lagos, led to the recovery of additional 18 blocks of loud, weighing 18.5kg.

According to him, the following day, Saturday, August 5, operatives of the special unit went after another syndicate involved in the importation, distribution and diversion of ephedrine hydrochloride.”

This is a precursor chemical used for the production of methamphetamine and this came following intelligence that members of the cartel were planning to divert 25 kilogrammes of the substance.

“Two members of the syndicate: Udeh Ogbonna, 53, and Okonkwo Uzozie, 50, were arrested at a commercial bus terminal in Jibowu, Yaba, Lagos, where they were attempting to send the concealed substance to the South-East.

“A body search conducted on the two suspects led to the recovery of Three Thousand ($3,000) US Dollars found on Udeh Ogbonna,” he said.

Gov. Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau has assured youths in the state of their engagement in governance.

Mr Mutfwang gave the assurance in a statement issued by his director of press and public affairs, Gyang Bere, on Saturday in Jos to mark the 2023 International Youth Day.

He acknowledged the crucial contribution of youths in development initiatives in the state and their potential to revamp the economy of the state.

He said that strategic positions were given to them in his administration and his executive council in recognition of such a

The governor said that he had directed that youths – 40 years and below be engaged as members of the transition committee for local government areas.

According to the governor, the theme of the 2023 International Youth Day theme, “Green Skills for Youth Towards a Sustainable World,” is apt and aligns with his administration’s “Land is Green” revolution.

He felicitated Plateau youths on the occasion and described them as productive, resilient, competent, talented, and deeply committed to contribute their quota to the overall progress of the state.

“I will support the youths in harnessing their inherent talents,” he said.

Mr Mutfwang said that he would partner with the youths to combat drug addiction in Plateau, particularly those involved in the import and sale of illicit substances.

He wished them a remarkable celebration saying, “the time is now for building a united and prosperous Plateau.”

Gov. Peter Mbah of Enugu State has reiterated his resolve to harness the opportunities presented by the Ogurugu waterway and jetty to boost the state’s economy, ease transportation, and create employment.

This is as the Chief of the Naval Staff, Rear Adm. Emmanuel Ogalla, assured of expedited work on the proposed naval base in the Ogurugu coastal community at Uzo Uwani Council Area, to strengthen security and shore up investors’ confidence in the state.

The governor made the promise during an inspection of facilities at Ogurugu jetty with Mr Ogalla on Saturday in Enugu.

Mr Ogalla had on Thursday, during a visit to Mr Mbah, said the navy would establish an operational base in the Uzo Uwani Council Area of Enugu state as a way of providing internal security to the state.

Mr Mbah, represented by his Deputy, Ifeanyi Ossai, further gave the government’s total support to the proposed naval base.Mr Mbah said:

“The economy of Nigeria is essentially road-driven and that contributes to damage to our roads because no one measures the axle weight.

“But with the investment the Navy is trying to make in our waters, they can now police the navigable waterways, which is cheaper for the movement of goods and services.

That was why the colonial companies like the UAC, John Holt, among others, used this place as a forwarding base for trading.

“So, what this will essentially do is that it will help to explode the economy of Enugu State as it is going to be a major contributor to the growth of our economy from $4.4 billion to $30 billion as we promised our people.

“It will further enhance our planned special crop processing zone and as a government, we will give the navy and indeed the federal government all the support to make the project happen in no distant time.”

Speaking earlier, Mr Ogalla assured that expeditious action would be given to the setting up of the naval facilities, adding that the base would be of immense benefit not only to the SouthEast region, but the North Central zone.

He also said that the activities of naval officers in the state would help reassure investors in the state of their security as well as their investment.

“The establishment of the naval base at Ogurugu community is going to be as quickly as possible. We have seen the facilities left behind by the federal government, which can serve as a starting point for us.

“We have seen the jetty also built by the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), which is one of the most difficult aspects of establishing a naval base. The two important facilities are like springboards for setting up a naval base.

“So, I believe what we need is just to do the remaining paperwork, get all the necessary approvals, and within a short time, the naval base would be here because it is very important to our operations in the South East and the North Central,” he said.

The Chief of the Naval Staff added that the establishment of a naval base in the area would open up Ogurugu Port, which used to be a port during the colonial era, and by doing so, ease the pressure on the roads.

“By the time we are here, the investing general public will also have more confidence in using this waterway as a viable means of transportation.

“So, I believe that our presence here is very important. We are going to hasten it up in collaboration with the state government, which has given us immense support,” he said.

President Bola Tinubu has expressed profound sadness over the death of Nigeria’s ambassador to France, Kayode Laro.

He also extended his deepest condolences to the deceased family, the diplomatic community, as well as the government and people of Kwara.

The president recognised Mr Laro’s tireless dedication in fostering mutually-beneficial diplomatic ties between Nigeria and France during his tenure.

He also noted his commitment to diplomacy and the impactful role he played in ensuring the success of the president’s visit to France in June this year.

The visit was the president’s first foreign trip following his assumption of office on May 29.

Mr Laro has devoted himself fully to his duties during 35 illustrious years in service as a Nigerian diplomat, spanning from 1983 to 2018.

Mr Tinubu remembered the late diplomat’s profound grasp of geo-political intricacies and how he aptly harnessed his wealth of skill and experience in multilateral diplomacy to advance worldwide peace, security and development.

The president affirms that the appointment of the Fellow of the National Defence College as an Ambassador in July 2020 to represent Nigeria in France was in recognition of his widely respected expertise and dedication.

“Our nation has lost an exemplary diplomat. I will always hold cherished memories of my interactions with him during my attendance at the New Global Financial Pact Summit in France this June.

“His unwavering dedication and strong sense of duty left an indelible mark. May his legacy continue to inspire us to strive for a more harmonious and prosperous world,” the president said.

Mr Tinubu prayed that Almighty God would continue to console Mr Laro’s family, friends, and colleagues while granting eternal rest to the departed soul.

Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Operatives have arrested 14 suspected internet fraudsters in Makurdi, Benue.

EFCC spokesperson Wilson Uwujaren disclosed this in a statement in AbujaAccording to him, the suspects include Solomon Oloche, Innocent Ochola, Aselo Wisdom, Simon Jeff, Innocent Raphael, Akula Kelvin, Emmanuel Okanche, Francis Chikodirie, Atoo Michael, Ochayi Nelson, Ngutor Paul, Michael Tyobe, Samuel Okanche, and Patience Tseaa.

He said they were arrested after a series of surveillance based on intelligence on their alleged criminal activities.

There is a heavy presence of security operatives at the Osun-Osogbo groove in Osogbo as the annual festival gradually comes to a close at the River Osun bank on Friday.

There were also armed security personnel at the entrance of the groove.Operatives of the police, Federal Road Safety Corps officers, State Security Service, and local vigilantes are all positioned within the groove.

Private security guards were also seen around the pavilion where dignitaries and hosts of the Osun-Osogbo festival, Oba Jimoh Olanipekun, the Ata-Oja of Osogbo, are expected to be seated.

Many devotees were spotted fetching water at the Osun River bank, while some were seen saying their traditional prayers and performing other rituals.

The union’s chairman, Moussa Faki Mahamat, in a statement, said he stands behind the group’s response to the coup in Niger.

After a key summit in Nigeria’s capital, Abuja, on Thursday, ECOWAS instructed its military chiefs to put together an intervention force for possible deployment in Niger.

However, it stressed that the key priority was moving forward peacefully.Mr Mahamat also reiterated his call for the immediate release of ousted Nigerien President Mohamed Bazoum and all members of his family and government.

On July 26, officers of the presidential guard in Niger ousted Mr Bazoum.The elite unit commander, Abdourahamane Tchiani, subsequently appointed himself the new ruler and dissolved the constitution.Mr Bazoum and his family have been held in his residence for over two weeks now.

In the so-called “coup belt” of the Sahel region, Niger had been the exception to the rule, with its democratic government representing one of the last strategic partners of the West in the fight against Islamic terrorists in the region.

The international community condemned the coup and pushed the coup leaders to restore order and hand power.