Gov. Gaidam away in Malaysia as Dapchi schoolgirls return
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for all the contributions toward the development of mankind in the field of education and the promotion of peace and harmony lincoln university college today honours gov. gaidam the vice chancellor said1 yobe governor ibrahim gaidam and several members of his cabinet are away in kuala lumpur malaysia as his state erupted in joy over the release of 101 out of 110 schoolgirls abducted by boko haram on 19 february1 the award was conferred on him today coinciding with the release of the schoolgirls abducted from dapchi government girls science and technical college1 the governors absence may explain why the three ministers sent to dapchi by president muhammadu buhari are calling in maiduguri first instead of going straight to damaturu the yobe capital1 buhari had visited damaturu and dapchi on 14 march and vowed to do everything possible to rescue the dapchi schoolgirls1 according to the university gaidam was recognised for working hard to improve education and security in yobe state despite the ongoing nine-year old boko haram insurgency1 the award was conferred on him at the universitys 2018 convocation ceremony which took place at the putra world trade centre in the malaysian capital kuala lumpur1 lincoln universitys vice chancellor dr. amiya bhaumik said the university was impressed that despite the insurgency in yobe state governor gaidam had forged ahead to rebuild expand and equip schools including some of those earlier destroyed by the boko haram insurgents1 governor gaidam has lived the philosophy of abraham lincoln of working for the good of humanity. he is not only working hard to nip the boko haram insurgency in the bud by partnering with the security forces in nigeria he is also working to provide education to boys and girls and in conjunction with the federal authorities to make sure that those girls that have been kidnapped are returned safely to their parents1 gaidam was in malaysia to receive a gold merit award conferred on him by the lincoln university college of malaysia based in petaling jaya near kuala lumpur1 the pro-chancellor of the university prof. datuk bibi florina abdullah also lauded the governor saying as an institution that is going global lincoln university was pleased to honour the governor1 gaidam said he was humbled to be so recognised with the gold merit award1 i am humbled by the fact that this award is a recognition of my contributions which you have assessed to the promotion of security peace well-being and educational development of my state yobe state of nigeria i wish to say that this event has no doubt helped to further bring to light what we in yobe state of nigeria have been doing for the development of education and security he said1 the governor who spoke about specific actions that he took to re-position the education sector said his administration is willing to establish partnership with lincoln university especially given their renowned excellence in the field of medicine1 there is the need for collaboration between this university and the yobe state university fully established and funded by our administrationthe lincoln university college can also assist us with expertise in the running of our state university teaching hospital damaturu and the full take-off of the college of medical sciences in the yobe state university he said1 gaidam said following the sad abduction of schoolgirls at ggstc dapchi he was initially disinclined to receive the award1 the sad incident in dapchi is very devastating. and although the offer letter from lincoln university came well before the dapchi incident i was disinclined to receive the award with what has happened with our girls in dapchi. but since serious efforts are underway to get the girls back and we are confident they will be released insha allah i decided not to be discourteous to the university after having initially accepted the honour he said1 providing context to the award conferred on the governor the provost of the atiku abubakar college of legal and islamic studies nguru dr. abba idriss who was present at the ceremony said lincoln university picked yobe state as an area of research interest following a conference paper he delivered under the title boko haram insurgency and its effects on education in nigeria the case of yobe state in pahang malaysia in april 20171 the occasion was the 2nd international conference on humanities language culture and business. many malaysian universities were represented at the conference lincoln university among them. after i delivered my paper lincoln university decided to show interest by checking some of the issues i raised1

APC hail return of Dapchi school girls
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by emmanuel mogbede4 the news agency of nigeria nan reports that the boko haram today returned 105 kidnapped dapchi school girls in nine vehicles same way they took them away on feb. 191 malam bolaji abudullahi apc national publicity secretary said this in a statement in abuja on wednesday while expressing delight over the return of the girl by their abductors1 the apc is extremely delighted with the news of the return of the schoolgirls abducted from government girls science technical college dapchi yobe state by boko haram1 with this prompt release of the dapchi girls the apc government has demonstrated how government should respond to such situations1 if the immediate past peoples democratic party pdp administration had responded with the similar alacrity the chibok schoolgirls would have been released or rescued he said1 the all progressives congress apc has described the prompt release of the dapchi schoolgirls as another demonstration of the political will of president muhammadu buhari to secure lives of nigerians1 this he said left the apc government with no choice than to rescue many of the girls and rehabilitate them when it came to power in 20151 abudullahi assured nigerians that the apc-led federal government was committed to securing the release of the remaining chibok schoolgirls still held in captivity by boko haram1 the spokesman added that government would ultimately rehabilitate and reunite the girls with their families and loved ones when they were eventually rescued1 he expressed confidence that the reforms that the government had embarked on would improve the capacity and efficiency of security agencies to prevent the kidnap of children by terrorists1 this he said would also diminish the ability of terrorist to carry out attacks on soft targets1 the apc spokesman noted that instead of giving the situation the urgency it deserved the pdp wasted several weeks wallowing in denial and conspiracy theories1

Reports:Bayern striker Lewandowski set for Madrid
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bayern munichs goal poacher robert lewandowski is set to force his way out of the club in the summer and join real madrid1 the poland international is desperate for a new challenge and hired super-agent pini zahavi who has met with potential clubs in the recent months1 according to mundo deportivo the 29-year-old will sign a two-year contract with madrid picking up a healthy wage bump with the option of extending the deal for a further year1 despite agreeing personal terms with real madrid bayern munich are still resisting transfer talk involving their star goal scorer1 the bayern forward is still under contract at the club until the summer of 2021 and will have to persuade the bundesliga giants to let him leave in the summer1 lewandowski who has won five german league title in his eight years in germany has scored 142 goals in just 184 appearances for bayern munich1 the polish skipper is attracted by the fact that he will be spearheading real madrids attack force if he signs since the current striker karim benzema is set to be sold by the spanish giants after awful season1 reports said manchester united and chelsea are also interested in adding the striker in their squads but his agent met with jose angel sanchez and agreed with the real madrid terms1

Zimbabwe to hold election in July Mnangagwa
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i have already invited all political parties in zimbabwe to a roundtable where we all commit ourselves to non-violence he added2 president emmerson mnangagwa of zimbabwe says the country will hold its first presidential and parliamentary elections in july after the long ruler of former president robert mugabe2 the polls will be the first major test of the new leader who took power in november after a de facto military coup forced the 94-year-old mugabe to resign2 they will also be the first without mugabes name on the ballot since independence from britain in 19802 as a nation party and government we are looking forward to very peaceful transparent and harmonised elections in july this year mnangagwa sid2 mnangagwa 75 said the elections would be free of the violence that gripped previous polls and which was one of the reasons for strained relations between zimbabwe and the west2 he made the announcement after meeting with the south african president cyril ramaphosa on saturday night2 mnanaggwa will have to announce a date in an official notice. he has said he would invite western observers who had been banned under mugabes rule2 the state-owned weekly sunday mail said a european union pre-election team was expected in harare on monday2 the eu head of mission in zimbabwe phillipe van damme told the paper it would meet the president political party leaders and the zimbabwe electoral commission2 mugabe in his first comments since he stepped down said last week that mnangagwas rule was illegitimate and a disgrace2 sourceuk.reuters.comarticleuk-zimbabwe-politicspresident-says-zimbabwe-to-hold-elections-in-july-idukkbn1gu0gmrpc4012

Ekiti election litmus test for APC ahead 2019: Odigie-Oyegun
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nan reports that oyegun had earlier on arrival made a stop-over at the party secretariat where he flagged-off the new membership registration exercise2 the national chairman of the all progressives congress apc chief john odigie oyegun on monday declared that the forthcoming july 14 2018 ekiti governorship election is a litmus test for the party ahead of the general election in 20192 oyegun made the remark in ado-ekiti during the kick-off of fresh membership registration drive of the apc in ekiti2 according to him the party will deploy every available resources to win the election and promised all the 33 apc governorship aspirants that the party would conduct a free fair and credible primary in the state2 he debunked the possibility of delegates list padding and other fraudulent practices that could vitiate the outcome of the may 5 primary2 he also assured that the national secretariat of the party did not have any favourite among the aspirants as being insinuated2 the news agency of nigeria nan reports that the state chairman of apc chief jide awe reportedly in hiding over an alleged murder case made a surprise appearance at the event2 nan reports that the ekiti state government had been after awe over his alleged complicity in the murder of juliana adewunmi and ayo jeje who were killed in erinjiyan ekiti on may 30 2014 during the administration of dr kayode fayemi2 oyegun hinted that the delegates list to conduct the primary had been compiled and would be made available to aspirants with good financial standing for verification2 we will work hard to ensure that ekiti returns to the progressives fold after the july 14 election2 though we are in power at the centre that doesnt mean we should not work hard2 president muhammadu buhari as you know will not rig or compromise or subvert the will of the electorate so we must work hard to deserve the victory that will come to us he said2 he said the party must therefore work very hard to win the state2 oyegun was received by party chieftains including the minister of mines and steel development dr kayode fayemi the deputy national chairman south chief segun oni and members of the state working committee2 other aspirants at the event included sen. gbenga aluko sen. ayo arise wole oluyede wole oluleye capt. sunday adebomi bimbo daramola dr mojisola yaya-kolade victor kolade mr kola alabi mr diran adesua dr bayo oriire and femi bamisile2 others like mr opeyemi bamidele sen. babafemi ojudu and mr.bamidele faparusi sent representatives2 we have got your demands and we are giving you assurances that there will be no imposition and that the primary shall be free fair and credible2 to all the aspirants you must not campaign as if there wont be tomorrow. dont campaign in a way that breeds enmity. i learnt that you are above 30 but the large number shouldnt be a source of problem2 let me say this clearly anybody who wants to fly the flag of our party must maintain decorum. we shall be fair to you as much as possible because there cant be peace when justice is denied2 we must not also have bad losers you must work with whomever the electors pick as their candidate during the primary2 all aspirants must ensure that there is no division before and after the primary. we are also barring members of swc from joining the bandwagon of campaign for any of the aspirants because this can cause further division he stated2 oyegun said the choice of ekiti to flag off the programme was strategic saying this conveyed a vivid and strong message of love for the people of the state especially with regards to the july poll2 i am happy with apc in ekiti with the level of mobilisation from our aspirants. you have shown that you are desirous to join the progressives fold. we didnt choose ekiti for the flag off of this programme by accident2 we have decided that this election is one that we will particularly work hard and leave no stone unturned because to us it is a must-win election he said2

Wakili: Senate adjourns, to hold valedictory Wednesday
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the senate on tuesday adjourned its plenary in honour of late in abuja1 the resolution of the senate to adjourn its plenary followed a motion moved by the leader of the senate ahmed lawan1 presenting the motion lawan said that the nation had indeed lost a lawmaker who fought for the development of democracy in the country1 on the 17th of this month saturday we woke up to a very sad news of the death of our friend our brother and our colleague very distinguished senator ali wakili lawan said1 mr president this is sad for not only this senate. not only his senatorial district that he represented but for his entire country and the development of democracy in nigeria1 it is tradition that when this kind of divine incident happens and we lose a colleague in the senate or house of representatives we normally observe one-minute silence in the honour of the departed but also adjourn plenary and suspend activities in the national assembly in honour of the deceased. may his soul rest in peace1 on his part senate president bukola saraki said a special valedictory session would be held in wakilis honour on wednesday1 thereafter senate was adjourned to wednesday when a valedictory session will be held in honour of wakili1 it is the tradition of both houses to adjourn its next day of plenary following the death of any serving member of the national assembly1

How explosion unsettled FedEx in Texas, U.S.
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read more18 there are indications that a device that exploded early tuesday at a fedex ground distribution facility in texas injuring one person is linked to a string of bombings that have rocked the states capital this month federal officials said1 schertz police lt. manny casastold fox news thata medium-sized box was on the conveyor belt when the explosion occurred1 casas said a woman was treated for a possible sound injury and was released. he said the blast happened shortly after midnight1 schertz police couldnt immediately confirm what was in the package but law enforcement officialssaidthe medium-sized package contained metal shrapnel and nails and was headed to austin when it exploded on a conveyor track1 the blast drew a large response from state local and federal law enforcement agencies. federal agents told the associated press the package is likely linked to attacks in austin1 the atfs houston office said it responded to the scene in schertz1 schertz is located 22 miles east of san antonio and 73 miles south of austin1 the blast comes a day after authorities in austin said a serial bomber is likely responsible for four explosions in austin this month the latest of which injured two people sunday night after they crossed a trip wire possibly made with fishing line1 austin police chief brian manley said at a news conference monday that although the sunday night bomb was linked to the three previous blasts the latest bomb showed more sophistication as opposed to the previous three incidents which involved package bombs left on peoples doorsteps1

Pope to wash feet of 12 inmates to mark Holy Thursday
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pope francis will wash the feet of 12 inmates at romes central prison during a holy week ritual meant to show his willingness to serve others1 the vatican said tuesday that francis will meet march 29 with inmates at the regina coeli prison including those in the special protected wing where sexual predators are housed1 francis has made the holy thursday ritual a hallmark of his papacy part of his insistence that the catholic church must go to the margins of society to serve1 his decision five years ago to celebrate his first foot-washing ceremony at a rome youth detention center raised eyebrows among conservatives after he washed the feet of women and muslims as well1 sourcehttpswww.washingtonpost.comnationalreligionpope-to-perform-holy-thursday-foot-wash-rite-at-rome-prison1

Buhari to Putin: Promote international peace
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president muhammadu buhari has urged russias president vladimir putin to use his re-election to promote international peace and stability1 putin whose country is having some sour relations with the west over the invasion of crimea and the poisoning of a former russian spy sergei skripal and his daughter with a nerve agent won a resounding re-election for a fourth term on sunday1 president buhari in a letter extended sincere congratulations to him1 buhari said putins success for the fourth time in the election is a clear testimony of the confidence russians have in his leadership1 he also urged his russian counterpart to see this victory as a base to continue to promote international peace and stability1 president buhari assured president putin of nigerias commitment to a stronger and mutually beneficial relations with the russian federation under your watch1 he said he looked forward to continue working with the russian leader to strengthen our defence trade and technical partnerships as well as promotion of private sector participation in all sectors of our economies1

Scamburst: New way instagram shoppers fight scam
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it was becoming really hard to trust instagram vendors but with scamburst i send several pages to be checked and authentic pages are selected for me she said2 by anita eboigbe2 the account @scamburstng has been trending on various social media platforms for helping shoppers check scam pages to discover those that would likely be scam pages2 instagram which is regarded by communication experts as one of the biggest online shopping platforms because of its picture and video content sharing nature have faced threats from scam pages recently2 the news agency of nigeria nan reports that a business motivation group @abujabusiness comprising mostly female entrepreneurs in abuja recently raised concerns over influx of scam pages on the social media2 it stated there has been several complaints of an influx of scam pages on the social media platform which has reduced customer trust on the platform2 some of the instagram shoppers who spoke to nan said that scamburst has helped them distinguish between scam vendors and real ones using subtle pointers2 other respondents praised the initiative adding that has rejuvenated the flair for online shopping by assisting shoppers to identify scam pages2 a shopper zainab abimbola told nan that scamburst would further help in reassuring buyers especially those who have been swindled in the past2 in a bid to curb the rising wave of scam on the social networking platform instagram users who usually shop on the platform have taken to an anonymously run account scamburst to review pages of vendors and verify their authenticity2 another shopper andrew goke said that the page has saved him a lot of money as he had been scam severally by vendors on instagram2 i had given up on instagram vendors they have duped me severally. at least with a page that detects scam it is easy to go to them for referral he said2 according to the handlers of scamburst it has put up fresh and notorious scam pages on its instagram handle so that shoppers can be on the lookout2 they said sometimes what the shoppers see on the instagram page of the seller is not what he or she gets at the end of the day2 so there is already an issue of trust and people are scared of instagram shopping vendors have been trying to combat the problem on their own but it is limited2 by popular demand we help shoppers review pages and certify that the vendor is sincere this way the instagram shopping space is becoming safe again scamburst said2 the page handlers listed several factors to look out for when identifying scam pages including request for too much information from the customer2 they include use of too many hashtags too-good-to-be-true deals frequent discount offers and over flooding of stock pictures as red flags to spot in instagram scam pages2

Oral Health: Dentist scores Nigerians high
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by okeoghene akubuike2 the celebration is aimed at creating awareness on the prevention and control of oral disease1 logede who is a principal dental officer in theoral diagnosis unit of the national hospital abuja told our correspondent on tuesday in abuja that the use of social media contributed to the success recorded1 he said that poor dental health could affect a persons general health and well-being as the mouth is the gateway to the body1 according to him contrary to what people think there is nothing happening in the body that does not have symptoms or indications in the mouth1 the dentist explained that poor oral hygiene could also affect the psychological well-being of a person and make one lose self-confidence1 your total psychological well-being is affected when you have bad oral hygiene you would not be able to speak or smile in public and people will find it unpleasant talking with you1 he also said that a person with poor oral health would find eating food and taking cold or hot drinks unpleasant. when your teeth and gum are in poor condition you can no longer enjoy your food if you take cold or hot drinks your teeth will scream aloud.1 as the world marks the 2018 world oral health day dr seye logedevice-chairman dental association of nigeria abuja chaptersays the general attitude of nigerians to oral health has significantly improved unlike in times past1 he however said children born with any congenital malformation affecting the mouth should see the dentist from birth1 on the theme of the celebration which is say ahh think mouth think health he said to be candid the attitude of nigerians to oral health is improving unlike a few years ago that people did not bother with their oral health1 if you are anaemic or have some underlying health conditions there is a way it shows in the mouth1 the dentist therefore advised members of the public to also brush twice a day first thing in the morning and last thing at night1 he also said that people should try to avoid eating between meals1 people should try to reduce their snacking habit take a lot of fluids and see their dentists every six months1 nan reports that the world dental foundation launched the world oral health day in 2002 and it is being celebrated on march 20 yearly1 logede advised that every human being should see a dentist every six months at most while for children as soon as they start to have teeth1

As Effedua repositions Maritime Academy of Nigeria
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i am disappointed particularly over abandoned projects and the large areas of land that have not been developed. we have a lot to do1 a news analysis by taiye elebiyo-edeni1 an academy formerly known as the nautical college of nigeria was established in 1979 as to educate and train shipboard officers ratings and shore-based management personnel1 however the academy was only able to graduate its first set of cadets in 1983 after which the academy still grappled with so much challenges1 for the rector of the academy commodore emma effedua restructuring and repositioning the school is tops on the agenda of the federal government which he had pledged to drive to the fullest1 for him there is no challenge or shortcoming which the school currently faces that is not surmountable1 effedua itemized some of the problems bedeviling the school to include uncompleted projects owing to lack of funds1 he proposes the conversion of some of the buildings in the school to hotels from which money can be generated to execute other critical projects1 the rector disclosed that management was already at the point of getting permission to effect the conversion adding that the hotel could also house students on short courses1 effedua noted that the restructuring and repositioning of the academy was timely as international maritime organisation imo was gradually losing hope in nigeria producing quality seafarers1 he promised that the new management and the governing board will work together in few months on the infrastructure and cadets to get the required training expected by imo standard1 the federal government had on march 9 2018 inaugurated the governing board of five agencies under the ministry of transportation including man board headed by ademola seriki1 the board saw an urgent need to inspect the academy facilities towards its restructuring to arrest the deteriorating state in line with its mandate and core values1 mr ademola seriki chairman of the governing board decried the level of abandoned projects and obsolete infrastructure in the academy1 he observed that some of the equipment purchased 25 years back dotted the foundry shop of the institution and underscored the need to replace them with modern ones1 for over 15 years the maritime academy of nigeria oron akwa ibom has been enmeshed in a myriad of challenges ranging from conflicts poor management infrastructural deficit to the core challenge of unqualified teachers1 we need to put the necessary infrastructure in place we must really work in synergy with our sister agencies like the nigeria port authority nimasa nigeria liquefied natural gas nlng and others1 we must build a relationship that will result in acquiring assets that will be of benefits to everyone he said1 however the chairman house committee on maritime safety education and administration mr mohammed umar-bago who also went on an oversight function had advised the management to sack the 83 staff employed in 2016 without due process1 the chairman said that the academy was a special school that needs professionals to train the cadets not just employing people that are not relevant to the mandate of the academy1 rector the issue of this 83 staff sacks them if their employment did not go through due process that is how touts are employed1 any employment that does not have approval means there was never any employment in the first place1 it does not make sense to have 700 staff in an academy of just 300 cadets. that means the academy is over bloated. i will encourage you to right-size. even if people dont like it it must still happen1 the lawmaker attributed the poor infrastructure to the debt the school owed contractors and urged the management to pay-off debts of contractors to enable them complete all abandoned projects1 umar-bago also charged the institute to address over 6000 petitions against the academy1 according to him the new management should avoid any form of petition against the academy and pay more attention to staff welfare and promotions1 i want to charge this management on staff welfare promotion and retirement this should be our focus for 2018 budget1 we want to reduce acrimony to zero per cent and reduce the issue of petition we also want to reduce every forms of dissatisfaction and lack of motivation among staff1 we have more than 6000 petitions against this academy only we dont have space for the petitions pay all your contractors. this school is indebted that is why we have so many uncompleted projects he said1 he expressed the willingness of the committee to support the management to move the institution forward saying it is sad seeing nigerians going outside the country for courses obtainable in the academy.nan1

Nigerian banks lose 2m customers in 2 years Statistics
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by racheal ishaya6 the cbn money deposit banks micro finance banks and other stakeholders are curre implementing different policies designed to enhance financial inclusion in the country1 according to statistics from thenigeria inter-bank settlement system nibss the number of active bank accounts also reduced by 1.5 million dropping from 65 million to 63.5 million1 the statistics obtained by the news agency of nigeria nan from the nibss website on sunday showed that the total number of bank customers dropped from 61 million in 2016 to 59 million in 20171 according to nibss the banking sector however made great strides in linking customers account using the bank verification number bvn1 the report showed that linked bvn accounts grew from 26 million in 2016 to 41.3 million in 20171 according to a banking industry source the reduction in banking customers is not unconnected to the federal governments declaration to fight against corruption1 when buhari assumed office many people abandoned their accounts especially civil servants because of fear of investigation1 while some out rightly closed down their accounts others opted for gradual withdrawal so as not to raise alarm the source said1 the source who works at one of the top five banks in the country blamed the bvn for the low patronage of banking products especially in the rural areas where awareness was already very low1 despite central bank of nigerias cbn effort to promote financial inclusionnigerian banks lost over 2 million customers between 2016 and 20171 first of all the interest rate is next to nothing so there is little reason to keep your money at the bank when you can turn it over doing other businesses she said1 another customer who preferred to remain anonymous said he opened several accounts during the ponzi scheme boom in the country but was forced to abandon them after the schemes crashed in late 2016 and early 20171 however a source at the cbn told nan that the reduction in the number of banking customers was caused mainly by the introduction of bvn1 the reduction may not necessarily be a bad thing. for example many people opened accounts using different variations of their names1 a person bearing musa salisu mohammed may have other accounts as salisu mohammed or musa salisu1 so with the introduction of bvn such customers were forced to regularise their names however some opted to close down their accounts which resulted in the reduction of active bank accounts and customers the source said1 the cbn source was however optimistic that the financial inclusion strategy of the bank would succeed in bringing in more people into the formal banking system1 the financial inclusion strategy aims to ensure that major bulk of the money in the economy remains within the banking sector1 a major challenge in the financial inclusion process is how to ensure that the poor rural dwellers are carried along considering the lack of financial sophistication among this segment1 a bank customer mr olaitan alagbe told nan that she closed some of her accounts due to unnecessary and illegal charges by banks1

IGP Idris withdraws policemen attached to VIPs
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idris explained further that this would be on application for re-validation through the state commissioners of police where they are resident1 the inspector-general of police i-g mr ibrahim idris has ordered the immediate withdrawal of all policemen attached to very important personalities vips political and public office holders in the country1 a directive for the withdrawal of all police officers deployed to vips political and public office holders with immediate effect is hereby givenhe said1 he said that the order became expedient in view of the current security challenges in the country adding that it was aimed at enhancing effective and efficient policing of the country1 idris said that the directive included business entrepreneurs multinational companies as well as corporate individuals1 the police boss said that a memo would be forwarded to president muhammadu buhari for approval1 he added that the approval would also serve as a guideline or template for the deployment of officers to vips political and public office holders1 idris said that a task force had been constituted at the force headquarters to ensure compliance to the directive while command commissioners would replicate same at their various commands1 he said that organisations and individuals that required services of the police and are found worthy would be considered by the special protection unit spu of the force1 idris gave the order at the monthly meeting with commissioners of police and above on monday in abuja1 i am charging the commissioners of police with the responsibility of supervising such official deployment and thereby holding them accountablehe said1 on illegal use of siren and spy number plate idris directed all holders to return them to the force transport officer fto in abuja to apply for re-validation1 he said that a task force would be formed at the command levels by state commissioners of police to ensure compliance1 idris said that when formed the list of members of the task force would be forwarded to the dig operations on march 311 he said that criminals now take advantage of the situation to perpetrate heinous crimes across the country1 the police boss also warned individuals covering their vehicle number plate and using siren illegally to desist forthwith1 meanwhile the inspector-general of police mr ibrahim idris has decorated some newly promoted senior police officers with their next ranks1 the officers include aig danjuma ibrahim aig istifanus shettima aig jimoh ozi-obeh cp dasuki galadanchi cp bello yahaya cp mukaddas garba cp fave semali among others1 the news agency of nigeria nan reports that the police service commission on march 6 approved the promotion of 414 senior police officers1

Breaking: Dino Melaye charged with illegal possession of guns
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also read4 according to the gang leader osama he has been working as a political thug for one alhaji mohammed audu a politician in the state2 a case of criminal conspiracy and unlawful possession of prohibited firearms have therefore been filed by the nigeria police force at federal high court lokoja on 16th march 2018 against the two suspects mentioned above senator dino melaye and alh. mohammed audu who is also a suspect in the matter and is now on the run2 the suspect further confessed that sen. dino melaye told him that they should start working for the senator as his political thugs and they should recruit and train more othersic thugs to work for him in preparation toward 2019 general election to enable him sen. dino melaye challenge his political opponents and disorganised kogi state2 he said alhaji mohammed audu invited him to abuja and introduced him to senator dino melaye and they met on airport road abuja inside the senator dino melayes car in the month of december 20172 according to the police the men not only confessed to have been involved in several kidnappings in the state and environs they also claimed to be hired thugs for politicians2 the police said they seized from the thugs and their gang members two ak47 rifles five pump action guns two locally made pistols and heaps of charms1 police spokesman jimoh moshood announced the move today in a statement1 one of the persons arrested was identified as 31 years-old kabiru saidu a.k.a osama. the other was nuhu salisu who is 25 years-old. the third person charged to court was identified as alhaji muhammed audu a politician who is now said to be at large1 the men were arrested on 19 january at ogojueje in dekina local government area of kogi state after a shootout with the police and have confessed being hired by melaye to cause mayhem in the state moshood said1 the police said osama further confessed that melaye handed over a bag containing one ak47 rifle two pump action guns and the n430000.00 to share with his boys1 consequent on the indictments and criminal confessions against senator dino melaye by the principal suspect kabiru saidu a.k.a osama 31 yrs nigeria police force wrote a letter dated 2nd of march 2018 addressed to the senate president federal republic of nigeria informing and requesting him to release senator dino melaye to report to commissioner of police kogi state command on the 7th march 2018 to answer to criminal offences levelled against him to enable the police carry out a discreet inv1 the police took the action following the confession of two dreaded thugs who claimed they were working for melaye who represents kogi west in the senate1 senator dino melaye who is challenging moves to recall him by his constituency is in fresh trouble the police said they have filed a case in a lokoja court accusing him and three other persons of illegal possession of firearms1

Naomi Osaka wins first WTA title
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afp25 unseeded naomi osaka has won her first wta title and simultaneously she logged the record as the first japanese player to win the indian wells final routing russian daria kasatkina 6-3 6-2 on sunday3 i just knew that she was going to fight for every point too said osaka. so i couldnt afford to lose points based on nerves and i had to keep making the right decisions3 osaka captured the title on her first match point by blasting a backhand into the open side of the court3 the japanese dynamo improved to 13-4 on the season two days after her biggest previous win a dominating semi-final triumph over world number one simona halep3 she was only the fourth unseeded player to reach the indian wells final with the most recent before her being kim clijsters in 20053 the loss ends a brilliant run in the california desert by kasatkina who was playing in her second final in a row after a runner-up finish in dubai3 she was much better today than me so she really deserved to win kasatkina said. of course we were both nervous at the beginning because the biggest finals so far3 but during the match she was able to manage her nerves and stuff and i was still a little bit tight during the match. so it is what it is3 kasatkina was two points from defeat against venus williams in the semi-finals but rallied for the upset triumph3 kasatkina who wasnt even born when williams first competed at indian wells said she really felt the nerves getting to her on the big stage in the final3 world number 44 osaka rolled over kasatkina breaking her serve four times and winning the battle of the 20-year-old rising stars in just 70 minutes3 i mean i already forgot what he told me. i was so nervous that i really forgot she said3 osaka blasted five aces made three double faults and won 79 percent of her first-serve points3 i wasnt really trying to hit hard today said osaka who was born in osaka japan but is a dual citizen after living in america since the age of three3 i felt like it would be better for her to take my pace3 so i wanted her to do whatever she wanted to do and i was going to sit back and see what she does3 like osaka kasatkina was playing in her first indian wells final. this was the first time both indian wells finalists were under age 21 since serena williams beat clijsters in 20013 the opening set was even until osaka blasted two aces to take a 4-3 lead. she then broke kasatkina to make it 5-3 and finished it off with another strong service game3 osaka pounced on kasatkina from the beginning of the second set starting with an opening break of serve3 she also broke kasatkina to go up 4-1 with another precision forehand winner down the line and never looked back3 kasatkina is now 1-3 in wta singles finals winning in charleston last year and finishing runner-up last year in moscow and this year at dubai3 she called her coach to come down from the stands for advice at one point but couldnt remember after the match what he told her3

CAF Champions League: ASEC Mimosas out, Port of Togo In
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jadida and wydad will carry the moroccan flag in the mini-league phase while dr congo rely on five-time champions tp mazembe whose multi-national squad secured a place saturday1 asec mimosas of the ivory coast flopped at home and fellow former african title winners v club of the democratic republic of congo also bowed out of the caf champions league sunday1 in a dream start to the return match asec doubled their overall advantage when gbagnon badie converted a penalty after just seven minutes1 but 2016 champions league semi-finalists zesco scored through fackson kampumbu after 29 minutes and lazarous kambole on 65 minutes to triumph 2-1 and qualify on the away-goal rule1 while zesco go into the champions league group draw this wednesday asec drop to the less lucrative caf confederation cup the second-tier african competition1 the elimination of williamsville by defending champions wydad casablanca of morocco saturday means african football powerhouse the ivory coast will have no club in the group stage1 v club hosted difaa el jadida of morocco needing to overcame a 1-0 first-leg loss but after a promising start they could only draw 2-2 and were eliminated1 jean-marc makusu mundele scored after 20 minutes for the kinshasa club who conquered africa 45 years ago1 hamid ahaddad lifted his caf goal tally to six this season by levelling after 77 minutes to tilt the tie decisively toward the moroccans1 the congolese needed at least two more goals to survive but got only one as mundele netted again before ayoub nanah equalised in stoppage time1 the abidjan club winners of the competition in 1998 looked set to succeed in a last-32 tie against zesco united of zambia after building a 1-0 lead on the road last week1 as asec and v club fell former champions esperance and etoile sahel of tunisia entente setif of algeria and mamelodi sundowns of south africa all progressed1 a first half goal from anice badri was enough to give esperance a 1-0 home win over gor mahia of kenya after a goalless first leg in east africa1 the outcome shattered gor dreams of becoming the first kenyan club to reach the group phase where qualifiers earn at least 550000 450000 euros1 etoile the only winners of all five current and past caf club competitions lost 1-0 away to plateau united of nigeria but squeezed through 4-3 on aggregate1 plateau were disadvantaged by having to move the match from their jos home to kano after the tunisians complained that the original venue did not match international standards1 twice champions setif sounded a warning by thrashing aduana stars of ghana 4-0 at home having trailed by a goal going into the return match1 sundowns overcame a rain-soaked pretoria pitch and rugged opposition from rwandans rayon sports to win 2-0 after a goalless first encounter1 uganda goalkeeper dennis onyango rescued the 2016 champions with several superb early saves before a goal in each half from wayne arendse and sibusiso vilakazi won the tie1 rarely has a 3-1 defeat been celebrated so much as that suffered by port of togo away to twice runners-up al hilal of sudan1 the lome club who played 55 minutes a man short after a red card won the tie on away goals to become the first club from the tiny west african country to reach the group phase1

Del Potro beats Federer in Indian Wells thriller
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del potro was competing in his first indian wells final since 2013 when he lost to spaniard rafael nadal2 former us open winner juan martin del potro stunned world number one roger federer 6-4 6-7 810 7-6 72 to win the indian wells masters tournament on sunday2 federer missed clinching the championship when he broke del potro at 4-4 then fluffed the opportunity when he served by allowing the argentinian to claw his way back to level scores at 5-5. like the second the third set also went into a tie break with federer spraying many errors and losing the match2 del potro survived three match points before clinching the championship in the tiebreaker ending a two hour 42 minute marathon contest on the main stadium court2 he won the first five points of the third set tiebreaker then closed it out when federer smack a forehand long2 im still shaking del potro said. its difficult to describe with words. its like a dream2 after all my problems after all my surgeries i couldnt believe im here winning a masters 1000 and beating roger. its amazing2 in the close to three-hour thriller the two players kept the audience on tenterhooks as federer came from one set down to level scores in a tie breaker2 this is just del potros seventh win over federer in 25 career meetings2 del potro is back in the top 10 in rankings this season after dropping to no. 1045 before beginning his comeback from three left wrist surgeries in 20162 its a bit disappointing but thats how it goes federer told the press2 but well done to him. i lost my serve a little bit in the tiebreak and he was clean2 standing at the trophy ceremony i wish i couldve played that tiebreak again he added2 i had a great run again this week federer said. we love coming here. there was not much in between us but you del potro deserve it. enjoy the moment2 see you all next year2

Benue: Return of displaced communities gladdens Akoh
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on the alleged illicit arrests of youth members the national commandant of peace corps of nigeria assured the youth that he would liaise with relevant authorities to ensure that they were released adding that he had met with governor samuel ortom early hours of the day to discuss state of the communities with him1 the president of the dickson akoh foundation amb. dickson akoh has expressed gladness over the return of some displaced benue communities1 the two communities had been enmeshed with crises which had lasted for three years where over 100 persons had lost their lives property worth millions of naira destroyed and over 1000 people displaced1 elder okopi odah the village head of ondo community and the youth leader enokela agba told a gathering at the weekend that the people had no other place to call their home since the government did not provide any camp for the displaced persons they had been living at the mercy of friends and relatives in the neighbouring communities1 since the eje alekwu of ugboju the cultural festival of ugboju people is this weekend we cant afford to celebrate it elsewhere other than our ancestral home we have no option than to return home mr. odah told his visitors1 he however lamented the recent arrests of over 5 youths from the community whom he said have been languishing in police net without prosecution or bail1 responding the president of dickson akoh foundation a non-governmental organisation appreciated the community for heeding to his entreaties that they should return home assuring that his foundation would continue to liase with the government to ensure that lastiing peace tranquility and decorum return to the hitherto crisis ravaged communities1 akoh who is a holder of the traditional title of ogigomebe kugboju the traditional mirror of ugboju district enjoined the people of the community to shun further act of violence saying no community will develop or progress in an atmosphere of crisis1 the displaced people of ogobia and ondo communities of ugboju district in otukpo local government of benue state returned to their ancestral homes six months after a communal clash1 while warning against reprisal attacks and malicious accusations against fellow brethren akoh however said in a case where it is established that anyone is linked to the killing of the deceased the law shall be allowed to take its course1 akoh through his foundation made cash donation and relieve materials which include food items and others that could serve round the entire returnees even as he promised to ensure that adequate security is provided as the people celebrate eje alekwu festival1 meanwhile a teenager and student of vama model secondary school in otada otukpo local government of benue state who recently invented a dummy motorcycle car and grinding machine from waste plastic products paul oloche was at the weekend celebrated in his school by dickson akoh foundation1 in the event which had in attendance the member representing adokaugboju constituency at the benue house of assembly barr. adam okloho the paramount ruler of otukpo area council chief john eyimonye the proprietor of the school rev. fr. sylvester onmoke and others akoh called on idoma leaders to rally round the young and talented oloche to enable him fulfil his dream of becoming a renowned engineer1 to this end the foundation made a cash donation of five hundred thousand naira to be lodged in an account which shall serve to raise endowment fund for young oloches university education outside the country1 in a related development the foundation also visited a 3-year old boy fanen tehemen who has been languishing in makurdi hospital since september 2017 as the parents could not raise the sum of two hundred and fifty thousand naira to perform a surgery on him1 the little fanen who has lost one of his hands and about loosing his eye due to excruciating effect of fire burnt however got his medical bills paid by dickson akoh foundation which would warrant immediate surgery to be performed on him1

UN withdraws 108 Nigerian peace-keeping police in Liberia
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nigerias maj.-gen. salihu uba is the force commander and head of unmils military component of men and women from various countries including nigeria pakistan and ukraine1 the last batch of 108 nigerian police officers has been withdrawn from the un mission in liberia unmil after five years of service1 the batch of 200 nigerian peacekeepers withdrew from liberia in february as part of the termination of the missions mandate scheduled on march 30 the mission said1 the nigerian contingent has been deployed in liberia since unmil was first established in 20031 nigeria has been a main contributor of military and police to unmil1 the united nations mission in liberia unmil has been a steadfast partner to liberia for the last 15 years1 it has supported security and security sector reform rule of law efforts to disarm human rights and sustainable peace1 the mission will complete its mandate on 30 march 20181 unmil was established in september 2003 with 16475 uniformed personnel to monitor a ceasefire agreement in liberia following the conclusion of the second liberian civil war1 an official farewell ceremony was held in february in honour of the last departing 689 uniformed personnel 404 military and 285 police personnel who had served with the mission1 this symbolised the end of unmils military and police operations in liberia more than 14 years after unmil was deployed in compliance with security council resolution 1509 20031 unmil said the remaining 108 nigerian fpu officers the last unmil uniformed contingent remaining in liberia withdrew as part of the un missions termination1 uba was commander of the training and doctrine command of the nigerian army before his appointment as the force commander for unmil by the former un secretary-general ban ki-moon on jan. 9 20151 the formed police unit composed of nigerian and chinese personnel and since 2003 61 contingents from various countries had served in liberia unmil said1 according to uba the missions uniform component military and police have taken greater stride towards strengthening peace and security rule of law governance among others in liberia1 the force commander stated that it was not all roses particularly for the military which had the highest fatalities of 138 personnel while the police lost 21 persons1 as we are closing the memory of those 159 persons and others in the mission will continue to live in our minds1 we will continue to pay special tribute to them and those who contributed to peace and security in liberia the major general said1 the force commander on behalf of the police commissioner simon blatchly expressed their profound appreciation to the uniformed component of unsmil1 the special representative of the un secretary-general farid zarif had in his speech stated that the farewell signified an important benchmark in the history of the un in west africa1 while my colleagues in uniform are writing the last pages of the peacekeeping operations here liberians and their leaders have started writing the first pages of a brand new chapter in their history1 liberian president george weah commended unmil for its longstanding support to peace and stability saying the liberian people will forever remain grateful to them for their bravery and service1 weah said thank you for your hard work and sacrifice you have made over the years to keep the peace and stability of our beloved mama liberia. as you leave us now we will forever remember you. nan1