Thisday Tell:

Nnamdi Kanu Ihuoma Chiedozie and Godwin Isenyo Governors of the South-East states, on Wednesday, held talks with leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, in Enugu, the Enugu State capital. The meeting held at the Enugu State Government House. It was the first time the governors are meeting Kanu, who is championing the pro-Biafran agitation in the South-East and parts of the South-South.   One of our correspondents learnt that issues surrounding the ongoing agitation, including IPOB’s call for a boycott of the November 18 governorship election in Anambra State and the group’s recent establishment of a ‘Biafra Secret Service’, topped the agenda of the meeting. The meeting had the Enugu State governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi; and the Ebonyi State governor, Dave Umahi, in attendance. Nkem Okeke, deputy governor of Anambra State, represented Governor Willie Obiano. Rochas Okorocha and Okezie Ikpeazu of Imo and Abia states respective...

Russian drug suspect, Maria Dapirka; and alleged Nigerian boyfriend, Eze A 30-year-old Russian woman accused of being a cocaine mule faces the death penalty in Vietnam. But Maria Dapirka, who has already written a ‘farewell letter’ to her mother, claims she was set up by her lover who posed as a top footballer. Her lawyers have said she has accepted she may soon be executed, but still clings on to some hope she will be freed after three years in prison. Dapirka, who lived in Thailand when she met her lover, known as Nick, was caught with almost 3kg of cocaine by Vietnamese customs on a flight from Singapore.   She said the cocaine was planted in her luggage by Nick — or ‘Chib Eze’ — who apparently has a penchant for seducing attractive young women before conning them into carrying drugs. Dapirka’s verdict and sentence was due to be handed down by a Vietnamese judge on Thursday in a Ho Chi Minh city court, but the session was postponed ‘for ...

Rescue workers and volunteers help residents make their way out of a flooded neighborhood after it was inundated with rain water following Hurricane Harvey. Photo: AFP US President Donald Trump will donate $1 million to flood relief efforts in Texas and Louisiana after the devastation unleashed by Hurricane Harvey, the White House said Thursday. “He’ll pledge, proudly, $1 million of his own personal money to help the people of Texas and Louisiana,” spokeswoman Sarah Sanders told reporters. AFP

Niran Adedokun Has anyone noticed that rather than diminish, agitations for the restructuring Nigeria has grown in the aftermath of President Muhammadu Buhari’s crossing “our national red lines” speech penultimate Monday? It started with a reaction from the Southern Leaders Forum, a congregation of groups from the three zones of Southern Nigeria. The SLF, in insisting that Nigerians cannot be threatened out of their desire to renegotiate the country said: “We are of the view that leadership requires more than this at this crucial moment. We call on the President to realise that the country is in a very bad shape… This is the time to renegotiate Nigeria along federal lines negotiated by our founding fathers to stem the tide of separatist feelings and agitations.”   Ahead of this press conference, individual ethnic groups including Afenifere, representing the interest of the Yoruba; the Ijaw Youth Council; the Urhobo Progress Union and the...

President Muhammadu Buhari President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday said he would not rest on his oars until Nigerians see the country of their dream. Buhari made the promise in his Eid-el Kabir message to Nigerians which he personally signed. “Once again, I assure you that this administration, which has made the security, economic well-being and prosperity of all Nigerians its priority, will not rest on its oars until we see the Nigeria of our dream,” the President promised. Buhari who returned to the country penultimate Saturday after spending 104 days in London, United Kingdom on medical grounds again thanked all Nigerians who prayed for his recovery and have continued to extend their goodwill and support after his return to the country.He said the huge support he received from Nigerians has made him to re-dedicate himself and his administration to the task of building a great nation. The President said, “Indeed your fervent and sincere pray...

North Korea fires ballistic missile over Japan Nuclear-armed North Korea fired a ballistic missile over Japan and into the Pacific Ocean on Tuesday in a major escalation by Pyongyang amid tensions over its weapons ambitions. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said it was an “unprecedented, serious and grave threat” and called for an emergency UN Security Council meeting. The last time a North Korean rocket overflew Japan was in 2009, when Pyongyang said it was satellite launch. Washington, Seoul and Tokyo believed it was a clandestine test of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). Pyongyang last month carried out two overt ICBM tests that appeared to bring much of the US mainland within reach for the first time and heightened strains in the region. At the time, US President Donald Trump issued an apocalyptic warning of raining “fire and fury” on the North, saying Washington’s weapons were “locked and loaded”, while Pyongyang ...

Five Nigerian pilgrims die in Saudi Arabia Hajj pilgrims Five Nigerian pilgrims to this year’s hajj in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, have died. The Chairman of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria, NAHCON, Abdullahi Mohammed, announced the passage of four of the pilgrims on Tuesday in Makkah, Islam’s holiest city. Mr. Mohammed, who spoke at the 2017 pre-Arafat meeting with Hajj stakeholders, however, declined to disclosed the identities of the late pilgrims as well as the circumstances that led to their death. He said such information could only be disclosed after their families had been appropriately informed. The NAHCON chair pleaded with the media to withhold the details so as not to further devastate the families of the affected pilgrims. Shortly after the chairman spoke, an official on the medical team of NAHCON announced the passage of another pilgrim from Kwara. A total 81,200 Nigerian pilgrims are performing this year’s hajj, all of whom ...

QUIT NOTICE: Igbo group drags Arewa youths, Northern leaders to ICC Some Igbo leaders under the aegis of Alaigbo Development Foundation (ADF), Monday dragged Arewa youths and their alleged sponsors, including officials of governments in the Northern states, to the International Criminal Court (ICC) at Hague over the quit notice issued Igbos. According to the group, the legal action was aimed at mounting judicial pressure to restrain Arewa youths, their sponsors and supporters including officials of the Northern governments from executing their threat of quit notice and take-over of properties owned by Ndigbo in the Arewa territories planned for 1st October. In a statement issued in Abakaliki and signed by its President, Prof. Uzodinma Nwala, Secretary Prof. Nath Aniekwu and Chairman, Media and Publicity Bureau, Chief Abia Onyike, the Igbo leaders warned that any attack on any Igbo person linked to the threat by Arewa...

Boko Haram commander surrenders, confesses act in Chibok girls abduction   Ahead of the Islamic Festival of Eid-Kabir coming up by the weekend, a top Boko Haram Commander who played a major role in the abduction of Chibok Girls and killing of youths in Madagali has surrendered and confessed to several acts of bloodletting on innocent people and destruction of properties across the length and breadth of the North-eastern part of the country. In an interview with PRNigeria at a military facility for the repentant and surrendered Boko Haram members in the North-East, the ex-terrorist leader said he regretted the atrocities he was forced to commit against humanity. The Commander, Auwal Ismaeela is currently cooperating with the Nigerian Military with useful information on locations and hideouts of other top Commanders of the deadly sect. He regretted his actions as according to him, run counter to several Islamic injunctions. Ismaeela encou...

Boko Haram factions ready for talks with FG, says Ex-Commander Two factions of the Boko Haram insurgency group may be ready for talks with the Federal Government, Abdulkadir Abubakar, a former commander of the group has claimed. Abubakar, also known as Abu Muhammad, was the chief intelligence officer of the Boko Haram group and one of its top commanders, until his arrest in June by the military in Buni Yadi in Gujba local government area of Yobe State. Abubakar told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) at his cell in Maiduguri that Albarnawi and Mamman Nur factions of Boko Haram were willing to dialogue and cooperate with the government to defeat the most visible leader of the group, Abubakar Shekau. According to him, Shekau, whose capture, dead or alive, the military high command has ordered, has been the major obstacle to peace, since the insurgency began in 2009. “...

Ijaw youths warn FG against Nnamdi Kanu’s arrest Ijaw Youths have condemned the federal government (FG) over moves to re-arrest the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu. The FG had few days ago hinted in court processes it filed that it wants to re-arrest Kanu over allegations that he had breached his bail conditions. But IYC in a statement by Eric Omare said the FG is displaying double standards by treating other youth groups in the country engaged in agitations with kid gloves. According to the group, the actions and body language of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration shows deliberate institutionalisation of double standards in national affairs. It warned that the arrest of Kanu would heat up the polity with unimaginable consequences. The advised that “It is the height of nepotism and sectionalism for the Buhari’s administration to treat the Arewa youth leaders who committed serious offence bothering ...

Nnamdi Kanu may return to jail soon as FG directs court to revoke his bail There are strong indications that leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, may soon return to jail as the Federal Government has directed the court to revoke the bail granted him. Disclosing this in a statement released by the office of the Attorney General of Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, on Friday, the Federal Government directed the court to order the arrest and detention of Kanu until the determination of the charge against him. The statement was signed by special assistant to Mr. Malami, Salihu Isah. It said the order became necessary following Kanu’s alleged disobedience of court orders, among other issues. IPOB leader Kanu, is calling for self-determination for Biafra from Nigeria. The Federal Government however, has accused him of treason. He was granted bail in April by an Abuja Division of the Fe...

U.S: Hurricane slams Texas, dropping torrential rain — 27th August 2017 Hurricane Harvey bombarded a stretch of the Gulf Coast in Texas on Saturday with home-ripping winds and epic rains. As emergency officials scrambled to assess the extent of the damage, hundreds of thousands of people were without power after utility poles were knocked to the ground as if they were twigs. The storm made landfall in this coastal city, ripping away roofs, leveling palm trees and road signs, and turning ranch land into lakes. Mayor Charles J. Wax said Saturday that conditions were too dangerous to send out emergency officials but that an initial review, as the storm’s eye passed overnight, had found “widespread damage.” “We took a Category 4 storm right on the nose,” the mayor said. Those who rode out the storm were in awe of Harvey’s power. Standing by his ripped-up home in Sienna Plantation,...

We’ll resist Kanu’s re-arrest, MASSOB vows The Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign state of Biafra (MASSOB), Sunday vowed to resist any attempt by the federal government to re-arrest the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, (IPOB) Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and other principal leaders of Biafra agitation.  In a release issued by its leader, Uchenna Madu, and National Secretary, Ugwuoke Ibem Ugwuoke, which was made available to newsmen in Abakaliki, the group said that it that the plan cannot work as the entire people of Biafra will fight against such move. The statement partly read: “This subtle and smart plan of Buhari led Nigeria is a sign of frustration and jittery. These plans will never work as MASSOB and the entire people of Biafra will squarely resist it. “We warned that no harm should befall Mazi Nnamdi Kanu as he represents the genuine interest of Ndigbo. H...