The Harbingerngr News

BRIEFING: From left: Lagos Deputy Governor, Obafemi Hamzat; Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State and Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Gbenga Omotoso during a media briefing on the state government’s position on the recommendations of the Judicial Panel of Inquiry on EndSARS, at Lagos House, Ikeja. •Says leaked report opened old wounds, keeps mum on White Paper  •Invites Falz, Seun Kuti, Mr. Macaroni, others for talks  •As Falz, Macaroni decline gov's invitation THE Lagos State government, has released a White Paper on the report of the panel on Police Brutality and Lekki Tollgate killings, rejecting key recommendations of the report. Of the 32 recommendations made by the panel, the government accepted only 11. One of the key recommendations it rejected include  the Lekki shootings which resulted in death and injuries. On Lekkit Tollgate shootings, the White Paper stated: "The findings are clearly and manifestly not supported by the evidence before the ...

  •Auckland City, Al Hilal in their Club World Cup semi-final  Chelsea will face Al Hilal, Al Jazira or Auckland City in their Club World Cup semi-final in February after the draw for the tournament was made on Monday afternoon.  The Blues will travel to the United Arab Emirates for the FIFA tournament between February 3 and 12, having won the Champions League back in May. This means Chelsea will have to rearrange two Premier League games and potentially one FA Cup tie.  The timing of the tournament means Chelsea will see their trip to Brighton on February 8 and their home clash against Arsenal on February 12 rearranged, plus a FA Cup fourth round fixture on February 5 should they make it that far. It will mean the current Premier League leaders may go a month without playing top-flight football between January 23 and February 19 - which could affect their title battle with Liverpool and Manchester City. Thomas Tuchel’s side will join the tournament at the semi-final...

World best footballers: Lionel Messi and Alexia Putellas *As Argentina striker wins Ballon d'Or 7th time Argentina and PSG striker, Lionel Messi has won the men’s Ballon d’Or for a record seventh time. Messi, who left Barcelona as a free agent to sign for Paris Saint-Germain in the summer, was presented with the award for best men’s footballer in the world Monday night in Paris after another record-breaking 12 months for club and country. In July, the 34-year-old ended his long wait for a major international trophy by winning the Copa America with Argentina as they beat hosts Brazil in the final. The PSG forward was the previous winner of the award in 2019 as last year’s edition was cancelled because of Covid. Messi also won the Ballon d’Or in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2015. Lionel Messi. “I couldn’t be happier. I want to keep fighting with my new club. And I want to thank all my teammates from Barcelona and everyone involved in the Argentina national team too. It was a dream afte...

OPERATIVES attached to the Ijanikin Divisional Police Headquarters, Lagos State Command are currently investigating one Joy Eze for using fake pregnancy and birth of triplets to extort her lover, Ayo Olorunda. It was learned that the duo met and started dating in Lagos for about six months before the suspect, Joy, claimed she was pregnant for Ayo Olorunda, unknown to him that the fake pregnancy was a plan to defraud him. It was gathered that to continue extorting him, a few months before she allegedly gave birth, Joy informed Olorunda that she had moved to Rivers State, where she was staying with her family. Unknown to Olorunda that the suspect was somewhere in Ijanikin area of Ojo, Lagos State,  he kept sending money for her upkeep, ante natal and to purchase baby things for her each time she made a demand. According to a relative of the victim, “On November 12, 2021, Joy called in from River State that she had given birth to triplets. When we received the news, everyone was so h...

Mrs Fatimah Amele Erepita Bamigbetan who died at age 48, on November 21, 2021, after a brief illness, would be interred on December 17. According to a statement by the husband, Mr. Kehinde Bamigbetan said: “In deep grief we mourn the sudden departure of our loving wife, mother and sister, and in total surrender to the will of God, the Bamigbetan Family wishes to announce the transition to eternal glory of Mrs. Fatimah Amele Erepita Bamigbetan.” The widower stated that burial arrangements of Mrs Bamigbetan will commence on Tuesday, December 14, 2021, with a Service of Songs at Ejigbo Mini-Stadium, Ejigbo by 3 pm, while a wake keep will hold on Thursday, December 16, 2021, at the husband's residence, Plot 3, Hon Kehinde Bamigbetan Close, Modomo Quarters, Ede Road in Ile-Ife by 4 pm. While her funeral service will take place on Friday, December 17, 2021, at The Redeemed Christian Church, Rehoboth Cathedral, Ife-Ibadan road, Ile-Ife in Osun State by 10 am, Mrs Bamigbetan will be interr...

By Abdulwaheed Ibrahim Omar  THE issue of fuel subsidy removal has been on since the ‘70s. It is true that government subsidises to the citizens on fuel purchase in order to stabilise the price of the commodity and to ensure affordability. Oil being the most widely used commodity (other than food stuff), bears the highest determining factor when it comes to price fluctuations. Successive governments keep telling Nigerians that the fuel subsidy payment is impeding progress in other sectors of the economy.  They claim that when subsidy is removed, more development projects will be executed for the welfare and well-being of the society.  One thing that stands clear is the fact that none of the successive governments ever made sincere declarations regarding the amount that constitutes "subsidy".   When in 2011 the Jonathan administration wanted to increase fuel price, they claimed that if subsidy was removed government would have had more money to enable it execute ...

Ex President, Goodluck Jonathan.  Former Nigeria President, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan , has urged Nigerian leaders to value the interest of every section of the country in order to build a united nation devoid of agitation, disunity and disenchantment. Jonathan spoke when he led members of the 1981 set of the University of Port Harcourt Alumni Association to the king of Opume Kingdom in Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa, King Amalate Turner. Jonathan described the country as being blessed with both human and natural endowments which can only be enjoyed in a peaceful atmosphere. He urged leaders to focus more on building a united nation where no one society or tribe should be more valued than the other. “If leaders derail, then there is bound to be disunity and disenchantment from those who feel not being accorded their rightful respect and value,” he said. Jonathan, who is an alumnus and a member of the pioneer graduate class of 1981 of the University of Port Harcourt, said ...

THE pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere and Ilana Omo Oodua, IOO, yesterday, tackled the Department of State Service, DSS, for filing extradition charges against Yoruba Nation agitator, Chief Sunday Adeyemo, fondly called Sunday Igboho, who is currently detained in Benin Republic. The DSS had disclosed that the process of extraditing Igboho to Nigeria was ongoing. But Afenifere in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Jare Ajayi said that the intensified effort of the Federal Government to extradite Igboho from Benin Republic is a clear indication that the government is “not committed to genuinely tackle the challenges thrown up by those who are agitating for self-determination in the country.” Afenifere said: “Were the Federal Government to be sincere with its recent declaration of wanting to settle the agitators’ issues politically, it would not be pursuing the path of extradition that it is bent on doing presently. “Not only that, the government would ...

From left: Elder Ojo, Hon. Adedayo Thomas, Dr, Bashiru Dawodu, Mr. Keppy Ekpeyong, Mrs. Badejoko, Pa Olabintan and elders at Owo-Dawodu's event. ...beneficiaries'll receive the money for 6 months By Idowu Ajigboteso and Iyabode Ishola “I am committed to human development and capacity building of the people in my constituency, that is the reason I have been organising numerous grants aimed at boosting their businesses and today’s programme is not an exception.” Dr. Bashiru Ayinla Dawodu, member, House of Representatives, representing Oshodi-Isolo Constituency 1, stated this when he gave financial support to no fewer than 100 people in the constituency, saying the grants would continue for the next six months to the beneficiaries. Reinstating his commitment to improve the well-being of the people in the constituency, he said that when people are well engaged, it brings peace and economic progress to the society, and reduce insecurity and crime rates. According to Dawodu: “During ...

TWO men have been sentenced to death by hanging for killing their uncle, one Imo Effiong Edet over landed property in Ibesikpo Asutan Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State. The duo, Joseph Etim (32) from Akpautong and Christopher Macaulay (31), a native of Obio Aduang, both in Ibesikpo Asutan, were condemned to death, yesterday, by an Akwa Ibom State High Court sitting in Uyo. Trial judge in the matter was Justice Okon Okon. Justice Okon found the accused persons guilty of murder, punishable by death under section 326 (1) of the Criminal Code, Cap 38, Volume 2, Laws of Akwa Ibom State, 2000. The convicts were said to have confessed that an elder brother of the deceased identified as Imeobong Edet had contracted them to kill his younger brother, Imo Edet, for refusing to give him their late father’s landed property.  They also confessed that Imeobong Edet had promised them some portion of the land, should they kill his younger brother, a deal they successfully carried out on Nov...

THE acting Vice-Chancellor, Tai Solarin University of Education, TASUED , Ijagun, Ijebu Ode, Professor Oluwole Banjo , has said that not all the students involved in a recent face-off with some military personnel in Ijebu Ode are students of his school. He said he has visited the military base in Abeokuta, Ogun State to clarify the identities of the affected students and found out that most of them are not from TASUED. He said this while speaking on activities lined up for the 12th convocation ceremony of the school. Banjo explained further that those picked up by the military and found to be involved in dubious financial activities had been handed over to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, for further investigation. Some people, said to be mostly students, had an altercation with some military men on routine military exercise in the town. The VC said: “Though the event happened in town, we have learned some lessons and taken appropriate steps to prevent a recurrence. ...

From left: Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi III, and the representative of Olubadan of Ibadan, Oloye Lekan Alabi, the Ekefa Olubadan at the launching and presentation of Yoruba World Centre, University of Ibadan, recently. THE Alafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi III, yesterday, decried what he called the “gradual extinction” of Yoruba customs and traditions.   He said this at the presentation and launch of the Yoruba World Centre, held at the International Centre for Yoruba Arts and Culture, University of Ibadan. The Yoruba monarch also noted that with the extinction of a language, man loses access to local understanding of plants, animals, and ecosystems, some of which have important medicinal value, and many of which remain undocumented by science. Oba Adeyemi, who spoke in Yoruba language, said: “Considering the rate at which things move these days, it will be disastrous allowing our traditions to go into oblivion in the face of permissiveness. “It is frightening that our ...

Embattled Sunday Igboho. *Files preliminary objection against DSS THE Department of State Services , DSS , has told an Oyo State High Court sitting in Ibadan, that the Yoruba Nation agitator, Chief Sunday Adeyemo, fondly called Sunday Igboho, is currently undergoing the process of extradition to Nigeria. Igboho, whose Ibadan home was raided on July 1st, 2021, by DSS operatives, had escaped to Benin Republic but was arrested by the operatives of the Brigade Criminelle on July 19, 2021. However, the Yoruba Nation agitator’s counsel, Yomi Alliyu, SAN, filed a N20.5 billion suit against the DSS on Igboho’s behalf at the High Court in Ibadan. In a judgement delivered on September 28, 2021, by Justice A.L. Akintola, the court had ordered DSS to pay Igboho the sum of N20.5 billion naira as exemplary damages. The DSS, in a 16 paragraph affidavit, in support of Motion on Notice, to stay the execution of the judgment of the court in suit No/M/435/2021 and an injunction pending the determination ...

Late Babatunde Omidina. Legendary actor, Babatunde Omidina, popularly known as  Baba Suwe, who was once rumoured to have kicked the bucket mid-last year, has finally succumbed to death.  The “Baba Londoner, Obe L’omo and Elebolo” star died on Monday after battling an undisclosed ailment for the past three years. Announcing his death on his Instagram page,  Baba Suwe’s son, Adesola Omidina, wrote: “This is to announce the sudden death of my father, Mr Babatunde Omidina. The legend and rare gem “Babasuwe”.  Other details will follow shortly. May your soul rest in perfect peace Dad.”  Since the news of his death hit the Internet, friends, fans and colleagues including the regulatory agency, Nigerian Film Corporation, NFC, have been paying tributes to the deceased.  It's saddening, painful — NFC NFC described the death of Baba Suwe as “saddening and painful.” In a statement by its Head of Public Affairs, Brian Etuk, the regulatory agency said Nigeria’s film ind...

L ate Lance Corporal Bercy (right) and snake charmer. A Nigerian Air Force personnel identified as Lance Corporal Bercy, has died after she got bitten by a poisonous snake when she sat on the toilet seat in her room. It was gathered that the snake made its way into her toilet bowl (WC) and bit her on Saturday at her residence at the Air Force Base, Bill Clinton Way, Airport Road, Abuja. She was rushed to the medical centre, but she didn’t survive and was pronounced dead at the medical centre. The snake is suspected to have found its way into her home through the septic tank to the waste dislodger. A snake charmer was said to have been called after the incident to remove the huge reptile from the toilet. Pregnant mother, 3 children feared dead as another fire outbreak hits Nembe waterside *Many missing,  some rescued with burns,  *7 boats, other valuables razed ANOTHER Port Harcourt fire outbreak, the third in three days, hit Bonny/Bille Jetties of Nembe Waterside, Creek Road, ...