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The death toll in Friday’s bomb attack on a Mosque in Jambutu, Jimeta, Yola, the Adamawa state capital, has risen to 27, with 96 others injured. According to spokesman of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Sani Datti, 27 persons were killed in the incident that occurred during Juma’at prayer, while 96 others were injured and evacuated to the Federal Medical Centre, Yola and the Specialist Hospital Jimeta, Adamawa state. Datti said: “As I speak to you, dismembered bodies of several victims are being moved and the place have been cordoned off,” he said. The Yola attack occurred hours after a similar explosion occurred in a mosque in Maiduguri, the Borno state capital, killing and injuring many worshippers during the early morning prayer session. That blast, according to residents, occurred in Jiddari Polo area at about 5am when Muslims were performing the first congregational prayer of the day.

Nigerian RnB sensation, Darey Art Alade is an amazing singer who knows how to reinvent his brand whenever people think he is no longer relevant. The talented artiste who has been creating massive buzz for his Naked album recently opens up about the fact that no artiste shines forever. According to him: “I have never seen myself as a celebrity and that is one of the things that keeps me grounded .I am just a regular guy. There is no funfair or entourage whenever I go out. People look at us that way, but I don’t look at myself that way. This keeps me focused because at the end of the day, nobody shines forever. The earlier you know that, the better. That is the way I see it”

The incident in the Dala Yazaram area of the city happened a day after at least 55 people were killed in attacks in the northeast, including 28 in Maiduguri. A local resident said he saw two female suicide bombers enter the neighbourhood of Dala Yazaram, some six kilometres (four miles) from the city but one of them was stopped by people nearby while the other blew herself up. “Three people have been killed and many injured. One of the terrorists was arrested before she could detonate,” resident Shuaibu Umara, a security guard at a nearby NNPC petrol station, told AFP. A spokesman for the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) said one person, a member of the civilian vigilante group assisting the military in the fight against Boko Haram, was killed and 10 injured in the blast. “Four female suicide bombers at about 7:45am today in the morning attempted to enter a Dala Ajeri area of Maiduguri but were intercepted by the civilian JTF (joint military task force),

About 25 students and staff members of Adamawa State Polytechnic, Yola, were affected in the blast at Jambutu Jumaat Mosque on Friday. The State Commissioner for Higher Education, Alhaji Hamid Rufai, made this known when he spoke with newsmen in Yola on Saturday. Rufai said four of the 25 students lost their lives while the rest, including two staff members, sustained various degrees of injury. The affected mosque belonged to the polytechnic community. It is located on the Jambutu campus, about five kilometres away from the main campus. Meanwhile, the casualty figure in the blast has risen to 33 deaths from the initial 27. The NEMA Coordinator in the state, Mr Saad Bello and his counterpart of Nigerian Red Cross, Malam Aliyu Maikano, confirmed the new figure. A Federal Government’s delegation led by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Dr Lawal Babachir, has visited Yola to commiserate with Government and people of Adamawa. The team visited Governmen

The Lagos State Government has urged citizens in the state to remain calm but very vigilant as the Police and other security agencies intensify efforts to rid the state of hoodlums, armed robbers and suspected terrorists. Speaking against the background of the arrest by the Department of State Services of 45 suspected Boko Haram members who allegedly planned to attack Dolphin Estate in Ikoyi, the State government expressed confidence in the combined efforts of DSS, Police and other security agencies to keep the state free of terror attacks and stamp out robberies and violent crimes. In a statement signed by the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Steve Ayorinde, the state government vowed not to relent in its constitutional duty to ensure safety of lives and property throughout the length and breadth of the state. Ayorinde said the current reality is that times have changed and the need to urge every citizen to be more security conscious is now paramount.

Nobel laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, has said he wants to ‘draw blood’ with his latest book, ‘Interinventions.’ He explained that the book was his tool of ‘vengeance’ against what he termed ‘unprovoked assault of public lies’ many of which he claimed were directed at him. He said this on Saturday at the June 12 Cultural Centre in Abeokuta, Ogun State. Making his remarks at the formal inauguration of The Wole Soyinka Foundation, which was a retreat haven for writers, Soyinka described ‘InterInventions’ as ‘the nastiest book’ he has ever written. The 130-page literary work — InterInventions, Between Defective Memory and Public Lie, A Personal Odyssey in The Republic of Liars was presented to the public by the Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole. The playwright said the book has therapeutic value because according to him, “it is so truthful that it hurts.” He then recommended it to people who felt vengeful towards purveyors of public lies. He said, “InterInventions, is

Two planes belonging to Arik Air, yesterday, brushed each other while manoeuvring out of the apron at the General Aviation Terminal, GAT, of Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos. The two planes had their wing tips damaged and have been grounded to allow further investigation into the incident. Reacting to the incidence, spokesman of the airline, Mr. Adebanji Ola, said in a statement: “Two of our aircraft, Boeing 737-800NG were this afternoon (yesterday) involved in a wing-tip brush at the General Aviation Terminal, GAT, of Murtala Muhammed Airport, Ikeja, Lagos. “One of the aircraft, 5N-MJP, was marshalled out of the ramp for a scheduled flight, when its wing brushed that of another aircraft, 5N-MJQ, parked on the ramp. “There were no incidences as the safety of passengers was not jeopardized. We have grounded the two aircraft and are looking into the incident.” A similar incidence happened recently at the Murtala Muhammed Airport Terminal 2, MMA2, in Lagos, when there

The “huge explosions” happened in the Ajilari Cross area of the city, which has been targeted by similar attacks twice in the last month, including on September 20 when at least 117 were killed. The previous attacks were blamed on Boko Haram Islamists, which has increasingly hit “soft” civilian targets in recent months using suicide bombers and improvised explosive devices. It was not immediately clear what caused the latest blasts, which happened in quick succession from 8:10 pm (1910 GMT), said Bashir Mohammed, whose house is near the scene. “We are all confused and people are running helter-skelter,” he said. Sheriff Ahmad, a cleric in the area, said: “Many people have been killed. I don’t know how many and I don’t think anyone can tell you now.” Ahmad described seeing body parts on his house, while Hafsat Sani, a nurse at the nearby Umaru Shehu Hospital, said: “There are many houses around the area and the blasts have affected many of them.” The hospital quickly began receiving the

The Borno Police Command on Wednesday confirmed the death of seven persons, including three suicide bombers, in Tuesday night’s explosion at the outskirt of Maiduguri. Mr Aderemi Opadokun the State Commissioner of Police, made this confirmation while speaking with newsmen in Maiduguri. “At about 7.41 pm on Tuesday, there were Improvised Explosive Device (IED) explosion in three locations at the outskirt of Maiduguri. “The locations are Gidan Shanu behind Bakassi estate, Sajeri and Bulumkutu,” Opadokun said. “Seven people, including three suspected suicide bombers, died, while eleven persons were injured. “All the casualties have been removed from scene and taken to the hospital and normalcy has been restored,” he said.

It has been revealed that Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel turned down the opportunity to be vice -captain of the Super Eagles before the vacant position was handed to Eddy Onazi and Kenneth Omeruo. This was aptly demonstrated during the friendly against Congo when Mikel openly rejected the captain’s band after Ahmed Musa made an attempt to pass it on to him when he (Musa) was substituted. And contrary to speculations in the media that suggested the Chelsea midfielder would not honour future call-ups after he was overlooked for the captain’s armband which was given to Ahmed Musa, Mikel’s rep has insisted that his client has taken the decision of Sunday Oliseh in good faith and is available for selection for the World Cup qualifiers. “Sunday Oliseh wanted Mikel to be vice – captain, since he has already given Musa the captain’s armband,” one of Mikel’s rep told allnigeriasoccer.com. “He only wants to be playing and is not interested in being an assistant captain. Whenever they invite

The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria, NAHCON, on Tuesday said the number of Nigerian pilgrims killed during the September 24 stampede in Mina, Saudi Arabia, had risen to 168. More than 769 pilgrims from across the world were confirmed dead and 1,000 injured during the stampede on one of the roads leading to the Jamarat Complex (stone throwing site) in Mina. Speaking to newsmen on the incident in Mecca, the Director of Public Affairs of the commission, Uba Mana, said the number of Nigerians who died rose following ongoing analysis on the corpses by the Saudi government. He said the number of pilgrims earlier declared missing had reduced from 165 to 144 due to the discovery of additional bodies. He said that seven out of the 42 pilgrims injured during the stampede were still on admission in Saudi hospitals. On the ongoing airlift of pilgrims back to Nigeria, Mr. Mana said 47,128 pilgrims had already been transported back to their respective states in 123 flights. (NAN)

Residents of Jenta Magoro in Jos North local government of Plateau state, were thrown into shock following the news of a young man who matcheted his own mother to death. The incidence which occurred at about 6am Thursday morning was said to have come after a heated disagreement between the victim and her son. The Plateau Police command who confirmed the incidence gave the name of the dead woman as Mama Wollo Inde. According to the Police Public Relation Officer DSP Abu Emmanuel, “The 63 year old son known as Bravo Kunde attacked her 75 year old mother Wollo Inde with machete.” Close neighbors confirmed that they heard the voice of the old woman crying for help as early as 6am. “We rushed to the old woman’s room to discover she was attacked by her own son with whom they have been living together for long. “Another neighbor who pleaded anonymity said, “We noticed a very deep cut on the head of the old woman with blood rushing from the cuts when we came in to help her. Some of the neighbo

Nigeria’s leading electronic giant, Samsung electronics has unveiled its new device Galaxy Note5 into the market, a must get for every tech savvy user in Nigeria. Managing Director of Samsung Electronics, West Africa, Mr. Brovo Kim, said at the launch in Lagos, that “smartphones have become so important to an average techy in this part of the world, so has the demand for larger screens too.” Kim said the device is unique because it comes with an advance S-Pen which affords users to write naturally on the screen, as the words written looks exactly like users hand writing. The enhanced performance of the S-Pen and improved productivity tools will help users manage their busy schedule while also adding style to phone usage, he said. “Samsung has continued to improve the Note series with every new version crafted with metal and glass, the Galaxy Note5 boasts of a beautiful screen, suite of helpful productivity apps to accompany its super precise stylus”. “The first galaxy Note was a break

Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Chief Olu Falae, who was kidnapped by Fulani herdsmen on his 77th birthday and released after paying N5m ransom four days after, has identified his abductors who were paraded before him by the police. Falae on Tuesday, identified three of the suspects as those who kidnapped him and threatened to kill him if he failed to pay the ransom. Chief Falae, according to a police source, also identified one of the kidnappers who was kind to him. This came as the Police, Wednesday evening, recovered N137m from robbers who raided a new generation bank on Trans-Amadi Road in Port Harcourt. Five of Falae’s kidnappers were arraigned, yesterday, before an Akure High Court, Ondo and Chief Falae will be a star witness when the trial commences November 10. The suspects, who were docked for kidnapping, conspiracy and armed robbery 24 days after abduction were Abubakar Auta, Bello Jannu, Umaru Ibrahim, Masahudu Muhammed and Idris Lawal. Three of the ki

A senior Nigerian army officer and nephew of Afrobeat legend Fela Kuti has been jailed for six months for allowing weapons to fall into the hands of Boko Haram Islamists during a deadly attack, his lawyer said on Friday. Brigadier General Enitan Ransome-Kuti was convicted at a five-member court martial in Abuja on Thursday for “loss of equipment” during the attack in Baga, Borno state, in January. The officer was also convicted of failure to discharge his duties but cleared of a third count of “cowardly behaviour”, Femi Falana told AFP. The attack on Baga, on the shores of Lake Chad, saw hundreds of Boko Haram fighters overrun and destroy the town and surrounding villages, including a military base. Militants were later seen in a propaganda video picking through the armoury at the base, which was used by troops from Nigeria, Niger and Chad. Hundreds of people were said to have been killed in what has been seen as the Islamists worst atrocity in the six-year insurgency, although even no

United Kingdom’s (UK) Minister for Africa and Department for International Development (DFID) Grant Shapps has warned that his country would no longer be a haven for looters of African resources and treasury. He said corruption, money laundering and culture of impunity have done incalculable damage to African development. The minister added the damage led UK government to decide to protect the integrity of its financial system by exposing those who want to cart away the continent’s resources. Shapps said his home government would provide the necessary support for President Muhammadu Buhari administration for taking the lead in fighting corruption in the continent. The minister spoke yesterday at Government House, Kaduna, at the inauguration of a £100 million public sector accountability and governance programme initiated by the UK to support Nigeria’s development agenda. Shapps, who was accompanied by top British Embassy officials including its High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mr. Paul Ar

Robbers laid siege in Festac Town, Lagos yesterday shooting indiscriminately from a machine gun reportedly mounted at 23 Road Junction. It was like a movie scene as they shot their way into two banks, carting away millions of naira. However sadly, their stray bullets hit mother and daughter at Block 8, 23 Road House, killing the child instantly. The mother reportedly died an hour later because help came late. Eyewitnesses said some of the robbers wore hoods; others were in military camouflage. Mrs. Jane Beluchukwu-Ndirika, a nurse and her 14-month-old daughter Nmesoma, were inside their two-bedroom apartment on the top floor of their three-storey building when the bullets pierced through the door and hit them. The late Mrs. Beluchukwu-Ndirika was a nurse at the Igando General Hospital in Lagos. Area E Commander of the Lagos Police Mr. Frank Mba whose jurisdiction covers Festac and environs, visited the house and confirmed that mother and daughter had died. Yesterday’

The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) yesterday said the death toll of Nigerians in the stampede in Mina, Saudi Arabia has increased to 145. It added that 345 Nigerians were affected in the September 24 stampede with the injured standing at 35. One hundred and sixty-five pilgrims were still missing, the commission said. The commission’s Commissioner for Planning, Research, Statistic Information and Library Service (PRSILS), Dr. Saleh Okenwa, told reporters in Makkah that seven Nigerians were responding to treatments in hospital. He spoke at a joint news conference of the commission’s top management with the Chargé d’Affaires, Nigerian Embassy in Riyadh, Ambassador Tijjani Hammanjoda and the Nigerian Consul-General to Saudi Arabia, Ambassador Ahmed Umar, on the 2015 Hajj exercise and update on the stampede. The commission’s Commissioner of Operations, Alhaji Ibrahim Modibbo Saleh, said 29 of the 145 that died were from the tour operators. Nineteen were males and 10 were fema

The code of conduct for players and officials of the various National Teams will soon come into force, so says the Nigeria Football Federation. Speaking from Belgium on Sunday, NFF President Amaju Pinnick assured that the code of conduct was ready and would be implemented soonest to guide the conduct of players, officials and coaches and minimize areas of conflict and tension in the national camp. “A small group had been working on the code of conduct and I am happy to say that it is now ready for implementation. This will spell out how players and officials must conduct themselves while in any of the national camps, and minimize the probability of misunderstanding between coaches and players. “The recent happening in the camp of the Super Eagles in Belgium was unwarranted but I am happy we have been able to put that behind us. Both Coach Sunday Oliseh and player Vincent Enyeama even spoke cordially on Saturday during Enyeama’s meeting with the NFF leadership.” At the meeting, Pinnick