The management of University of Ilorin, has warned the newly admitted students of the institution to complete their registration within the time stipulated in the university’s calendar.
Prof. Sidikat Ijaiya, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic), Ijaiya said this on Wednesday at the orientation programme organised for the student.
Pilots of indigenous airlines on Tuesday avoided landing at the Lagos airport due to poor visibility caused by the harmattan haze.
An online news portal, http://newsmakersng.com, reported that as a result of the harmattan haze, which became more pronounced in Lagos on Monday, visibility was reduced to 10 metres on Tuesday, far below the acceptable minimum level of 100 metres.
As a consequence, Dana Airlines’ flight from Abuja to Lagos, which departed the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in the Federal Capital Territory at 11am, was aborted about 15 minutes from landing at the Murtala Muhammed Airport Terminal Two, Ikeja, Lagos and was ordered to return to Abuja.
A Med-View Airline flight from Abuja to Lagos was said to have suffered a similar fate.
It was, however, gathered that the following carriers safely landed their planes at the Lagos airport due to their superior landing equipment.
It was learnt that the situation also affected flights to most other airports across the country, as all flights to the South-South and South-East from Abuja were either cancelled or postponed indefinitely.
Also, it was learned that a scheduled flight to Yola, in which passengers had earlier boarded the plane, eventually failed to depart Abuja two hours after its scheduled departure time, as the passengers were eventually disembarked.
A passenger on the aborted Dana flight from Abuja to Lagos said that the pilot had earlier announced that they were about 17 minutes away from landing in Lagos, but shortly afterwards announced that they were returning to Abuja because the plane could not land at the Lagos airport due to poor visibility.
Another affected passenger, who spoke on condition of anonymity, stated, “What an experience for air travellers today? Bad weather in Lagos has left thousands of passengers, including yours sincerely, stranded at Abuja airport.
“Our 9am flight had to be aborted 17 minutes to landing in Lagos due to bad weather. We returned to Abuja and the waiting game continued. All flights to the South-South and South-East were cancelled. No flight from Lagos and none to Lagos as of 3:15pm. We are all still waiting.”
The passenger told our correspondent that the flight eventually left Abuja by 6.10pm and that he was just getting to his home in Lagos by 9.45pm.
Sources at the Abuja airport said that the development did not affect international flights, as scheduled flights on Ethiopian and Lufthansa airlines departed without any incident.
Some of the affected passengers painted a picture of total chaos at the departure lounge of the Abuja airport, where hundreds of passengers waited for several hours.
Calls to the spokesperson of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria did not connect, but the spokesperson of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, Sam Adurogboye, said he was aware of the development but could not provide details.
He said the agency had earlier issued a statement warning the airlines of poor visibility associated with the harmattan haze, adding that pilots were not expected to endanger the lives of passengers due to poor weather.
Two drug trafficking suspects have been arrested with 1.2 kilogrammes of cocaine at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos State.
PUNCH Metro learnt that the suspects – David Achebe, 37, and 43-year-old Daniel Ndukwe – met their Waterloo on Saturday during an outward screening of passengers on Ethiopian and Egypt airline flights by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency at the MMIA.
The detectives were said to have placed the duo on a close watch, during which Achebe excreted 45 wraps of cocaine while Nduwke expelled five wraps of the drug.
Our correspondent gathered that Achebe and Ndukwe had wanted to smuggle the narcotic to Hong Kong and Greece respectively.
Achebe, who deals in electronics, reportedly told investigators that a friend contracted him to traffic in cocaine with a promise of N5m for a successful operation.
He said, “I sell electronics at Alaba market. This is my first time of dealing in drugs. My friend in Hong Kong introduced me to cocaine smuggling. He sent the drug to me. The cocaine was in a black polythene bag containing plantain and pineapples.
“I swallowed the 45 wraps in my toilet without my wife’s knowledge. I was promised the sum of N5m which I had wanted to use in importing electronics. At the airport, they told me that scanning machine indicated that I had drugs on me. That was how I was arrested.”
Ndukwe in his confessional statement said he thought he would scale through the screening due to the small quantity of the drug, adding that he was to be paid N250,000.
“I have lived in Athens (Greece) for over a decade. I lost my job last year and things have been very bad financially. I came to Nigeria to visit my wife and two children. I had no plan to smuggle drugs until a friend called me from Athens that I should bring five wraps of cocaine. Since it is only five wraps, I felt it will be an easy task. He sent someone to give me the wraps in Umuahia (Abia State). I inserted the five wraps in my anus,” he said.
The NDLEA Commander at the airport, Mr. Ahmadu Garba, said a preliminary investigation indicated that the suspects wanted to cash in on the Yuletide, thinking there would be laxity in the screening process.
“Both suspects tested positive for narcotic ingestion and while under observation, they expelled wraps of cocaine which they had wanted to smuggle out of the country. Achebe ingested cocaine weighing 935 grammes while Ndukwe ingested 215 grammes. The suspects are currently under investigation,” Ahmadu added.
The Chairman of the agency, Col. Muhammad Abdallah (retd), stated that those, who indulged in drug trafficking, would end up in prison custody.
He said, “This is a warning to drug traffickers that the agency is determined to detect all hidden drugs and prosecute offenders. There are control measures in place to detect narcotics at all exit and entry points. We shall continue to improve on our strategies in order to provide a safe society for all.”
Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode on Tuesday announced readiness of the State Government to offer amnesty to cultists willing to renounce their membership of cult groups and turn a new leaf. Governor Ambode, who stated this in Ikorodu at the ongoing One Lagos Fiesta, said his administration has perfected plans to use 2017 to rehabilitate all those involved in one form of criminality or the other and are ready to be law abiding, with the view to making them live normal lives and contribute meaningfully to the society. While noting with concern the rising spate of cultism and other crimes especially in the Ikorodu axis, the Governor said in as much as the government has capacity to deal with such crimes, he nevertheless said amnesty is being offered to encourage those willing to turn away from their old ways and embrace new lives.
From the image above:
Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode (middle), with Rap star, Folarin ‘Falz’ Falana (3rd right); Singer & Songwriter, Niniola Apata (3rd left) Pop Artist, Azadus (2nd left); Hip Juju Artist, Wale Thompson (left); Viktoh of YBNL (right) and others during the One Lagos Fiesta at the Ikorodu Town Hall, Lagos, on Tuesday, December 27, 2016.
“In the last few months, we have been having a lot of challenges with cultism in Ikorodu area and a lot of issues that relate to kidnapping. So, we are going to strike a deal tonight, we are going to say no to cultism and then we are going to encourage all of you. Anybody who is a cult member, we are going to offer you amnesty. I want to use the whole of 2017 to rehabilitate all those who have been doing bad things; we are going to provide money and we are going to provide jobs. “We are going to encourage ourselves; wherever you find somebody that is not doing anything well, you can either tell the monarch here or come to us, we will give you protection; we offer you money and then we are going to offer you automatic jobs. So, we all agree to say no to domestic violence, kidnapping, rape and no to cultism. Once you sign on, we would offer you anything that you want,” Governor Ambode said. The Governor also stressed the importance of education and hard work to the youths, and urged them to strive very hard to be educated, and thereafter pursue their dreams. While referring to an entertainer, Folarin Falana popularly known as Falz, who is a lawyer, the Governor said it was highly essential for the young ones to be educated before thinking of other things in life. “What I brought to you tonight is to let you know that education is very important. You can be who you want to be. If I was not a Governor, I would be an accountant; if I was not an accountant, maybe I would have been an entertainer because I love music, I love arts, I love entertainment and that is why I want to encourage all of you, firstly, we must all be educated and then you can now use you creative talents to be who you want to be,” he said. Addressing the mammoth crowd who came out in droves for the fiesta including monarchs, members of the State Executive Council, among others, Governor Ambode also urged parents to talk to their children on the need to shun all forms of crime and violence, assuring that the State Government would continue to device strategies and policies to give greater opportunities to the youths.
Popular US trained journalist, Kemi Olunloyo, has castigated her father, a former governor of Oyo State, Victor Omololu Olunloyo, for apologizing to ace actor, Jide Kosoko after she said he uses his late wives for rituals.
Recall that the ‘Snitch Lady’ had stated that there was more to the death of wives of the actor following the death of his third wife, Henrietta, alleging that the women may have been used for ritual by the actor.
She said the actor should be investigated, saying the coincidence was not ordinary. .
But in a recent interview, Kosoko clearly stated that he did not use his late wives for rituals as claimed by Ms. Olunloyo.
He said, “…But I appreciate her father who called me and apologised. He said some other things that I may not be able to share with the public. .
In her reaction, Madame KOO took to her Twitter handle @HNNAfrica to lambaste her father, calling him a moron.
She wrote: “My father Victor Omololu Olunloyo being the moron that he is reaching out to celebrities to “apologize” for what I write on social media got side-kicked this time.
“The one thing about my father is that he hasn’t realized that journalism and social media criticism is MY WORK AND JOB!
“Many people don’t know but my father is a hater of media since we were young. He is a big fan of media censorship and even shut down a TV and |Radio station when he was Oyo state Governor for 90 days. BCOS radio and TV were shut down for 30 days for staff yapping and criticizing President Shagari on the air.
“The governor could not survive a thick skin. Ha! Ha! Then one day he suddenly became a Nigerian Tribune Contributing Columnist and he later became a media whore speaking to all media at any opportunity he got. During his PDP days, he was made the PR person for the Oyo PDP for the 2011 election which Akala lost.
“He even blamed that on Akala “not listening to him.” Daddy pls STFU and stay out of my journalism work. Journalists are supposed to report on everyone.
“Below is how Jide Kosoko stylishly told him that I had the right to my opinion. In another publication, Kosoko stated that many people are saying the same thing “behind him” and only Kemi said her out so he’s not worried.
“Kosoko said that Olunloyo only spoke her mind and she had a right to air her opinion. He further said that it was a closed chapter because her father called him to apologize for his daughter’s utterance.
“I do not want to go to Kemi Olunloyo’s issue because the chapter is closed. I do not want to dwell much on it because when people approached me and informed me of what she was saying, I said she was entitled to her opinion. She was voicing out, what about those that would not say anything but in their mind, they would say that I have lost about three wives?
“They are only being human but the truth is that for Olunloyo, that is her opinion no matter how hurt I might have been with her utterances. By my nature, there was nothing I could do. But I appreciate her father who called me and apologised. He said some other things that I may not be able to share with the public.
“When she said all those things, I really did not reply because it is not in my nature and that time, I was mourning so her case was secondary. I am still mourning so there are very little things I want to say,” she added.
The Naira on Wednesday weakened to N490 to a dollar at the parallel market after appreciating to N485 to a dollar during the Christmas break.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the Naira lost 5 points, representing a depreciation of 1.03 per cent, while the Pound Sterling and the Euro closed at N590 and 502, respectively.
At the Bureau De Change (BDC) Window, the Naira traded at N399 to a dollar, CBN controlled rate, while the Pound Sterling and the Euro closed at N602 and N510, respectively.
The Naira traded at N305.25 to a dollar at the official interbank market.
Traders at the market said that the scarcity of forex was still exerting pressures on the Naira.
Meanwhile, Aminu Gwadabe, President, Association of Bureau De Change Operators of Nigeria, ABCON, said that the pressure on the Naira was disturbing and dangerous to investment, output and employment.
Mr. Gwadabe called for harmony between the fiscal and monetary policies in addressing the woes of the Naira.
“There is the need for concerted collaboration among both the fiscal, monetary policy makers and the operators in the economy to address this monster facing the economy.
“I must confess that I am disturbed and worried,” Mr. Gwadabe said.
