Author: straightnewsng.com

Normalcy has returned to the troubled Ibiaku Ishiet in Uruan local government area and Ifa Ikot Akpan in Uyo local government area of Akwa Ibom State following crisis over a disputed land that recorded many casualties. It was alleged that the people of the thickly populated Ibiaku Ishiet and Ifa Ikot Akpan communities had on Tuesday, March 19 clashed over a large expanse of land said to be in dispute. The unrest spearheaded by suspected hoodlums allegedly sponsored by Ifa Ikot Akpan attacked, matcheted and destroyed the farming implements of Ibiaku Ishiet people. Straightnews gathered that without the timely intervention…

The Chief Magistrate’s Court sitting in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State has today struck out the Charge No. MU/9C/2017 filed in 2017 against Mr. Nsibiet John, Publisher of the Ink Newspaper. Mr. Moses Ekpo, the state’s Deputy Governor, was the complainant in the said charge. When the matter was called at about 10:05 am, Thurdsay, Ekemini Udim, counsel for the accused person prayed the court to strike out the matter for want of diligent prosecution. Udim informed the court that neither the prosecutor nor the complainant were present in court for prosecution of the matter. The Counsel then cited section 282…

No fewer than five persons are feared to have died between Tuesday and Wednesday, March 19, 20, this year  in Urua Ekpa community in Uyo metropolis, Akwa Ibom State, following a battle of supremacy between two rival cult groups. The cult war which began Tuesday night and prolonged to Wednesday morning was said to have been miffed between members of the deadly Viking confraternity and the dreaded Iceland group. Though the actual cause of the clash was not fully established, sources, however, speculated that the two groups were allegedly fighting over a girlfriend belonging to a member of one cult…

Like MTN Nigeria, Airtel Nigeria has reportedly opened discussion with the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) on the need to list its stock on the local Stock Exchange. A meeting held at the headquarters of the Nigerian Communications Commission in Abuja on Wednesday had Raghunath Mandava, managing director/chief executive officer, Bharti Airtel Africa; Segun Ogunsanya, managing director, Airtel Nigeria; Mr Oscar Onyema, chief executive officer, Nigerian Stock Exchange; Prof Umar Danbatta, and executive vice chairman, NCC in attendance. According to Punch, the two top officials of Stanbic IBTC attended the meeting. The Security and Exchange…

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, remitted $1.413 billion, an equivalent of N432.378 billion, to the Federation Account in 2018. This showed an improvement by 50 percent compared to $942.244 million, an equivalent of N288.327 billion, remitted in 2017. According to data obtained from the NNPC’s Monthly Financial and Operations Report for December 2018, the amount remitted to Federation Accounts Allocation Committee, FAAC, accounted for 25.3 per cent of total proceeds from the export of crude oil, gas and other commodities by the corporation. The report further stated that the amount remitted to the Federation Account was 33.89 per cent…

President of the Court of Appeal, PCA, Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa, yesterday, disclosed that over 250 Judges handling election petition cases across the federation, have been placed on watchlist. The PCA, said the judges would be “closely monitored,” vowing that any of them found wanting in the discharge of his or her duties, would be seriously dealt with. She warned all the election tribunal judges not to grant frivolous adjournments or allow undue technicalities capable of causing delay in the dispensation of petitions brought before them. Justice Bulkachuwa gave the admonition while flagging-off an induction programme, organised for justices of the…

The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has said Nigerians will treat All Progressives Congress, APC, thugs dressed in military uniform to assist it to rig the March 23, supplementary elections, as fake soldiers. The party also noted that its position is predicated on claims by the Federal Government that the soldiers who unleashed violence and helped the APC to rig the February 23 Presidential election were fake. In a statement by its spokesman, Kola Ologbondiyan, the PDP expressed its readiness to “confront, resist and dismantle all rigging machinery of the APC and consolidate on its already established victory in the March…

Oil prices slides yesterday, retreating from a four-month high, as concerns that trade talks between the United States and China have stalled, stoking fears over the outlook for global economic growth. International Brent crude oil futures were at $67.49 a barrel down 15 cents, or 0.2 per cent, from their last close. Brent touched $68.20 a barrel on Tuesday, its highest since November 16. US West Texas Intermediate, WTI, crude futures were at $58.86 per barrel, down 17 cents, or 0.3 per cent, from their last settlement. WTI hit a high of $59.57 a barrel on Tuesday, the highest since…

Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr Yakubu Dogara, has cautioned the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, against setting a dangerous and evil precedence in the political history of Nigeria by declaring elections inconclusive. Dogara stated this Wednesday, while addressing the 85th Emergency National Executive Committee, NEC, meeting of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, which held at the national secretariat of the party in Abuja. Calling on INEC, to go about its job in Saturday’s supplementary elections with a sense of professionalism, the Speaker expressed worry that Nigeria was gradually becoming a ready example for the outside world to cite…

Israel Umoh The Federal Executive Council, FEC, yesterday, approved N27.4 billion for intervention in states ravaged by flooding and conflicts. Vice Chairman of the National Food Security Council and Governor of Kebbi State, Atiku Bagudu disclosed this while briefing State House correspondents after the weekly FEC, presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari at the Council Chamber, Presidential villa, Abuja. Governor Bagudu explained that N8.558 billion was for intervention in states ere affected by insecurity that led to their displacement, while N18.94 billion is for 14 states ravaged by flooding. He said that the intervention will take form of seedlings, fertilizers…