Boko Haram threatens to kill Leah Sharibu, others; FG shelves proposed Nigeria Air and other top stories of the week

Leah Sharibu, Buhari

These are the stories that drove conversation this week.

All Progressives Congress (APC) aspirant, Jide Sanwo-Olu formally announced his ambition for the office of Governor in Lagos.

With a campaign christened “change for progress” in Lagos, the former Commissioner for Establishment, Training and Pensions told a cheering crowd that the time to take the state to a greater level had come, as he urged party faithful to vote for him at the September 25 direct primary, saying that he will not disappoint as a loyal, committed, tested and trusted member.

Read Also: Who is Jide Sanwo-Olu, Ambode’s political nemesis?

Still on Lagos, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) said it will readily welcome Lagos Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, should he decide to join the party.

Publicity Secretary of the party in Lagos, Taofik Gani, who disclosed this said that the political structure of the PDP is bigger than what the APC has as it has been at the national level for 16 years; adding that with the structure it has, “if we have somebody like Ambode, it will be a 100 percent victory.”


The Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), a faction of terrorist group, Boko Haram killed Saifura Ahmed, one of the three humanitarian workers abducted during a raid on a military facility in Rann, Borno on March 1.

As contained in a video seen by TheCable, the deceased who worked with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), was wearing a white hijab and was shot from behind.

“We contacted the government through writing and also sent audio messages but the government have ignored us. So, here is a message of blood,” said a nameless spokesman of the group. The other nurse and midwife will be executed in similar manner in one month, including Leah Sharibu,” he said.


Read Also: How British-born Kemi Adeosun tried to ‘outsmart’ Nigeria

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) clarified its position on the alleged ban on use of phones and cameras during voting.

Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, Rotimi Oyekanmi, in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja, while reacting to the statement credited to the National Chairman of the PDP, Uche Secondus, condemning INEC’s decision to ban the use of smartphones at polling booths, said the ban only implied that no voter would be allowed to use any recording device inside the voting cubicle.

“…but the ban takes effect from the moment a prospective voter collects his or her ballot paper and enters into the voting cubicle to thumbprint and thereafter, drop the folded ballot paper into the ballot box. After that, the voter can have access to his or her phone,” he explained.


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Candidate of the PDP in the 2015 Governorship elections in Lagos, Jimi Agbaje, has indicated interest in running for the same position in the 2019 election.

The 2017 PDP National Chairmanship aspirant who made the disclosure via a telephone interview with NAN, said that he was confident he would win the election if he picked the PDP guber ticket to run, adding that the issues in the party will not impart negatively on votes.

“It is true that initially I did not want to re-contest, but I had so many people urging me to run. I bought and submitted my nomination form shortly before it closed. I will be part of the PDP Lagos governorship primaries, billed for Friday, Sept 28th,” he said.


The Federal Government announced the indefinite suspension of the national carrier project, Nigeria Air, unveiled on July 18, 2018, at the Farnborough Air Show in London.

Minister of State for Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika who disclosed this to newsmen, said the decision was taken at the weekly Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting.

In response, Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) through its chairman, Capt. Nogie Meggission, commended the decision of the Federal Government – considering they had complained of the proposed national carrier.

Is it wise and our priority as a nation to take three billion dollars from the Nigerian coffers today and put into a venture that will for sure go down the drain within a maximum of five years to establish a `National Carrier’?

This is bearing also in mind that the National Carrier will need an additional cash injection of 500 million dollars subsidy per year on average for the next 10 years to keep the airline afloat.”


The governorship candidate of the PDP in Saturday’s (today) election in Osun, Senator Ademola Adeleke, was asked by the police, along with four others, to report to their Special Investigation Panel at the Abuja headquarters for arraignment in court.

According to a statement by the Osun Police Intelligence Bureau (SIB) he and the other suspects will face charges of Examination Malpractice, Criminal Conspiracy, Personation, Breach of Duty as well as Aiding and Abetting.

However, President Muhammadu Buhari ordered the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris to stop the invitation of the Senator.

As confirmed by the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), Buhari ordered that Adeleke should not be invited until after Saturday’s election.


Minister of Communications, Adebayo Shittu, is alleged to have intentionally skipped the mandatory National Youth Service Scheme, despite graduating from the then University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University) at age 25.

According to Premium Times, months of discreet checks at the NYSC headquarters showed that the Oyo governorship aspirant did not present himself for service after graduation and is yet to do so till date, but the Minister who was contacted by the online medium, explained that it was deliberate because he was convinced that his membership of the state assembly in 1979 was itself a “service.”

“The constitution provides for the qualification needed for state assembly members, NYSC is not there. I didn’t need it to become a member of the state assembly, and that is already a service,” he added.


There are indications that earthquakes have become a potential hazard in the country, following the September 7, 2018, occurrence in Mpape, Abuja.

Chairman of the Presidential Committee on the earth tremor in Abuja and Director General of the National Space Research and Development Agency, Seidu Mohammed, disclosed this while presenting the report of the committee to the Minister of Science and Technology, Ogbonnaya Onu.

A statement by the Ministry, said a study conducted by Julius Berger on the geological, hydrological and geotechnical investigation for Abuja identified Mpape as a shear zone that was weak with several fractures and faults system, as water extraction and recharge imbalance from aquifer were causing hydrological instability along the fractures, adding that the existence of 110,000 boreholes within Abuja metropolis with about 330,000 metric tonnes of water drilled daily was not suitable.

“Though these earthquakes may have been of low-magnitude, it is now certain that earthquake occurrence has become a potential hazard to the nation,” the statement read in part.


Ayodeji Balogun popularly known Wizkid’s baby mama, Oluwanishola Ogudu set the internet ablaze with the singer’s ‘irresponsibility’.

ICYMI: “Davido loves Mayorkun more than Wizkid loves his own child” | Top 10 reactions to Wizkid’s baby mama drama

Taking to Instagram, Ogudu posted a somewhat detailed story of what has been conspiring between the singer and herself, using WhatsApp conversations as evidence.

This has set off another conversation on patriarchy, ‘baby mamas’, parenting and issues around child support.


The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) revoked the operating licence of Skye Bank Plc following its decision to pause injection of funds processes in the lender.

Governor of the apex bank, Godwin Emefiele, who disclosed this during a press briefing, said that the Bank would now be taken over by Polaris Bank, which would take over all the assets and liabilities of the defunct entity as a bridge bank, ahead of the commencement of the bank’s sale process on Monday.

He said that a N786 billion facility has been injected into the bank by the Assets Management Company of Nigeria (AMCON), as it maintained that customers deposits are safe as management and members of staff will be retained under the new ownership structure.

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