• NYSC DG reveals corpers will soon begin receiving ₦77,000 allawee
• TCN alerts Delta State ahead of its partial blackout on January 8
• Court to decide bail for Ooni’s ex-wife on January 13 regarding Ibadan funfair stampede
• John Mahama was inaugurated as Ghana’s President
• Two US-based Nigerians face 40 years in jail over romance fraud

Across Nigeria’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, these are the five top Nigerian news stories you shouldn’t miss.

NYSC DG reveals corpers will soon begin receiving ₦77,000 allawee

The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Director-General has promised that all current corps members will soon receive the ₦77,000 monthly allowance.

The allowance was expected to be increased from the previous ₦33,000 as the country also increased its minimum wage from ₦30,000 to ₦70,000.

However, the NYSC DG, Brig.-Gen. Yusha’u Ahmed, has claimed that the authorities have approved all payment arrangements; therefore, employees should be expecting their new allowance soon.

TCN alerts Delta State ahead of its partial blackout on January 8

Due to maintenance, the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has informed Delta State residents that there will be a three-hour partial blackout today, January 8.

The General Manager of Public Affairs at TCN, Ndidi Mbah, revealed that some areas of the state will experience a three-hour blackout as there will be maintenance operations at the Delta 132/33kv transmission substation.

The Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) will not be able to offtake power to supply Agbarho/Eku, Otovwodo/Patani, Ughelli/Shell, Beta Glass, Aladja, Isoko/Kwale, Imoniyame, Effurun, Enerhen, PTI, Sapele, Refinery 1, Refinery 2, and Warri feeders, which emanate from the Effurun Transmission Substation, will also be affected.

Court to decide bail for Ooni’s ex-wife on January 13 regarding Ibadan funfair stampede

A high court in Ibadan has set Tuesday, January 13, as the bail date for Ooni’s ex-wife, Oriyomi Hamzat, CEO of Agidigbo FM, and Fasasi Abdullahi regarding the tragedy at the Ibadan funfair.

Oriyomi Hamzat had organised a funfair to provide food for thousands of children, but the anticipated numbers exceeded her expectations, causing a stampede as the venue was not conducive, and there were no monitoring agents to coordinate the crowd.

The stampede occurred at Islamic High School, claiming the lives of 40 people; the defendants were remanded at Agodi Correctional Centre on December 24 for conspiracy, negligence, and failing to provide adequate security and medical care.

John Mahama was inaugurated as Ghana’s President

John Mahama has returned to Ghana’s Jubilee House as the democratically elected president for a second term. 

He was sworn in on Tuesday in Accra, the capital of Ghana, after defeating Vice-President Mahamudu Bawumia, the candidate from the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), in the December elections.

Mahama, representing the National Democratic Congress (NDC), received 6,328,397 votes, accounting for 56.55% of the total votes. In comparison, Bawumia garnered 4,657,304 votes, representing 41.6%.

Two US-based Nigerians face 40 years in jail over romance fraud

Two USA-based Nigerians identified as Olutayo Sunday Ogunlaja, 39, and Abel Adeyi Daramola, 37, have each earned themselves 20 years imprisonment in the United States of America for orchestrating a $560,000 romance scam.

A statement released by the Department of Justice stated that a jury had sentenced the culprits after a four-day trial and within a three-hour jury deliberation.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office announced that two Nigerian nationals and their accomplices launched a scheme in January 2016. They used a fake identity, “Glenn Brown,” on the dating website eHarmony.com.