NSCDC arrests 2000 oil vandals in Rivers

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Rivers Command, said it had arrested more than 2000 persons for alleged oil pipeline vandalism and other crimes between January and December.

The command’s spokesman, Oguntuase Michael, a Chief Superintendent of Corps, said on Thursday that out of the figure, 44 had been convicted.

He said others were being tried in court.

Rivers rerun: IG inaugurates team to probe Wike’s alleged phone calls

The Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, has appointed Deputy Commissioner of Police, Damien Okoro to head a 15-man panel, tasked with the responsibility of investigating the alleged phone recordings of Governor Nyesome Wike and the violence recorded during the December 10, 2016 election in Rivers State.

FG declares Monday, Tuesday public holidays

The Federal Government has declared Monday, December 26 and Tuesday, December 27, 2016 as well as Monday, January 2, 2017, as public holidays to mark the Christmas, Boxing Day and 2017 New Year celebrations respectively.

The Minister of Interior, Lt. Gen. Abdulrahman Dambazau (retd.), made the declaration on behalf of the Federal Government on Wednesday in Abuja.

Foreign experts to analyse alleged Wike’s leaked calls — Police

The police have invited some foreign specialists to assist with the forensic analysis of the leaked audio of Governor Nyesom Wike’s alleged phone calls during the legislative rerun election in Rivers State.

The experts were invited by the police as part of investigation into the alleged rigging of the election and the alleged threat to the lives of some electoral officers during the poll.

The Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, explained on Wednesday that the foreign analysts would soon be in the country to assist with the ongoing investigation into the violence that rocked the poll during which two police officers, DSP Mohammed Alkali and his driver, Sgt. Peter Uchi, were beheaded and their heads thrown into a river.

My wife used new car to sow seed for her pastor – Husband

In spite of a passionate plea by a housewife to the court to save her 18-year-old marriage, an Agege Customary Court in Lagos granted the prayers of her 50-year-old husband and businessman, Kingsley Onyenobi, and severed the relationship.

The estranged husband said he bought a brand new car for her only for her to give out the car to her church pastor on the pretext of “sowing seed”.

The court ruled that allegations of infidelity and threat to life brought against the woman by the husband were weighty enough to warrant the dissolution of the marriage.

$30bn loan rejection won’t affect 2017 budget – Presidency

The Presidency on Wednesday said the rejection of the proposed $29.96bn external borrowing plan of President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration by the Senate would not affect the implementation of the 2017 budget.

The Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters (Senate), Senator Ita Enang, said this while addressing journalists in Abuja.

Buhari’s request for legislative approval for the Federal Government’s external borrowing plan for the execution of projects from 2016 to 2018 had suffered outright rejection at the Senate on November 1, 2016.

Arik passengers in chaotic scene at Lagos airport

Passengers, who were scheduled to travel out of the country with Arik Air on Tuesday but could not do so due to the strike action by aviation unions in solidarity with workers of the carrier, on Wednesday morning created an ugly scene at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos following the resumption of flight operations.

Many of the passengers billed to travel on Wednesday joined those of the previous day, creating chaotic situations at the check-in counters of the airline at both the General Aviation Terminal of the local airport and at the international terminal.

The situation persisted until noon when the airline was able to clear the backlog of passengers.

External reserves hit $25.2bn as dollar shortage bites

The nation’s foreign exchange reserves have risen to over three-month high of $25bn, according to data on the website of the Central Bank of Nigeria.

Specifically, the statistics showed that the external reserves rose to $25.2bn on December 19.

The last time the reserves recorded this figure was on September 8 when it had the balance of $25.16bn.

The country’s fast-depleting reserves had recorded $23.89bn low on October 19.

BREAKING: Police rescue kidnapped Delta monarch, blame herdsmen

The Ovie of Agbarha-Warri Kingdom in the Warri South Local Government Area of Delta State, Orhifi Orovwagbarha Agbarha-Ide Ememoh II, who was abducted on Wednesday, has been rescued by operatives of state’s police command less than 24-hour after he was kidnapped.

The monarch was rescued by a team of local vigilante groups and the Delta State Police Command led by its commissioner, Mr. Zanna Ibrahim, at about 3:12am on Thursday morning.

A palace chief confirmed the released of the Urhobo monarch to our correspondent on Thursday morning when contacted.

My New Year resolution – World’s fattest man

Mexican 32-year-old Juan Pedro Franco, who weighs almost 500 kilograms (1100 pounds) answers questions during a press conference at the hospital in Guadalajara, Mexico on December 21, 2016. Franco, who suffers from extreme obesity and has remained six years confined to bed, unable to walk, is being assessed by doctors and will begin a special diet and exercise routine with the aim to lose 59 kilograms before undergoing a by-pass biliopancreatic diversion in two times in June 2017. / AFP PHOTO / Héctor Guerrero

A Mexican man believed to be the world’s most obese plans to undergo gastric bypass in the new year and reduce his 590 kilos (1,300 pounds) by half, his doctor said Wednesday.

The man known as Juan Pedro has diabetes, high blood pressure and chronic lung obstruction, and needs to reduce his weight dramatically to reduce his health risks, doctor Jose Castaneda Cruz said.

He said the man, who does not give his family names to media, would actually undergo a couple procedures along the way.