As flights carrying the Hujjaj arrive at at various airports, the ‘arrival halls’are packed and crowded with loved ones, family members, friends eagerly awaiting to welcome the new Al-hujjaj. Their eyes are glued, scanning, looking for their loved ones; and eventually, greetings laced with smiles began to pour. Returnees dressed in a thowb, head clean shaven, face glowing, further enhanced by the emulation of the blessed beard of the Noble Messenger of Allah (May peace be upon him) pushing a trolley atop which stands the containers bearing the blessed waters of Zam Zam flanked by his spouse who’s beauty now further enhanced by the donning of the Hijab; suddenly from nowhere children who had missed their parents emerge shouting, ‘Ummi, Ummi (Mummy), Abi, Abi (Daddy)’ as they run into the welcoming arms of their returning weary parents. Thereafter the elders from amongst family, friends and strangers wait to greet the Hujjaj and immediately request the dua (Supplication) of the Haji as per the directive of the Noble Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon him)

The leader of Nigeria’s Boko Haram expressed solidarity with global Islamist fighters, saying the US and Britain “should witness that we are with our mujahideen brothers,” in a video posted Thursday, SITE monitoring group said.

The verbosity, pomp and carriage of the late Oyi of Oyi, may not be immediately noticeable, but underlining her words are the same intellectual grit, grace and grasp of issues that were characteristic of the late Senator Chuba Wilberforce Okadigbo.

Sri Lanka’s former president Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga warned Thursday that inequality can fuel “terrorism” during a speech in Lagos.

THE Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Thursday urged the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN to help provide solution to the security challenge in the country, rather than blame the situation on the federal government.

A bill to correct some abnormalities in the Flags and Coats of Arm Act of 2004, on Thursday in Abuja passed through second reading in the House of Representatives.

Elisha Egbe, a taekwondoist representing Team Lagos in the competition in the ongoing 18th National Sports Festival (NSF), on Thursday won a gold medal in the pumsi category.

Brazil on Thursday officially announced Luiz Felipe Scolari as their coach to lead them through to the 2014 World Cup finals on home soil, replacing Mano Menezes, sacked last week

Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Andres Iniesta were on Thursday shortlisted for this year’s Ballon d’Or, football’s world governing body FIFA and sponsors France Football magazine said.

The Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, has embarked on the construction of 10 students’ hostels at a cost of N1.2 billion, its Vice Chancellor, Prof. Hilary Edeoga, has said.