A Customs officer on his way to office at the Seme border post was, yesterday, killed while his car was burnt by a mob in revenge of the alleged shooting of a smuggler by another officer at the border post, earlier in the day.

LAGOS—Lagos is the fourth worst city in the world, Economist Intelligence Unit, EIU, an independent forecasting and advisory business within the Economist Group has said.

The African Junior Championships began yesterday in Mauritius with 22 countries vying for honours. But Nigerian athletics officials feel threatened by the large number of South African contingent which they believe may reflect on the medals table.

POLITICAL observers would be wondering at the relative calm that pervades Anambra State in the face of electioneering for the local government and gubernatorial elections billed for October 5, 2013 and November 16, 2013, respectively.

The Football Association of Malawi (FAM) has released a list of 22 players who are expected to travel to Botswana on Saturday for a friendly match scheduled for Wednesday next week before the make or mar 2014 World Cup qualifier against the Super Eagles in Calabar on September 7.

Rivers State delegates loyal to Governor Rotimi Amaechi, yesterday, declared a boycott of Peoples Democratic Party’s mini-convention which holds in Abuja tomorrow.

When the name ‘Ruggedman’ is mentioned the picture that comes to mind is that of a hard-faced, tough-talking and mean gangster rap star, but the Ohafia, Abia State-born rapper is anything but that as he reveals in this telling chat with Weekend Groove. Excerpts:

Governor Babangida Aliyu of Niger State, yesterday, said the problem between the five governors of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and the president was not a personal one, but a disagreement on policies and processes.

The Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, yesterday, bemoaned the rising cases of insecurity in the Gulf of Guinea, resulting in ceaseless cases of hijacking, unauthorised vessel boarding and kidnapping in the region.

THE Catholic Bishop of Auchi Diocese in Edo State, Bishop Gabriel Dunia, has lamented the incessant kidnap of Nigerians, calling for the release of human rights activist and lawyer, Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN).

Former Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Education, Farouk Lawal, yesterday, appealed to the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, to return to the negotiating table with the Federal Government to bring an end to the lingering strike.

Sensational music group, XProject is back and currently rocking the scene with a new and very hot video, Azuka. The explosive and big budget video was directed by revered cinematographer Clarence Peters.

THE Makaar family once lived in a peaceful home that resonated with sounds of joy and laughter much to the envy of neighbours and visitors alike. But a mysterious inferno has since put paid to that, dealing a devastating blow on nine-year-old Aondugu Makaar who is the only survivor as both his parents and a four-year-old sibling perished in the fire.

REGIONALLY and globally, the petroleum market is becoming increasingly unkind to Nigeria. At the national level, of course, we have problems too – bunkering, or theft, as well as a lack of transparency both create commercial difficulties for companies operating in the Niger Delta and off the country’s southern coast.

Senator Chris Ukpabi was the only senator elected on the platform of the National Party of Nigeria, NPN in the Second Republic from the South East. He was subsequently chairman of the National Republic Convention, NRC in the Third Republic and is presently a chieftain of the PDP in Abia State. In this interview, he assesses the performance of President Jonathan and challenges before him ahead of the 2015 presidential election. Excerpts: