The US Supreme Court will hear arguments on March 26 and 27 on the sensitive topic of gay marriage, one of the thorniest social disputes in modern America.

THE Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, has obtained a $1.5 billion (N234 billion) syndicated loan to help it pay debts to international fuel traders, a senior banking source with knowledge of the deal said, Monday.

Tragedy struck yesterday in Majidun-Ilaje area of Ikorodu, Lagos, after a 35-year-old man was shot dead during a violent clash between pipeline vandals and officials of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).

A female police officer resident in Jiddari Polo area of Maiduguri, the Borno State capital was murdered by gunmen suspected to be members of Islamic sect, Boko Haram. This latest incident has thrown the whole area into fear and sadness.

A resident of the area, Ishaku Timbi told newsmen on phone that, “Somebody called this morning and said that my late brothers’ wife was slaughtered, but I don’t think the female police officer killed was my brother’s wife even though I could not get her on phone since yesterday.

I know that she left the area and relocated to metro police barracks with her children. I am also aware that there are three female police officers in that area. I hope I got my late brother’s wife on phone and I will let you know as I am currently out of the state since December 16, 2012 because of these killings.”

Also another resident, Usman Sani told newsmen that people in the area are currently relocating because of the unfortunate situation.

He said, “it was shocking, that these people can attack a woman. I think the situation in Maiduguri is not getting any better since no day passes without one sad news or the other. I pray that government should stop playing politics with this insecurity situation and resolve this crisis.”

All efforts however, to get confirmation from the police authorities did not yield result as both the phones of the Borno state Commissioner of Police, Yuguda Abdullahi and the state Police Public Relations Officer, Gideon Jibril was not going through as at the time of filing this report.

Work on the rehabilitation and dualization of East -West Road which links Edo, Delta, Rivers, Akwa-Ibom and Cross River States began a few years ago. But despite the importance of this strategic road which bears the whole burden of oil exploration in the country, the reconstruction work is going on at a snail’s pace. Commuters who ply the ever-busy road literally go through hell on daily basis as they are forced to remain in the traffic gridlock for endless number of hours. In fact, the section of the road around Okosi bridge is at the verge of being lost to the River.

TROUBLE between the governors elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP and the National Chairman of the Party, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, has taken another dimension with the state executives insisting on the sack of Tukur-led National Working Committee, NWC and a caretaker committee inaugurated.

BAYELSA State Governor, Seriake Dickson, yesterday, said he inherited N4,451 from his predecessor, Timipre Sylva, in February 2012 and gave a graphic account of how his administration grew the paltry sum to over N16 billion.

Fourteen newly promoted Brigadiers General, among them, Brigadier General Mustapha Denis Onoiveta, former ADC to former President Umaru Yar’AQdua and one of the surviving officers of the ill-fated Donier 228 NAF aircraft that crashed in 2006, in Benue State killing 11 Generals, Brigadier General Nuhu Angbazo, were yesterday decorated with the rank of one-star Generals.

The process of whittling down the number of players in the Super Eagles camp in Faro, Portugal begun on Sunday night during dinner when four players out of the 31 in camp were dropped from the team ahead of the naming of the list of 23 players for the South Africa 2013 Afcon championship.

What do you think could have been responsible for this alleged forgery?
Greed is the driving force behind it, because there are attempts to negotiate my patrimony.
I did not bribe God to make me my father’s first son.
If someone emerges from that door and says he is my father’s son and DNA confirms it; and if the person says he was born on August 2 1956, I will remove my cap and bow for that person because I was born on August 3 1956. And I will not argue with the person because first son comes from God and in Igbo land the first son own the father’s Obi.
He holds the Obi in trust for everybody and it is not his private property.

Two pastors, Glory Abrefera and Rev. Vincent Okpogo, were yesterday sentenced to 10 years imprisonment each for operating an illegal bank in Warri, Delta State, thereby forcing innocent depositors to lose their money.

The Supreme Court, yesterday, adjourned till Friday to determine whether it will be proper to compel Governor Adams Oshiomohole of Edo State to prove the authenticity of his educational qualifications before the Election Petition Tribunal sitting in the state.

Zamfara State Federal Road Safety Commission, FRSC, Sector Commander, Alhaji Ibrahim Abubakar, has said that 64 persons died in 102 road traffic accidents involving 121 vehicles in Zamfara during the Ember months last year.

A PETROL tanker driver driving against the run of traffic, yesterday, in Onitsha received the shock of life as he cane to face with Governor Peter Obi along the ever busy Onitsha-Owerri federal highway.

House of Representatives has appealed to aggrieved Nigerians to remain patient as Dana Air resumed flight operations without fully addressing the concerns of the people after the crash of one of its aircraft which killed 156 Nigerians last June.