Facebook users in coup-rattled Thailand reacted with alarm Wednesday after experiencing widespread problems accessing the social networking site, but the junta quickly denied imposing a block.

THE Kogi State Police Command, yesterday, arraigned four traditional rulers and 11 others for allegedly carting away some permanent voters’ cards being distributed by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, in the state.

A 39‑year‑old driver, Ayodele Adeleke, yesterday, appeared before an Igbosere magistrate’s court in Lagos for stealing his employer’s car.

A Cambodian court sentenced three foreigners from Australia, France and Nigeria to between 23 and 27 years in prison on Wednesday for attempted heroin smuggling.

Brazilian police fired tear gas yesterday to break up a protest by bow-and-arrow wielding indigenous chiefs who joined forces with anti-World Cup demonstrators to condemn the money spent on the tournament.

IT is possibly only in Nigerian elections that opponents and proponents of candidates proudly offer threats and counter threats as the only selling points of their candidates. We see more threats as politicians jostle for relevance, ahead of elections.

Some Policemen attached to the Inspector-General of Police Special Anti‑Vandalism team are still being held hostage by vandals, 72 hours after the gun battle between them and the vandals at Arepo pipeline, Ogun State.

ONE may ask why they would not refuse to part with their money as bribes to police officers. Perhaps if they do this, the road sides would be congested with parked vehicles, and the police stations would be crowded up with people who would have been ordered to wait or park, in which case there would be reactions, either from the supervising officers or from the public.

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, yesterday, expressed its intention to challenge the suit seeking to nullify the registration of the All Progressives Congress, APC.

As the clock ticks towards the International Telecommunications Union, ITU’s 2015 deadline for countries to switch over to digital broadcasting, there is palpable fear among stakeholders in Nigeria over the possibility of the country to meet the deadline.

SOCIO-ECONOMIC Rights and Accountability Project, SERAP, has described the N100 million pension bill just passed into law by the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly as immoral, unfair, unconstitutional and a rip-off on the people of the state.
SERAP, a civil society group, in a statement, also called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to swiftly investigate the spending of public funds under the watch of Governor Godswill Akpabio and also punish any suspected corrupt practice.
According to SERAP, “Akwa Ibom must be the only place on the planet where such pension scheme exists. The governor must now put Akwa Ibom ahead of his personal bank balance by immediately withdrawing this grotesque bill.”
It argued that Nigerians should not be “made to subsidise these bloated pensions and clearly undeserved perks. The governor obviously views disadvantaged Nigerians and poor pensioners according to Orwell’s Animal Farm dictum: ‘All animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others.”
It added that signing the bill into law amounted to a fundamental breach of the governor’s constitutional oath declaration to serve the interest of justice, common good, transparency and accountability.
“This so-called proposed legislation means that millions of Nigerian, who continue to suffer from years of pervasive corruption and impunity of perpetrators will have to fund the massive and unjust pensions for Governor Akpabio and his deputy and others that will come after them.
“SERAP is appalled by this apparently unfair and discriminatory law. There is absolutely no justification for such law at a time when the pensions systems across the country are in poor shape, and pensioners continue to be denied the fruit of their labour.”

Ogenyi Onazi says he feels fortunate to be alive after he narrowly avoided last week’s bombings in the city of Jos.

Just with the seed capital of N15,000, Tolulope Aladesuyi has built her costume jewelry business into a sought after enterprise in South West Nigeria. Two words describe her: vivacious and visionary. She is a young Nigerian woman whose tale will inspire you to yearn for greatness.

DELEGATES at the on- going National Conference yesterday voted to enlist churches, mosques and religious organizations into the tax net.

THE Northern Alternative Forum, NAF, has taken a swipe at the Borno State Governor, Alhaji Kashim Shettima, on his recent outburst on CNN against the security operation in the North East and blame on the federal government for the abduction of school girls in the State owned Secondary School, Chibok.