Abuja—The nation has lost 63.83 per cent of her farmlands to desertification, resulting in massive North-South migration of Northern herdsmen and farmers and constant clashes with other Nigerians over land resources in parts of the country.

COMMUNITY leaders and youths from Ugbokon community in Ovia North East Local Government Area of Edo State, yesterday, gave reasons they prevented the lawmaker representing Ovia federal constituency of the state in the House of Representatives, Omosede Igbinedion from attending the ground breaking ceremony of the Prof. Pat Utomi $134million Integrated Farm City located in the area.

MR Philip Shuaibu, the APC running mate yesterday affirmed that Godwin Obaseki as governor would reconstruct the state to look like Dubai saying that the APC’s candidate’s expertise in turning around the fortunes of many Nigerian companies has been well documented.

Chief Anthony Ndukuba, a major rice dealer in Umuahia, expressed optimism that the price of rice would soon fall in Nigeria. Ndukuba expressed optimism, while speaking on the high price of the grain in the country. He said the grain would become affordable as soon as farmers begin to harvest in the next few months. […]

PDP state chairman, Chief Dan Orbih has dared the APC candidate Mr. Godwin Obaseki to publicly display to Edo people the original copies of his educational certificates which he said he was expecting from the US city of New York.

The Commissioner representing Ndokwa nation on the board of DESOPADEC, Mr Nnamdi Ezechi, has continued with project inspection, as he visited Ossissa, Okpai and Ashaka all in Ndokwa East Local Government Area of the state.

Chief Emeka Inyama, Chairman of Abia Warriors has said that the best way out of the sporting quagmire is to go back to the grassroots to discover hidden talents that abound in the country. He insisted that this remains the only way to regain the lost glory in football.

APC chieftain Mr. Charity Aimanyanwo, yesterday declared that the Esama of Benin Kingdom, Chief Gabriel Igbinedion will suffer defeat in his unit in the forthcoming governorship election because of the alleged under development suffered by Ovia people when his son, Chief Lucky Igbinedion was governor.

Abuja—The Federal Government, yesterday, directed the Nigerian Police Force to put collaborative machinery in place between its information technology platforms with that of similar ICT and biometric platforms of organizations like INEC, BVN, and Pensions for better and faster investigations of cases and arrests.

BENIN—NOBEL Laureate, Prof Wole Soyinka, yesterday, urged security agents to arrest those preaching violence in churches and mosques, saying it was intolerance to the fundamental rights of every citizen.

ASABA—THE out-gone Deputy Comptroller-General of Immigration in charge of Finance and Accounts Directorate, Service Headquarters Abuja, Sir Emmanuel Ifeadi, has said that he narrowly escaped being killed by members of the Boko Haram insurgents when he was Kano State Comptroller.

PORT HARCOURT—Human Rights Community in Rivers State, yesterday, urged the state Police Command to stop giving contradictory reports on the murder of the frontline Port Harcourt activist and lawyer, Mr. Ken Atsuwete. The body enjoined the police to give a straight report that would lead to the unravelling of persons behind the killing.

LAGOS— BARELY 24 hours after Aero Contractors suspended its operations indefinitely and sent its workers on compulsory and indefinite leave, another airline, First Nation, has announced the indefinite suspension of its operations.

LAGOS—CHAIRMAN Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption, Professor Itse Sagay, SAN, yesterday, said the outcome of the 2016 budget padding scandal would be forwarded to the Presidency and Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, for the next line of action.

WARRI—Several riverine communities, including Oporoza and Ogulagha in Delta State, and Ezetu, Aggeh and others in Bayelsa State, have been struck by food and transportation crises following the ongoing Operation Crocodile Smile of the military in the region.