A 26-year-old murder suspect of Oluwaseun Oladapo, on Thursday told an Ikeja High Court, Lagos that he never knew or met Mr Kunle Fadipe. Oladapo, led in evidence by his counsel, Mr Walter Oduagbaka made the claim in his ongoing trial for the July 4, 2014, murder of Fadipe, a prominent Lagos lawyer and human rights activist. The defendant, whose testimony in Yoruba was interpreted into English, told the court that he was watching football at Idiagbon Street, Ifako-Ijaiye, Lagos, on the evening of the incident.

An Ikeja Chief Magistrates’ Court on Thursday remanded one Abdulsalam Olayinka, 20, in prison for allegedly raping a 14- year-old orphan on Valentine Day.

Leader of the Movement for the Actualization of Sovereign States of Biafra, MASSOB, Chief Solomon Chukwu has faulted former Abia State governor and candidate of the Progressive Peoples Alliance, PPA, in the March 5 Abia North senatorial rerun, Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu, over his promise to address the problems which gave rise to the agitation by the MASSOB and the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, if elected senator.

The Federal High Court on Thursday in Abuja granted Olisa Metuh, National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, leave to file a no-case-submission on charges of money laundering preferred against him. Metuh is standing trial for allegedly receiving the sum of 2 million dollars (about N400 million) from the office of the National Security Adviser (NSA).

THE Iwere Peace Movement, a group made up of Ijaw Professionals and youths in the Niger Delta, raised an alarm, Thursday, of alleged plans by the Federal Government to kill former militant leader, Chief Government Ekpemupolo aka Tompolo if he is arrested and detained.

A South Sudanese official said seven people were killed on Thursday and many others injured, when unidentified gunmen attacked a UN base in Malakal in South Sudan. Deng Amon, a Native Administration Leader in Malakal, the capital city of Upper Nile State, said that it was a brutal and sudden attack.

Lola stepped out of a board meeting with her bosses to receive a phone call from her oldest son. He had been calling incessantly and she wondered what could have been wrong. It was unlike to call repeatedly. He knew the cardinal rule of sending a message if mummy does not answer after the second ring.

A team of policemen on Thursday dispersed protesting members of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) at the Ministry of Education, Federal Secretariat, Abuja . The policemen manhandled a camera man working for the African Independent Television (AIT), and smashed his camera. NANS President, Mr Tijani Shehu, and no fewer than five other students, were arrested.

EX-AGITATORS under the Third Phase of the Presidential Amnesty Programme of the Federal Government have passed vote of confidence on the Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta affairs and Coordinator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, Brigadier General Paul Boro (retd), for effective management of the amnesty programme since he was appointed by President Muhammadu Buhari in 2015.

As I steer at the heap of curriculum vitae before me in my office, I remember, like yesterday, a statement once made by a friend of mine back then. He was an elder, and as a young man still seeking a direction and what to make of my promising future, I always loved sitting close to him; each day with him was always a lesson learnt.

Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode has concluded plans to commence medical emergency and rescue operations by deploying the three Rapid Response Squad (RRS) helicopters recently purchased by his administration, as a means to facilitate rescue operations as well as boost security surveillance across the metropolis.

Amid the crisis rocking the Kogi State House of Assembly, Governor Yahaya Bello, on Thursday, disassociated himself from the impeachment of the Speaker, Momoh Jimoh Lawal, noting that has never interfered in the affairs of the state legislature in line with his determination to promote the rule of law and strict adherence to separations of power.

Attendees were segmented by age, with younger groups taking part in face painting and picture colouring, and older groups discussing career opportunities at GE.

Following media reports credited to members of the Independent Peoples of Biafra (IPOB), threatening to carry arms in self defence against the Nigerian nation, Inspector General of Police, Solomon Arase has warned pro-Biafra agitators to reconsider their stand on bearing of arms or face the wrath of the extant laws concerning firearms.

Agence France-Presse has launched a weekly series of reporters’ blogs taking readers behind the scenes of the 2016 US election for a look at the events and attitudes shaping the White House race.