Immigration arrests two Niger nationals with pistols, computers, phone at Katsina border

The operatives of the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) at Kongolam border in Katsina State have arrested two Niger nationals with pistols, computers and phones in a swift operation.

The operation occurred in the wake of the visit of the duo of the Comptroller General of the NIS, Muhammad Babandede and his Nigerian Custom Service (NCS) counterpart Col, (rtd) Hammeed Ibrahim Ali.

According to a statement made available to journalists on Saturday by the Spokesman of the NIS, DCI Sunday James, the NIS officers arrested the two Nigeriennes, who had attempted to open fire in defiance and to evade arrest by the immigration officers.

One of the Nigeriennes died after the ensuing shootout while the other is helping with useful information about their activities along the Nigerian border area.

“After due interrogation and profiling, the surviving criminal has been handed over to men of the Nigerian Police Force (NPF) for further necessary action and investigation.

“The Comptroller of the Katsina Command of the NIS, Bin Umar and his men have been commended by the CGI, Mohammed Babandede.

“The CGI further asserted that the border drill exercise, Operation Swift Response, is yielding a positive result with arrests of irregular migrants, criminal elements and smugglers whose activities have been checked and security stepped up in the interest of the nation.

“The border communities were therefore advised to desist from conniving and sabotaging government effort the CGI reiterated.

“Meanwhile the nationwide spot assessment by the two Comptrollers General and representative of the National Security Adviser has been very successful.”

If you have a link to Tacha and her crew...please tag her until she sees this to get her N20million by Monday being 30th sept 2019....Let’s help Tacha grow! #TeamTacha

South Africans might experience once again, the pangs of the dreaded Apartheid rule if the South African government and the African Union (AU) fail to address the issue of Xenophobic attacks on foreigners, professionals have warned.

They stated that jobs are being taken away from black South Africans by white South Africans who own multinational corporations but employ cheap labour and non-unionised labour brought by other Africans.

One of the professionals and Pioneer Chairman of the Institute of Peace and Strategic Studies, University of Ibadan, Prof. Isaac Albert, argued that black South Africans are made to think it’s the black Africans who are taking away these jobs because white South Africans have demonised black Africans, hence, the attacks.

While speaking at the First Annual Roundtable discussion in honour of Nigeria’s former ambassador to the Belgium and European Union, Prof. Alaba Ogunsanwo at the Lead City University, Ibadan, Prof. Albert warned that “in the next five years, there might be Apartheid again in South Africa because the white South Africans are reoccupying the spaces left by black Africans.”

The event was organised by the African Journal of International Affairs and Development (AJIAD) in conjunction with the Department of Politics and International Relations, Lead City University, Ibadan.

Albert who spoke on “Xenophobia or Afrophobia: Causes, Consequences and Corrections,” warned that a bigger problem looms if the South African government fails to take over their economy from the whites.

Albert said: “What we are told is that South Africans do not like outsiders and that is why they are attacking some Nigerians, Zambians, Ethiopians and their properties. That is a simplistic and monocausal explanation of what is happening in South Africa.

“My first visit to South Africa was after the 1995 election, I could see that mentality to say that the Vice-Chancellor of this university is white and after the transition, they want a black man to occupy that position.

“The black men don’t have the qualification and the training but believes that once they’re blacks, they should automatically replace the whites. And that mentality is what I see every year in South Africa. The blacks are still waiting for when the whites will vacate the system and the blacks will take their place.

“MTN, DSTV and Stanbic IBTC belong to the white South Africans and not the blacks. What the government only gets is tax made from the profits made by these companies, but black political leaders do not pass this along to the blacks. They get the resources but it does not trickle down to the people.

“At the University of Witwatersrand, on an annual basis, the blacks are taken out and replaced by white South Africans because the blacks are not progressing quickly, getting PhD quickly, the whites are gradually replacing Nigerian, Zambian professors there. In the next five years, you will have what will look like Apartheid again.

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ALSO READ: Xenophobia: Obasanjo applauds South Africa president for apologising to affected nations

“They call it South Africanisation. To them, they are increasing the participation of South Africans in the system but the black South Africans are not occupying the space. They are waiting for when the whites will leave the space and they will occupy it. If the South Africans are smart, they should put in place structures that will make them take over the economy of South Africa in the next ten or twenty years.

“Many of the Nigerians who own malls today started from the streets selling groundnuts and whatever but the problem of the South African man is that he does not want to work hard from the streets but that won’t happen. The black Africans in South African now have worked to a stage where they can buy shares in the big enterprises in South Africa but the black South Africans are still waiting for these opportunities to be given to them.

“I engaged some street boys while Mandela was still alive, and they told us then they were not getting anything from the transition. They said at that time that they were going to react. I concluded at the end of my academic analysis that they were going to attack the whites. But now, they are attacking the foreign blacks in South Africa.

“This is because outsiders have been demonised as the people creating problems for the blacks. The problem now is Xenophobia is open, while Afrophobia is hidden. What we are witnessing will negatively affect South Africa. The stock market is already going down. Investors are now afraid.

“These people have come to invest in your country but you are setting their enterprises on fire. You are discouraging investments in your country. Shares in South Africa now has fallen and that is the beginning of the economic crisis in that country.

“AU Agenda 2063 is trying to promote integrated development and borderless Africa. Nigeria and South Africa are the two leading giants of Africa but South Africa is gradually knocking itself from that.

“It is difficult to reverse the damages that have been done and African governments are not addressing the problems. Why is AU silent? This is a problem that is affecting the whole continent and we are still waiting for Africa Union.”

Vice-Chairman, Ibadan School of Government and Public Policy, Prof Tunji Olaopa, on his part, berated the South African government for not forcing border controls because they wanted low-income workforce and non-unionised labour.

He further said the failure of the government to create jobs and policies to help the reorientation of South Africans will lead to high unemployment and lack of entrepreneurial skills of South Africans.

While also blaming the attacks on lack of South African legislation against xenophobia leading to impunity by the perpetrators, he urged the government and its people to always uphold the human rights of foreigners.

Olaopa stated that there is a need for better intelligence gathering to help map out hot spots of possible attacks and the use of technology-based initiatives to stem these attacks on foreigners.

Prof Akeem Amodu, a former commissioner in Oyo State, restated the need for a framework where there is mutual intercultural understanding where the African man sees and loves fellow Africans.

“AU should engender peace, love and unity among Africans. Xenophobia is a result of the failure of African leadership. The leaders should not only think of present generations but also future generations within the framework of sustainable Africa.”

Dr Olubunmi Akande of the Durban University of Technology, South Africa noted that there is high pressure on the economy and also scarce resources in South Africa as a result of high immigration into South Africa.

She said: “The local population feels deprived of the promises that came with liberation in 1994. There is anger. And they carry these out on people. But why black people? It is because they are close to them.”

She, however, said economic revitalisation and infrastructure development in other African countries and increased commitment of the South Africa government to address economic challenges will help find a solution to the attacks on foreigners.

Earlier at the event, Prof Ayo Olukotun, who is the Chair in Governance at the Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU) charged the Nigerian government to make Nigeria liveable so that Nigerians won’t seek greener pastures where they eventually will fall victims of attacks.

“As we condemn Xenophobia, there are many Nigerian who have driven into crimes in their new countries of abode. A lot of Nigerians in South Africa are without something meaningful to do.

“Why are so many people leaving Nigeria? It is because the Nigerian state has failed. We are being driven away from home by afflictions.

“If there was governance and Nigeria is a nicer place, we won’t have many immigrants moving to relocate to other African countries and beyond. We need to recreate and recalibrate our own country.”

Also speaking earlier, the Vice-Chancellor of Lead City University, Prof. Kabir Adeyemo who described Ogunsawo as the most hardworking staff member of the institution, said he is being celebrated for his educational dexterity, hard work and friendliness to the staff and friends of the university.

Davido’s babymama, Sophia Momodu poses with her daughter, Imade Adeleke and Tiwa Savage’s son, Jamil Balogun at Nick Fest Mania sponsored by Maltina.

See photos below

@BBNaija held Tacha hostage after disqualifying her and insisting she must grant them interview. Surrounded the whole place with mopol and soldiers. When I said this show this season is Tacha it seemed I was making mouth. In less than 24hrs rating dropped. #EverythingTacha

The @BBNaija people got Soldiers and Mopol to surround the entrance to the room where Tacha is refusing her management to gain access to her insisting she must grant interview after unfairly removing her from the show out of bias.

#ReleaseTacha
#EverythingTacha
#BBNaija

Finding a good church to attend has been an herculean task these days. It is not because there is no church to attend.

The truth is, different types of denomination are springing up daily with self-acclaimed General Overseers.

History Of The Church

Attending Church is one of the responsibilities of true believers. Because we are not to forsake the gathering of the saints.

However, if we are to attend a church. We need to attend a good one.

In this article, I have come up with what a good Church is expected to have as specified by the Scriptures.

Five Signs Of A Good Church
#Good Church
• The Word
Acts 6:2
[2]Then the twelve called the multitude of the disciples unto them, and said, It is not reason that we should leave the WORD OF GOD and serve tables.

No matter how massive the members of a particular denomination are. Don’t join that Church because they have many members.

You do not need to join any denomination that has time for frivolities and unnecessary celebration that deprives her members of the Word.

God’s Word should be given core value in any denomination.

And it is not just about preaching the Word. Is there doctrine right?

Is what the Church preaching in line with God’s Word? A good fellowship is the one who believes that Jesus is the saviour of the world.

More so, there are some ministries where members take turns in giving their offering. They will waste hours collecting all kinds of offerings.

Time For The Word
But, the time given for the Word of God to be preached will be 10 or 15 minutes. Such assembly is not a good one.

Believers are to live by the Word that comes out of the mouth of God.

So, we are not to live by stories shared by so-called men of God. No story should replace the efficacy of God’s Word.

Don’t go to an assembly because they serve you rice and chicken every Sunday.

Unarguably, If you know the Word, you’ll enjoy the Lord and every other things will be added to you.

• Prayer
Acts 6:4
[4]But we will give ourselves CONTINUALLY TO PRAYER, and to the ministry of the word.

Prayer is the sustainer of every ministry. In the days of the Apostles, they did not only preach the Word.

They also prayed to the extent that the place where they met was shaken (Acts 4;31).

Going to an assembly of believers that does not believe in prayers will not enable you to develop close relationship with God.

As you hear the Word, you will sense the need to pray more on some issues.

Despite the fact that, prayer has been abused by some denominations. We still need to attend a prayerful Church.

When we pray, we pour our hearts out to God. Any believer that is not prayerful will become a prey to the devil.

Therefore, you can identify a good Church through her attitude towards the subject of prayer.

4 Basic Misconceptions About Speaking In Tongues

• Evangelism
Acts 5:42
[42]And daily in the TEMPLE, and in EVERY HOUSE, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ.

Honestly, the early Church did not just preach in the temple. They also preached from house to house.

Many denominations have failed in this area. A good ministry must have a strong evangelism team.

Evangelism should not be sent to relegation in any ministry.

Additionally, some denominations have omitted the subject of evangelism in their teachings.

Don’t forget, we are sent to preach the good news throughout the World.

And that’s the main of purpose of establishing a Church. A good ministry should seek the lost and bring them to the light of Christ.

Basically, any ministry who fails in this area should not be considered a good fellowship.

How To Know When Someone Is About To Commit Suicide

• Love Is The Hallmark Of A Good Church
1 Corinthians 13:8
[8]Charity never faileth….

Charity which implies love never fails. A good fellowship should be a place where you can receive love from people.

In other words, Jesus brought love to this world as he sacrificed himself for the whole world.

He once fed over five thousand people in a crusade. On several occasions, he ate with his disciples.

Many times, He accommodated their unbelief and errors. Truly, he is the Chief Shepherd.

Also, in the days of the Apostles, they shared what they had equally. That was a demonstration of love.

Again, a good gathering of the saints should provide a support system for her members.

Importantly, the poor should be catered for as we will always have them around us.

If the assembly you want to attend does not display love to her members. You may not enjoy your fellowship with them.

Must Read: Four Basic Things To Consider Before Dressing

• Zero Tolerance For Worldliness
James 4:4
[4]Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.

Listen, the Church Jesus Christ died for should not be associated with anything called worldliness.

Candidly, your basis for attending an assembly should not be for enjoyment of beats and comedy.

Frankly, any good gathering should feed her members messages that will make them abstain from worldliness.

Sadly, these days, the church has now become the center of unending entertainment galore.

Beware of any Church that has good and superlative edifice but does not abhor unscriptural practices.

By attending a worldly Church your attention will be drawn to the things of the world.

Also, you will want to get more money, fame and positions at the expense of your soul.

Dear believer, be careful!

By Onwuka Nzeshi Abuja




The Intertnational Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (Intersociety), has alleged “gross lopsidedness” and apparent exclusion of the South East and South South geo-political zones from the security architecture in Nigeria.

In a report released at the weekend, the human rights group said it was shocking to discover that despite its population and contributions to nationhood, the South East region has been completely alienated from the control and command of top military and policing formations, even within its regional boundaries.
According to the report, out of 26 top military officers currently manning key military formations in the South East, none of them is from the region.

It stressed that a similar situation obtained in the South-South region, where out of the 22 top military officers manni strategic military formations in the region, only two are from the South South zone. Intersociety described the situation as a “serious security threat” to the people of the region, particularly in a country where ethnicity, religion and zonal identity have been elevated to a national policy.

In a detailed letter addressed to the eleven state governors, 285 elected members of their State Houses of Assembly, 33 elected Senators and 98 elected members of House of Representatives from the two regions, Intersociety urged these political leaders to show more than casual interest in the appointment and posting of top military and policing officers manning key military and policing formations in the two regions. The eight-page letter accompanied by six pages of graphic illustrations was dated 26/09/2019.

It was signed by Intersociety Board Chairman, Emeka Umeagbalasi; lawyers Obianuju Igboeli, Ndidiamaka Bernard, Chidimma Udegbunam and Chinwe Umeche.

The group urged elected leaders of both regions to also prevail on the Police Service Commission (PSC) and Nigeria Police Force (NPF) to ensure sectional balancing at all times in the appointment or promotion of Police AIGs, CPs, DCPs and ACPs in the interest of fairness, equity and unity of the country.

The report contended that whereas the eleven states had contributed not less than N250bn or $850m through their governors in the past four years (August 2015-August/Sept 2019) in aid of key military and policing formations and their operations in both regions, they had no input into security decisions affecting their people.

“The continued domination, command and control of top military and policing formations in Eastern Nigeria by officers of Hausa- Fulani and Yoruba nationalities and their Islamic faith and total shutting out from the regional security arrangement or skeletal involvement of officers of the South-East and the South- South must no longer be tolerated or accepted. As a matter of fact, security in the midst of official insecurity such as the referenced is an act of impossibility and a wild goose chase.

“The two regions are shut out or skeletally involved when it comes to appointment and posting of senior military and policing officers manning such formations. The lopsided compositions are also found to have fueled corrupt practices and gross rights abuses by the ethno-religiously lopsided stationed security personnel in the two regions.

These include racial profiling, extra judicial killings, unlawful arrests, long detentions without trial, torture and enforced disappearances. “It is particularly a clear act of impossibility and a wild goose chase for security arrangements to be said to have been made or put in place in the South-South and South East by governors and other public office holders when top military and policing formations in the two regions are manned by top officers of Northern and South West (Yoruba) Muslims and few non-Muslims.

“Considering the multi religious and ethnic composition of Nigeria or ethnoreligious multiplicity of the country recognised in the 1999 Constitution, it remains our unequivocal position that top public offices in Nigeria including top political, military, policing and justice positions must be allocated to their statutory occupants in full reflection of the country’s multi ethno-religious composition as firmly recognised in Section 14 (3) of the 1999 Constitution. Such plum offices must not be sectionalized or ethnoreligiously dominated, but allocated in accordance with the principle of geopolitical or regional fairness and balancing,” the group wrote.

The report came on the heels of the announcement by the Nigerian Army of its readiness to launch another round of military operations code named: ‘Operation Python Dance IV’ for South- East and ‘Operation Crocodile Smile’ for South-South. The Nigerian Army said the military operations will kick off simultaneously on October 7 and end on December 24, 2019. Intersociety has however, alleged that the Nigerian Army has been using such operations to execute an ethnic agenda, which usually leads to massacre of targeted unarmed and defenseless citizens of particular ethno-religious nationality.

“Apart from constituting serious security threats to the safety and security of the peoples of the South East and South-South regions and protection of their properties, lands and boundaries, there are also widespread feelings among their populations that the current Armed Forces and Policing agencies are far from being secular,” the group said.

JOHN AMEH



The Presidency on Saturday said President Muhammadu Buhari’s wife , Aisha ’ s absence in the country for about two months was not due to any infighting in Aso Villa .

The Presidency ’ s reaction comes amid the speculations that Aisha is unable to pull her weight round the Villa lately and uncomfortable with how government affairs were being run by some powerful people in her husband ’ s cabinet .

The Director of Information to the First Lady , Mr Suleiman Haruna , debunked the speculations and said the President ’s wife had the freedom to travel to wherever she wanted , as a free citizen .
Aisha has not been in the country for nearly two months since the completion of the Hajj . She reportedly jetted out of Saudi Arabia , where she went in company with her husband , to London at the completion of the religious pilgrimage in August.

She has not returned to the country since then, fuelling concerns that she deliberately left the Aso Villa in protest against certain issues at the seat of power.

The First Lady ’s prolonged absence at Aso Villa became pronounced as she did not attend public functions that she ordinarily would have attended .

She was said to have been absent during the mid - August Eid -el -Kabir celebration in Daura , Katsina State , even though his husband was around to welcome world leaders such as the President of Guinea , Alpha Conde.

It was reported that the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Administration , Dr Hajo Sani, had been representing Aisha on a number of occasions recently , including an event of the Organisation of African First Ladies for Development, which held on September 25 , 2019 , on the sidelines of the 74 th United Nations General Assembly in New York , United States .

The event was said to have been attended by the first ladies of Zimbabwe , Sierra Leone , Uganda and Niger Republic .

Although Mrs Buhari’s office confirmed to Sunday PUNCH that she was indeed away from the country , it said it had nothing to do with issues she had with anyone at the seat of power in Abuja.

The office said as a free Nigerian who was not a government official , Mrs Buhari could travel for private engagements both within and outside the country , adding that the reasons for such trips must not be tied to “ needless speculation or rumours . ”

Speaking to Sunday PUNCH after the case of Aisha ’ s absence from the country was raised , her spokesperson , Haruna, insisted the President ’s wife had the freedom to be wherever she wanted to be .

He said, “ It ’s a free world and people have been speculating about everything in this country and it is allowed .

“ She is a free Nigerian and does not work for the government . So, if she decides to stay somewhere in her village for two months or to go somewhere and stay for two months , why should it become a national issue ?

“ She is a free Nigerian and has absolute freedom to move round for however long she wants .”

Asked to comment on the speculation that Aisha was no longer comfortable with how the affairs of government were run and her alleged frequent brushes with some top administration officials , including the Chief of Staff to the President , Mr Abba Kyari , the director dismissed them as rumours .

“ I am in shock when I hear all these things . I don’ t believe in all these rumours about the President ’s wife because they are not true .
“ That is why , most times , the office does not bother to react to these speculations , ” Haruna added.

Aisha had publicly raised issues with her husband ’s administration , including the one where she stated that persons who did not contribute to her husband ’ s election victory were calling the shots at the Presidency .

She had also canvassed more roles for women in government , specifically asking the leadership of the ruling All Progressives Congress to ensure that more women and card- carrying members of the party were given prominent positions in the government after Buhari won a re - election in February .

In March 2019 , she hosted a programme in Buhari’ s Daura hometown to thank women for supporting her husband . She promised them that the President would recognise them more this time round and also make Nigeria a better place .

The President ’s wife had also criticised some of the administration ’s policies , including the N 500 bn Social Investment Programme, which she said had failed “ woefully” in the North in particular .

Aisha , who hails from Adamawa State , had noted in May this year that the situation in her home state , as far as the implementation was concerned , was pathetic .

She also cited Kano , a highly -populated northern state, as another example where she believed the programme failed, despite the huge funds the Federal Government budgeted for it .

Speaking during an interactive programme she organised for women at the Presidential Villa , she disclosed that after four years of implementing the programme, the 30 ,000 women who were supposed to benefit from it in Adamawa State had yet to do so.

However, in a reaction to Aisha ’s comments , the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Social Investment, Mrs Maryam Uwais , said the programme did not work the way the President ’s wife understood it .

Former Big Brother Nigeria contestant, Kemen Ekerete, has the unenviable record of being the first housemate to be disqualified from the show. He turned 30 some days ago and shared a post on social media, writing on losing his job in a multinational company at 26, battling depression and ill health, and how fitness helped him to be the man he is today.

In a chat with Sunday Scoop, the fitness enthusiast also stated that he was ashamed to be called a former BBNaija contestant. Speaking shortly before Tacha was eventually disqualified from the current edition of the show, Kemen said, “Many people till today still don’t know the basis for which I was disqualified. Did Big Brother officially put out a publication on why I was disqualified? It was only assumed Big Brother disqualified me because they thought I molested Tboss. There was a video which many thought showed that such action happened and Tboss and I saw the video. We analysed the video together and I know I didn’t do it. Tboss also knew she didn’t feel anything. We are in a country where people don’t want to know the truth and everyone has their opinion. I think the game is lawless and watered-down now. I know I didn’t do what I was accused of and I’ve genuinely forgiven anyone who tried to drag my name through the mud.

I’m still good friends with people they thought I’d be sworn enemies with and I’m living a good life. Now, I’m ashamed if anyone calls me an ex-big brother housemate because the show doesn’t represent the show I went for. All my housemates are wonderful people and but for the show, I wouldn’t have met them. My rage is not because I think a particular housemate should leave. My rage is that a lot of lawlessness is being condoned in the house. Standing on the reason for my disqualification, many people in this house shouldn’t still be in.”


However, Kemen also maintained that he had no regrets. He said, “Everything that has happened (to me) had to be that way for me to learn a lesson, get more serious and become a better person. I don’t have any regrets. Maybe if I had discovered certain things a bit earlier, I could be in a better place than I am now. But even that isn’t certain because sometimes, things don’t work out the way one plans.”

Kemen also said he didn’t begin fitness training to make money, but as a means to deal with depression and ill health. “From where I come, fitness isn’t something a young man would do for a living. I didn’t know it could put food on my table. I just did it to improve my health because I needed something positive that could keep me from thinking too much. Fitness helps you push a lot of things away, so I’m too strong now for any form of depression.”


The former reality show contestant insisted that looking back over the years, there was nothing he would have done differently while in the House. He said, “Things would have been done moderately. I’ve learnt about being conscious of the next person, my society and the need to be very careful in all one does. There’s also a place for taking responsibility, and forgiving oneself and the next person. I felt bad and was depressed at that time but I knew that I wasn’t a bad person, so I needed time for people to really know me. Sometimes, time is all we need”

Ike was seen rocking Mercy's wig during the BBNaija Saturday night party.

Mercy was also seen dancing and rocking during the party.

Though Tacha is no more there, but the show must continue .

Watch the videos below