The Joint Union Congress of the Police Service Commission has issued a notice of indefinite strike to the management over breach of agreement with effect from August 29, 2022.

MTN Nigeria Communications Plc said it has kicked off an open 5G pilot in the lead-up to its highly anticipated commercial launch in 7 states. The states that will witness the first launch, the company said, include Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Ibadan, Kano, Owerri, and Maiduguri.

MTN said through its ongoing testing of the 5G infrastructure, its customers with certain enabled devices will be allowed to connect with and try out the new service where coverage is available.

The advanced technology is expected to extend the reach and capacity of MTN Nigeria’s data network in Nigeria and enable much faster speeds and lower latency, giving customers near-instant access to the things they care about and downloads that take seconds, instead of minutes.

What the company is saying

Chief Marketing Officer, MTN Nigeria, Adia Sowho, in a statement issued on Wednesday said: “Every major technological evolution redefines what is possible – changing how we live and connect.

MTN Nigeria has been at the forefront of every leap in telecommunications: from GSM to 2G, 3G, and 4G. 5G has the potential to change everything. It will allow us to connect, create, collaborate, and compete in ways we’ve not even begun to imagine.”


“We appreciate the unwavering support and leadership of the Honourable Minister of Communications and Digital Economy and the Nigerian Communications Commission in implementing the National Policy on 5G Networks for Nigeria’s Digital Economy, which has driven the implementation of 5G in the country.

We’re honoured to be a part of this revolution and being the first to bring 5G to Nigeria we are truly excited about all the possibilities for the nation,” she added.


What you should know

The spectrum issued to MTN Nigeria as one of the two successful winners of the 5G license bid holds a promising future for technology in Nigeria, and is projected to contribute $2.2 trillion to the global economy by 2034, according to a 2020 GSMA Intelligence report -“The Mobile Economy”.

The implementation of 5G will accelerate the actualization of the national targets in the Nigerian National Broadband Plan, the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy, as well as other sectoral policies designed to enhance Nigeria’s digital transformation.

While MTN is still targeting Q3 to launch in line with the conditions of the licence, the second operator with 5G licence in Nigeria, Mafab Communications, has been given a 5-month extension for its rollout by the Nigerian Communications Commission.

The head of Japan's National Police Agency announced his resignation on Thursday after an investigation confirmed "shortcomings" in the security plans for assassinated former prime minister Shinzo Abe.

Abe, the country's best-known politician and longest-serving premier, was shot and killed while delivering a stump speech on July 8 in the city of Nara in western Japan.

"There were shortcomings in the security plans and the risk assessments on which they were based, and direction from the field commander was insufficient," Itaru Nakamura told reporters.

"The root of this problem lies in the limitations of the current system, which has been in place for years, in which local police bear sole responsibility for providing security."

Nakamura said he would take responsibility for the failings and step down from his post as police chief.

"We have decided to shake up our personnel and start afresh with our security duties, and that's why I tendered my resignation to the National Public Safety Commission today," he said.

Abe's suspected killer was detained at the scene and is believed to have targeted the politician because he thought he was linked to the Unification Church.

Local police in the area Abe was killed had already acknowledged "undeniable" flaws in security for the former leader, which was comparatively light on the day he was shot.

The Nara police chief also made a tearful resignation on Thursday.

The National Police Agency's report said areas south of the podium from which Abe spoke were not properly guarded, leaving a route open for the shooter to approach.

If adequate security personnel had been in place there, "it is deemed highly probable that this incident could have been prevented", the report concluded.

- New training planned for police -

The man suspected of killing Abe, Tetsuya Yamagami, is believed to have fired two shots from a handmade weapon.

But the police report found officials at the scene did not immediately realise the sound made by the first shot was caused by a gun, "leading to delays in their coming to his (Abe's) defence".

"There is a possibility that what happened could have been prevented had they understood the situation immediately and evacuated (Abe) for protection when the first gunshot was heard," Nakamura said.

He added it was "essential" to improve capacity among security officials and that the police agency would "implement high-level education and drills aimed at contingency responses, including helping officials better discern gunshots and take immediate evacuation measures".

The report also said the National Police Agency will now become more involved in organising security for individuals, and will collect and share intelligence with local police.

Suspected shooter Yamagami is reportedly undergoing a psychiatric evaluation to determine his state of mind at the time of the assassination.

Prosecutors are expected to determine whether he can bear criminal liability based on the examination, before making a decision on whether to indict him.

Yamagami's mother is reported to have made large donations to the Unification Church, which her son blamed for the family's financial difficulties.

Abe's family held a private funeral for him shortly after his death, but a state funeral is also being organised, with leaders from around the world expected to attend the September 27 event.

The event will be "non-denominational, simple and sombre" according to the government -- but the plan has faced some opposition, with criticism over the expenditure of public funds on a funeral for a politician.

While Abe maintained a prominent place in public life even after resigning in 2020 for health reasons, he was also a divisive figure who faced cronyism allegations and was criticised for his staunch nationalist views.

The National Chairman of All Progressives Grand Alliance, Victor Oye, has called on all party members in Nigeria and Diaspora to pray fervently for the Anambra State House of Assembly for God’s mercy to stem the hand of death that has struck the House killing two of its members in a space of three months.

The PUNCH had reported on Wednesday that the House Majority Leader, Nnamdi Okafor, died at a legislative retreat in South Africa.

The lawmaker slumped and died in the early hours of Wednesday in a Hotel in Sandton City, Johannesburg, South Africa, and was confirmed dead hours later.

Before his death, Okafor, popularly called Akajiugo Awka, represented the Awka South Constituency 1 in the state Assembly.

In a press statement on Thursday, Dr. Oye urged all members to embark on three-day fasting and prayer for peace, growth and development in the House and in the party ahead of the 2023 elections.

“The times in which we have found ourselves are perilous and call for constant prayer, self-examination and penance”, the statement quoted Oye as saying.

He called on the leadership of the Anambra State House of Assembly to join in the prayer and fasting as “I see God doing something new in the House soon.”

He used the opportunity to commiserate with the Anambra State Governor, Prof. Charles Soludo, the Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Uche Okafor and the, indeed, all the members of the House on the sudden death of the Majority Leader, Hon. Nnamdi Okafor, in faraway South Africa.

He prayed God to grant the soul of the deceased eternal repose in heaven.

A former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir David Lawal, has opened up on why he and a former speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, met with former military president, Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, over the Muslim-Muslim ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Lawal and Dogara, who are top chieftains of the APC, had kicked against the selection of a former Governor of Borno State, Senator Kashim Shettima, by the presidential candidate of the APC, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, as his running mate.

Recently, a summit of the APC Northern Christian Forum was held in Abuja, where representatives and delegates from the 19 northern states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), rejected the Muslim-Muslim ticket of the APC.

Daily Trust reports that Lawal and Dogara have been engaging in high-powered consultations against the same-faith presidential ticket of the ruling party.

On Monday, they were in Minna, Niger State, where they met Babangida and former Head of State, Abdulsalami Abubakar.

The meeting, according to Dogara’s media aide, Turaki Hassan, was also attended by a former deputy governor of Kogi State, Simon Achuba.

In a phone interview with Daily Trust, Babachir, said though they were in Minna to greet retired General Abdulsalami, who just returned to the country from a medical trip, they also used the opportunity to visit General Babangida.

He also said the issue of the Muslim-Muslim ticket was discussed.

“But there is no way we will be there without the Muslim-Muslim ticket issue coming up. It came up and naturally we discussed it.

“For us Christians in the North, the Muslim-Muslim ticket is existential. It is designed to oppress, kill and eliminate us from the political and economic systems. There is no other reason. It was done to isolate us from any political, economic and educational benefits of this country.

“As a card-carrying member of the APC, it is the PVC that counts in this matter and not APC membership because the party’s card will not vote,” he said.

Asked whether they are mulling exit from the APC, Babachir said, apart from the BoT and NEC, myself and Dogara are members of all other organs of the party. We are APC, but even at that, you can choose what you want.

“Don’t forget that at the last campaign; even President Buhari said we should vote for the candidates of our choice. Has he rescinded that pronouncement? Party members will vote for their choice candidates,” Babachir said.

On his relationship with Tinubu after rejecting his choice of Shettima, he said, “Since I publicly opposed the ticket, Tinubu and I have not spoken. When two friends meet at a junction, they can decide to take different ways.”

The Chairman, Lagos State Park and Garages Management, Musiliu Akinsanya aka MC Oluomo, has disclosed that the candidacy of All Progressives Congress presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu, is being accepted across the world.

He noted that contrary to insinuations from some quarters, Tinubu was being accepted by Nigerians and non-Nigerians alike.

Oluomo stated this on Wednesday when he shared a video of two Caucasian ladies endorsing Tinubu. In the thirteen-second video clip, the ladies were seen wearing T-shirts with the image of Tinubu.


MC Oluomo, who is s staunch supporter of the former Lagos State governor, said with the general and growing acceptance of Tinubu’s candidacy, election victory was assured for Tinubu.

“You can see that our product is selling all over the world, so ladies and gentlemen, don’t let them sweet mouth(sic) you. Seeing is believing. Asiwaju 2023 is assured in shaa Allah,” he captioned the video.

American TV host, Nicholas Scott Cannon, popularly known as Nick Cannon, has announced he is expecting his 10th child with his ex-lover, Brittany Bell.

They already share two children together.

Police in Kerala, India have arrested a 36-year-old Nigerian national, Okafor Eze Emmanuel, for alleged drug trafficking.

Okafor was arrested by Palarivattam police from KR Puram, Bangalore on Wednesday, August 24.

The accused was nabbed by a team led by Ernakulam ACP P Rajkumar, comprising Inspector S Sanal, Sanip Kumar, Mahin Abubakar and Arun Surendran.

The investigation began with the arrest of one Haroon Sultan, who was caught with 102.04 grams of MDMA at Kalur Worldwide Stadium Hyperlink Street on July 20, 2022.

After interrogating Haroon, the Palarivattam police arrested Alin Joseph, Niju Peter and Alan Tony.

Upon interrogation, the police acquired info that one Varghese Joseph, a local of Fort Kochi, who resided in Bengaluru was sending massive portions of MDMA. Details about the Nigerian national was obtained from him.

"He was hiding in Bangalore with a German lady. The arrest was made as part of a one-and-a half-moth operation," IPS Sasidharan, DCP of Kochi Police, said.

"We have arrested six people incuding him as part of this case. They used to deliver drugs to diferent places in Kerala. There will be more accused in the case,"

"This is part of an investigation with the intention of nabbing drug dealers. This is also part of a special drive against drug trafficking and usage of drugs," IPS Sasidharan added.

The accused was produced in court and remanded.

Sylvester Stallone and his wife, Jennifer Flavin, are splitting up after 25 years of marriage.

Flavin filed for divorce Friday in Palm Beach County, Fla., requesting a "dissolution of marriage and other relief" from the Rocky star, PEOPLE reports.

Though the pair have been married for more than two decades, their relationship began in 1988 when they met at a restaurant in Los Angeles.

The couple has had their fair share of troubles over the years. In 1994, they separated after Stallone revealed he had been having an affair with ex-supermodel Janice Dickinson.

Flavin eventually rekindled her relationship with Stallone, and they had their first child together in 1996. One year later, they tied the knot and eventually had two more daughters.

Flavin posted an image earlier this month of her with her three daughters without Stallone. Under the image she wrote a somewhat cryptic message, "These girls are my priority ❤️ nothing else matters. The 4 of us forever���."

In a statement to PEOPLE, Stallone said, "I love my family. We are amicably and privately addressing these personal issues."

Stallone recently expressed his desire to longtime producer Irwin Winkler to give him "what's left" of his rights to the Rocky franchise and its intellectual property.

"After IRWIN controlling ROCKY for over 47 years, and now CREED, I really would like [to] have at least a little [of] WHAT's LEFT of my RIGHTS back, before passing it on to ONLY YOUR CHILDREN," Stallone wrote in a since-deleted Instagram post. "I believe That would be a FAIR gesture from this 93 year old gentleman?"

He called it a "painful subject that eats at my soul," adding, "I wanted to leave something of Rocky for my children, but it's always great hearing from the loyal fans… Keep Punching."

The likelihood that there will be a merger between the ruling party APC and the NNPP (an emerging political party) is off the radar

The leadership of the NNPP said such possibilities had been quenched since the emergence of the new INEC guidelines

However, the party chairman, Prof. Rufai Alkali also reacted to the high-profile defection that ensued in the party

There will be no such thing as collapsing structure for the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) and its presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu, the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) has confirmed.

Daily Trust newspaper reported that the party played down rumours making the rounds that there will be collapsing structure for the APC.

Reaffirming the stance of the party, its national chairman, Prof. Rufai Alkali said the party will not be considering collapsing the structure for the ruling party or any other party ahead of the 2023 presidential polls.

Alkali made this known while speaking with newsmen in Lagos over the alleged rumour that Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, the NNPC standard bearer is on course to step down for APC’s Bola Tinubu.

He also disclosed to reporters that there will be no room for a coalition as it was already late going by the stipulations of the 2023 election guidelines released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

While also reacting to the recent development leading to the defection of Ibrahim Shekarau, former governor of Kano state, Rufai said it was his decision to make, and the entire family at NNPP respects his decision.

He stated that there was no need for controversies and that the NNPP is solely focused on displacing the duopoly of the APC and PDP in the forthcoming general elections in 2023

Meanwhile, the confidence level of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) ahead of the 2023 presidential election is high at present.

The party's flag bearer and former Kano state governor, Rabiu Kwankwaso, is one of the major frontrunners for the Aso Rock seat.

The party's chieftain, Buba Galadima, boasted that the party already has the northwest, northcentral, and some part of the south in its paws.

Prior to the defection of Ibrahim Shekarau, the presidential candidate of the NNPP, Rabiu Kwankwaso denied having grudges with the ex-Kano governor.

Kwankwaso, while reacting to the defection rumour of the Kano central senatorial candidate, promised to cede more prestigious positions to Shekarau's camp if the party wins in 2023.

The presidential hopeful added that all agreements the party had with Shekarau were met except that of the contestants, which was due to the time frame

Abike Dabiri-Erewa spoke to reporters at the State House in Abuja on August 25, 2022.

The Chairman of the Nigeria Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Abike Dabiri-Erewa has warned Nigerians not to travel to Northern Cyprus.

Speaking to State House correspondents in Abuja on Thursday, Dabiri-Erewa said there is little the Federal Government can do to diplomatically resolve issues in the territory because Northern Cyprus is not recognised by the international community except Turkey.

The warning comes amid reports many Nigerian are being killed in Northern Cyprus.

Dabiri-Erewa also urged Nigerians in Diaspora not to be afraid to invest in the country because of insecurity.

While admitting that the country’s insecurity challenge is a source of concern, she said it is only temporary because of stiff measures currently employed by the Federal Government to tackle the situation.

She said the commission recorded over $20 billion in daispora remittances for 2021.

Troops Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK) have eliminated more than 57 terrorists in different operations conducted from Aug. 11 to 25 in the North East, Defence Headquarters says.

The Director, Defence Media Operations, Maj.-Gen. Musa Danmadami, made this known at a bi-weekly news briefing of the Defence Headquarters on Thursday in Abuja.

Danmadami said the operations were conducted through land and air raids on the Boko Haram and Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP) enclaves in Borno and Yobe.

He said the operation also led to the killing of unspecified number of terrorists in a number of airstrikes, with more than 18 of them seriously wounded.

He added that eight suspected terrorists and four terrorists’ logistic suppliers were apprehended as well as rescue of four civilian victims during the period.

According to him, a total of 1,652 BHT members and their families comprising of 320 adult males, 442 women and 890 children surrendered to troops at different location within the period.

“The air component on Aug. 20, carried out strikes on terrorists’ enclaves in Sambisa Forest and the Tumbuns in Borno with various degree of success recorded.

“Acting on credible intelligence about the gathering of terrorists at a location revealed to be the enclave of a notorious terrorist being hosted by a top-ranking commander.

“He is believed to be the ISWAP leader of Sambisa Forest who took over the leadership after the demise of Abubakar Shekau.

“Consequently, the air strikes were carried out on the enclave. Feedback revealed that 25 of the terrorists were neutralized in the strikes with 18 serious wounded.

“Among those neutralised was a high-profile commander known as Uzaifa, who was the ‘MINZIR’, which connotes the fourth in line of the terrorist leadership structure.

“Similar air strikes were conducted in the Tumbuns near Lake Chad at a location revealed to be the training camp of the terrorists.

“Reports revealed that scores of the terrorists were neutralised in the strikes.

“All recovered items and rescued civilians were handed over to relevant authorities while the surrendered Boko Haram terrorist members and their families were profiled for further action,’’ he said.

E nor go happen- Niger Delta Creekmen kick against awarding N4bn a month oil pipeline surveillance contracts to Tompolo, demand inclusion in the contract

An armed group in the creeks of the Niger Delta hasve kicked against the decision of the Federal government to award a multi-million dollar pipeline surveillance contract to a former militant leader and Commander of the defunct Movement for Emancipation of Niger Delta (MEND), Government Ekpemupolo, aka Tompolo, IGBERETV reports.

The Federal government and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Limited recently signed the deal with Tompolo in a bid to end illegal bunkering, illegal refining, and other forms of oil theft in the Niger Delta region.

According to reports, the deal with Tompolo is worth over N4 billion monthly. Insiders say the duties of the former MEND commander will be to monitor and oversee other surveillance contracts, contractors and their activities in the entire Niger Delta.

While some Nigerians have applauded this move as it will help eliminate oil theft and increase the revenue of the country, other armed men in the creeks of the Niger Delta have said the contract cannot be solely awarded to Tompolo.

In an interview with Arise TV, a group of armed men who refer to themselves as the Creek Men expressed dissatisfaction over their exclusion from the contract. They are demanding inclusion in the pipeline surveillance contract.

Showdown 2023: Wotowoto Everywhere As Fani Kayode Joins Festus Keyamo In APC Presidential Council (Highlights)

There is always something exciting going on, so there is never a dull moment in the countdown to the presidential elections in 2023.

As I keep saying, different people are involved in this electoral process, depending on their interests. There are observers, candidates, electorates, analysts, and, of course, entertainers.

These entertainers can now be found in all of the above-mentioned categories, including aspirants, electorates, observers, and even the entertainers themselves.

As we speak, all political parties are making last-minute preparations for the start of electoral campaigns and based on the composition so far, Jokers may be added to the list of categories previously mentioned.

The presidential race would be dominated by the ruling APC, the main opposition party, the PDP, and the fast-rising LP. So what these parties say and do will make major headlines and be scrutinized by the electorates, who are ultimately the target audience.

The news that Chief Fani Kayode has recently joined Festus Keyamo as the spokesman of the APC presidential campaign council has reached our news desk at Bush Radio headquarters. This could spell trouble for the PDP and LP.

With the joining of FFK and Keyamo, it can only mean one thing: "Wotowoto Everywhere." These two men have proven to be dedicated to whatever they set out to do, and to both politicians' credit, they play their game with FINESSE, which makes them unique in their own way.

Contrarily, the PDP has Dino Melaye and Daniel Bwala serving as their presidential spokesmen, which adds intrigue and makes the contest interesting and worth watching.

A former senator who now creates social media skits, many people view Dino Melaye as a social media prankster who posts numerous back-to-back skits in which he presents himself as a comedian, dancer, and dramatic singer.

He has portrayed every character in a typical Nollywood film, from a groundnut vendor to an action movie hero who outwits hired killers and the appropriate security forces to a character who is disabled or ill. Of course, he also sings a lot in many of his roles.

You can take it or leave it. Dino Melaye, despite the fact that the majority of Nigerians regard him as a jester who makes fun of himself on the internet, would be dishing out a plethora of content that would be very entertaining for the viewers at home.

On the other hand, Daniel Bwala recently switched from the APC to the PDP and still appears unsure of which party he still belongs to because he has displayed a lack of confidence in his new position as the PDP's presidential spokesman.

He recently showed this lack of confidence on national television when he stated that the PDP is aware that it will not win the presidential election in 2023. He later tried to correct himself, but many people saw the statement as a blunder in prediction.

Festus Keyamo, the cerebral SAN, is regarded as a smooth talker who is willing to back up his claims with facts. He can be described as a tough, die-hard APC supporter. He would undoubtedly add charisma and class to the campaign.

Femi Fani Kayode is not new to such assignments; his only flaw is his passion for sticking to whatever course he believes in without apologizing to anyone; he is willing to accept the consequences of his actions. Fearless and regarded as a person who tells it like it is.

Fani Kayode would be an excellent MARKSMAN for the dynamic duo of Dino Melaye and Daniel Bwala; indeed, it is Wotowoto Everywhere from both camps.

Leave your thoughts in the comments section.

Osigwe Omo-Ikirodah is the Chairman and CEO of Bush Radio Academy