News

By Uzair Adam Imam 

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) is not recruiting, the General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, Mr Garbadeen Muhammad, said.

The General Manager made the declaration public in a statement issued in Abuja by the management. 

In the statement, Muhammad urged the general public to discard the rumour in the air that the company was recruiting. 

He reiterated that the information suggesting that NNPC Ltd. was recruiting was false and baseless. 

He stated, “the general public should please take note that NNPC Ltd. is not recruiting.

The statement noted that the NNPC has an official website to make announcements whenever the company intends to recruit. 

The official websites were identified as “(www.nnpcgroup.com); verified Twitter handle (@nnpcgroup); verified Facebook page (@nnpcgroup) and other credible media channels,” he stated.

By Muhammad Sabiu

The families of the seven captives released by the terrorists who attacked the AK-9 Abuja-Kaduna train have been reunited.

On Saturday, the terrorists freed a further group of seven captives after more than a hundred days in captivity.

According to reports, the terrorists released 11 of the remaining 50 hostages from the 61 victims of the kidnapped train passengers three weeks ago, leaving 43 hostages in their hideout.

The release of the hostages and their reunion with their families was announced on Sunday by Mallam Tukur Mamu, one of the negotiators and the media advisor to Islamic cleric Sheikh Ahmad Gumi.

The hostages include Bosede Olurotimi, Abubakar Zubairu, Alhassan Sule and Sadiq Ango Abdullahi, Muhammad Daiyabu Paki, Aliyu Usman as well as only foreign national of Pakistani origin, Dr Muhammad Abuzar Afzal.

By Uzair Adam Imam 

Alhaji Muhammed Jamiu Idris, the Chief Executive Officer of Always Petroleum Energy Services, has been abducted by unknown gunmen. 

Our reporters gathered that Idris was abducted at his residence in Idare in Okene Local Government Area of Kogi State.

However, he was said to have been beaten mercilessly before being whisked to an unknown destination.

A family source disclosed that the men disguised as Sallah visitors before they eventually brought out sophisticated weapons and instructed Idris to follow them.

The source added that the kidnappers shot sporadically to scare people who attempted to resist the kidnapping of Idris.

The Kogi State Police Command has confirmed the incident to journalists. He stated that the abductors went to the house shortly after the Eid prayers.

The kidnappers had not made any contact with his family as at the time of this report.

By Uzair Adam Imam 

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has urged Nigerians to pray for President Muhammadu Buhari as insecurity exacerbates in the country. 

Barr Felix Morka, the APC National Publicity Secretary, disclosed in a Sallah message to Muslims on Saturday. 

Morka said Nigerians should put the interest of the nation first, adding that Nigerians should pray for Buhari to end the security challenges bedevilling the country.

The party said, “We urge Nigerians to continue to support and pray for the government of President Muhammadu Buhari as it tackles our national security challenges just as we continue to reject insensitive and unpatriotic attempts by some partisans to politicise security breaches by enemies of our land.

“On this occasion of Eid-El-Kabir, we urge all Muslims to pray for sustained peace, security and prosperity of the country as the APC-led government continues to prioritise the wellbeing and safety of all Nigerians.

“On this occasion of Eid-El-Kabir, we urge all Nigerians to place national interest first in all dealings. We must not yield to retrogressive elements who seek to divide us through terror and hate.”

By Muhammad Sabiu

The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) publicly apologized on Friday for its inability to transport 1,500 pilgrims for the 2022 Hajj.

Mrs Fatima Usara, the commission’s Assistant Director, Public Affairs Division, issued a statement on the unfortunate drama on Friday in Abuja.

She stated that there would be nine pilgrims from Bauchi, 91 from Plateau, and 700 from Kano State, who were supposedly travelling to the holy country.

Usara also expressed regret for the commission’s inability to transport an estimated 750 intending pilgrims from the Private Tour Operators sector.

She stated that the commission accepted responsibility for the hardships and disappointments experienced during outbound airlift operations to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia by intending pilgrims for the 2022 Hajj.

Usara was quoted in the statement as saying, “Sadly, in spite of all efforts to transport all Nigerian intending pilgrims to Saudi Arabia for the 2022 Hajj, NAHCON was incapacitated in discharging this responsibility.

“Majorly due to last-minute setbacks that frustrated its plan to conclude transportation of pilgrims by June 27.

“Unfortunately, the chartered flights option that gave so much hope to NAHCON and the Private Tour Operators’ leadership also became a failure as their IBAN accounts failed accreditation by the respective authorities in Saudi Arabia.”

Meanwhile, a video of some aggrieved intending pilgrims who also didn’t make it to the 2022 Hajj has gone viral on social media, airing their grievances and cursing anyone who has a hand in their ordeal.

By Uzair Adam Imam 

The Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, has joined millions of music fans to partake in the ‘Buga Challenge’, the development that took many by surprise. 

Bello was seen displaying several dance moves to the trending song of Nigerian Act, Kizz Daniel, after he alighted from a vehicle.

This was in a video he posted on his Twitter handle with the caption, “after a hard day’s work…. we buga,”

His dance had thrown his followers into wild jubilation as he danced in excitement.

The trending song is said to have been one of the most popular songs in Africa that continues to enjoy massive streaming from fans/followers at the moment.

By Muhammad Sabiu

The former prime minister of Japan, Shinzo Abe, has passed on after sustaining injuries after he was shot in the neck.

NHK and Jiji news agency reported confirmed that Abe died in hospital

NKH stated, “According to a senior LDP (Liberal Democratic Party) official, former prime minister Abe died at a hospital in Kashihara city, Nara region, where he was receiving medical treatment. He was 67.”

This is coming a few years after Abe stepped down as the Asian democracy’s prime minister due to his ailing condition.

Media reports have quoted the President of France, Emmanuel Macron to have been “profoundly shocked by the despicable attack” on Mr. Abe.

The National Youth Service Corps has denied reports that 21 female corps members were raped during a robbery on Wednesday.

The scheme confirmed that, contrary to the reports, no physical harm was inflicted on them, and no corps member was raped.

In a statement obtained by journalists in Abuja on Thursday, Chinyere Ekwe, the Akwa Ibom State Coordinator of NYSC, clarified the matter.

She was quoted as saying, “In the said story making the rounds, it was alleged that gunmen attacked, raped, robbed and dispossessed Corps Members of their valuables at Udo Ekong Ekwere Street, off Information Drive, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, where they reside.

“To put the unfortunate incident in proper perspective, the State Coordinator, NYSC Akwa Ibom State, Chinyere Ekwe in the company of the State Police Commissioner, Olatoye Durosinmi, visited the Corps Members for an on-the-spot assessment.

“While there, it was confirmed that 21 corps members occupy the said property. The interaction with the corps members further revealed that an attack on them was actually carried out by thieves at about 1 am this morning.

“In the process, the invaders took their valuables including phones, laptops and some cash. They confirmed that no bodily harm was meted on them, and no corps member was raped.”

Violent attacks are not only quotidian in the Northern part of the country; the South also suffer from activities of hoodlums and terrorist organisations like the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) in the Southeast.

By Muhammad Aminu

The Kano State Police Command has arrested a 24-year old ex-convict for burglary alongside his accomplices in Tudun Murtala Quarter of Nasarawa LGA in the State.

The Police said at least 32 phones had been recovered, mostly Android phones, from the suspect.

According to a statement from the Police Spokesman Abdullahi Kiyawa, the suspect, 24-year old Umar Salisu who had been previously convicted for similar offence, confessed to breaking a shop and stealing the phones.

The statement said: “Sustained efforts coupled with intelligence-led follow-up resulted in the arrest of the principal suspect, Umar Salisu, ‘m’, 24 years old, of Tudun Murtala Quarters Kano.

Two other suspects were arrested for buying thirteen (13) of the stolen mobile phones from the suspect, with an effort for more recoveries.

Kiyawa said “He was arrested two years ago for theft of ten (10) Mobile Phones, charged to court and sentenced to two years in the correctional centre without an option of a fine, where he served for the period and was recently released.

“He begged not to be charged to the same court because the Magistrate warned him.”

According to Kiyawa, the Police has earlier received a complaint of burglary in the area where around 40 mobile phones were stolen.

“On receipt of the complaint, the Commissioner of Police, Kano State Command, CP Sama’ila Shu’aibu Dikko, fsi raised and instructed a team of Detectives led by SP Abubakar Abdulmalik, Divisional Police Officer (DPO) Zango Division to trace and arrest the perpetrator(s).

The team immediately swung into action,” it added. Kiyawa said that the suspects would be charged to the Margistrate Court that once convicted him after discreet investigation. He called on the residents to continue supporting the Police in discharging their responsibilities diligently

By Muhammad Abdurrahman

Ibrahim Adamu, a Microbiology student from the Federal University Dutsin-Ma, Katsina, Nigeria, has won the 2022 Wellcome Sanger Institute Prize. Ibrahim, who hailed from Ingawa Local Government of Katsina State, became the second person in Nigeria to win the prize.

The Sanger Prize is an outreach competition aimed at undergraduates studying genomics relevant courses who live and study in low or middle-income countries. This year students from 138 countries of different universities and faculties participated in the competition.

As usual, the winner of the Sanger Institute Prize will be offered a three-month internship with a research group at the Wellcome Sanger Institute, Cambridge, United Kingdom. The internship prize will cover all essential expenses, including travel costs, visa costs, training and research costs, accommodation and reasonable food costs during the three-month internship. The winner will also receive support and mentorship from the Institute, the scientific programme they work with and the team that administers the fund.

When contacted by The Daily Reality on how he knew and applied for the competition, Adamu explained that: “A friend shared a link with me in December 2021. I then contacted my academic advisor, and he encouraged me to apply. He connected me with Dr Adesoji Ayodele Timilehin and Dr Aminu Ado. These two wrote reference letters for me.

“I was also supported and mentored by Dr Adesoji throughout the process. I spent many sleepless nights reading research papers, books and reports to prepare for the essay competition. My Mentor rejected my first essay trial. So I wrote another one, and he suggested some edits for me.

“Anybody willing to apply should have a broad understanding of genomics, read a lot, and seek professional mentorship in all the application processes! Mentorship is the key! Without it, I would not have made it even to the first stage! So be focused and PRAY hard”, Adamu said.

Ibrahim concluded, “I will be available to guide any potential applicant in the future.”