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Warrant Officer Lawal Mato, one of the bodyguards of the President , Major General Muhammadu Buhari ’s ( rtd .) , died on Tuesday after struggling with diabetes for three years .  In a statement by President Buhari's Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity , Garba Shehu, said "Mato had been working with him for many years before he won the 2015 election ." The President described the officer as a “very thorough , trustworthy and dependable soldier who carried out his duty with diligence and focus ”. The statement added , “ Mato was part of a team that former President Umaru Musa Yar ’ Adua restored to President Buhari as personal security and he had been off full duty for three years , treating diabetes . ” Buhari prayed that God would ease Mato’s passage to paradise and grant his family , government and people of Jigawa State the fortitude to bear the loss .

"The chief of staff to the Nigerian president Abba Kyari is dead," presidential spokesmen Femi Adesina said on Saturday morning. “Funeral arrangements to be announced soon,” Adesina said.   Garba Shehu, the special assistant on media and publicity to President Muhammadu Buhari, said Kyari died on Friday.  Abba Kyari was the top aide to President Buhari and one of the most powerful men in the country. Abba Kyari suspected to have contracted the novel coronavirus when he visited Germany in early March multiple sources said.  He was confirmed with the virus on March 23, though it was  revealed on March 30.  The Presidency did not deny or confirm the rumours at the time. It was only after his death that Shehu confirmed that Kyari had died of coronavirus. “The deceased had tested positive to the ravaging COVID-19, and had been receiving treatment,” Shehu said. He was Buhari’s closest person in the cabinet. In fact, Buhari, while inaugurating his ministers...

By Akinyinka Omowunmi Rumors have been rife online since the 15th of April that the youngest wife of the 80-year-old monarch, Alaafin Oyo had been sent packing from the palace over her alleged affair with the Fuji music maestro, king wasiu Ayinde Marshal aka KWAM 1 Olori Badirat Ajoke, the youngest wife of the Alaafin of Oyo, has called on the oracles in the monarch’s palace to punish her if she had an affair with Fuji musician King Wasiu Ayinde Marshal, KWAM 1. The news came just months after her husband installed KWAM 1 as the Mayegun of Yorubaland. When reached on the veracity of the report, Olori Badirat Ajoke said, “The news is actually FAKE and all the blogs that carried it will be sanctioned”. The Fuji music maestro also denies alleged affair with Alaafin of Oyo's wife  and  he also seeks legal redress

By Akinyinka Omowunmi Obafemi Awolowo University ( OAU) embarked on sensitisation and distribution of relief materials to Ife community as part of their contribution to fight against Corona virus. The items distributed by OAU included 179 packs of 5kg Garri, seven and half bags of 50kg Garri, 200 packs of OAU bottled waters,500 loaves of OAU bread and 200 bottles of 250ml ifetizers( hand sanitizers) according to the University Public Relations Officer . The University Public Relations Officer  Professor Abiodun Ola nrewaju stated that " the Vice- Chancellor, Professor Eyitope Ogunbodede made the disclosure on Thursday during the release of the materials to the President of Ife Development Board, Comrade Lawrence Awowoyin at Ooni's palace, Ile-ife."  The University Vice-Chancellor stated: "We are aware of the fact that the lockdown has denied members of the community the opportunity to go about their normal daily activities, there by negatively affecting t...

President Muhammadu Buhari has extended the ongoing lockdown over the COVID-19 by two weeks. In a presidential broadcast on Monday evening, Buhari said: “It has become necessary to extend the current restriction of movement in Lagos and Ogun States as well as the FCT for another 14 days effective from 11:59 pm on Monday, 13th of April, 2020. I am therefore once again asking you all to work with Government in this fight.” He added: “This is a difficult decision to take, but I am convinced that this is the right decision. The evidence is clear.”

Mysterious fire gutted some shops at  the Oja tuntun  which is one of the  popular market in Ile-Ife, Osun statedestroying properties and cash worth Millions of Naira. The fire which started about 4pm today is still burning countless shops, destroying the wares and the cash from sales in the shops. The cause of the inferno has not yet been ascertained Men of the fire service are currently putting all efforts to stop the fire.

By Akinyinka Omowunmi Actress Funke Akindele and her husband Abdulrasheed Bello aka JJC Skillz plead guilty in the magistrate court today in ogba Lagos.   They pleaded to the one count charge of hosting a gathering of 20 persons and over, contrary to the social distancing directives of the Lagos  State Government filled againstst them by the Attorney General of Lagos State, Moyosore Onigbanjo ( SAN). Delivery judgement after the couple pleaded guilty, Magistrate Y.O Aje Afunwa ordered the defendants to pay N100, 000 naira each as fine. The Magistrate also held that the couple must serve 14 days community service and thereafter to observe period of isolation. The couple who were represented by their lawyer, Abayomi Alagbada however pleaded for leniency after pleading guilty to the charge.

 By Akinyinka Omowunmi Few hours after actress Funke Akindele aka Jenifa apologized for her actions  on her Instagram page, the National Centre for Disease and Control, NCDC has debunked reports that Nollywood actress, Funke Akindele is one of its ambassadors. Funke Akindele appeared in an advert on NCDC website where she was educating Nigerians on preventive measures against coronavirus. However, her recent action where she organized a house party and violated the lockdown order by the state and federal government raised concerns about her tainting the image of the agency. The police has begun a manhunt  for Akindele's husband, Abdulrasheed Bello aka JJC Skillz and singer Azeez Fashola aka Naira Marley, said to have been at the party. But, NCDC in a post on its Twitter page on Sunday evening said the agency has not engaged any brand ambassador as part of its response to Covid-19. The tweet read: “As an agency of the Federal Government of Nigeria, NCDC has not...

The police have arrested Nollywood actress and producer, Funke Akindele, in Lagos State. The Police Public Relations Officer in Lagos, Bala Elkana, confirmed this in a statement on Sunday. He explained that the actress was arrested for violating the restriction orders in the state as a result of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The state government had restricted social gatherings in the state to not more than 20 people, as well as urged residents to maintain social distancing. According to the government, the restriction order affects churches, mosques, weddings, and other forms of social function that can attract a large crowd of people. In a bid to curtail the spread of coronavirus in the country, President Muhammadu Buhari declared a lockdown in Lagos and Ogun States, as well as the Federal Capital Territory. The President had, however, exempted persons on essential service from the lockdown which would last 14 days. In the statement on Sunday, Elkana said the Lagos...

Waka music exponent, Queen Salawa Abeni, has been forced to release her nude pictures on the social media to escape being blackmailed by an unknown man who identifies himself as Jason and lives in osun state. Salawa was crowned “Queen of Waka Music” by the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi, in 1992. She said the scammer, who is threatening to tarnish her image and destroy her career of over 45 years. Salawa took to her Instagram page to share the screenshots of her chats as well as the nude pictures. Queen Salawa Abeni wrote on her Instagram page: “Good morning my family, friends and fans. I have something very important to tell you and I will really appreciate your audience. “I am very disappointed that someone somewhere will try to tarnish my image and threaten to destroy my career of over 45 years. “This morning, I received messages from somebody threatening to expose very old pictures of me and in the process blackmailing...

PRESIDENT, Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Biodun Ogunyemi on Tuesday flagged off ASUU intervention materials to sensitise the public and trammels the spread of the dreaded coronavirus at the University of Ibadan. The intervention materials produced by the University of Ibadan Chapter of the union include over one thousand 100ml of Handsanitisers, sensitisation jingle in Pidgin and English languages, posters in three major languages and hand gloves. While addressing the printing at the University of Ibadan, ASUU President, Prof Biodun Ogunyemi who was represented by the Zonal Coordinator of Ibadan Zone, Prof Ade Adejumo said the union has made her members misogynist to help in checking the menace of COVID-19.  The president tabbed on federal and state governments to work with Nigerian scientists, researchers, epidemiologists to flatten the lines of the spread.  He maintained that Nigeria must do what China has washed-up to reduce the ravaging effects o...