TrueGossip

The Department of State Services (DSS) has cleared Senate President Bukola Saraki and members of the National Assembly over what it described as “malicious falsehood’’ being spread around by one of its dismissed officers, Abdulrasheed Maigari, who recently claimed that he and other security personnel, including an army captain stole N310 million from the Senate President while guarding his house in Maitama, Abuja. advertisement “The story making the rounds that the sum of N310 million belonging to the Senate President was stolen in 2015 is a malicious falsehood,’’ a senior officer of DSS stated last night in Abuja. “From our investigation, the money in question did not belong to the Senate President or any member of the National Assembly for that matter. The investigation conducted by the DSS and the confessional statement made by Abdulrasheed Maigari, a suspect in the case, did not support this claim at all,” he said, adding: “Maigari’s recent claim in the me...

A popularly pickpocket suspect known as ‘Dayo Skippo’ has been arrested by the operatives of Rapid Response Squad, (RRS) of Lagos State Police Command. advertisement The suspect who claimed to be an expert in stealing was arrested at Ikeja-Under-Bridge He confessed to RRS decoy team in an interrogation that the current economic situation led him into the crime. The suspect, a secondary school drop-out further explained that all he needs to do is to have the slightest physical contact with his victim and their valuables are gone. “I can use my head to remove anything from your body. I will just pretend as if I know you somewhere and in the process of giving you salutations, your item is gone”, he said. He also confessed that he doesn’t perpetrate the theft alone but works with some members of his group just in case the victim becomes suspicious, they would quickly swing into action. One of his victims who narrated his encounter with the suspect, said “I wen...

MAIDUGURI—Dozens of people were saved at a wedding party in Maiduguri, yesterday, as a teenage suicide bomber, who attempted to detonate a bomb at the ceremony was attacked by a dog. Both the dog and suicide bomber died in the explosion that resulted from detonation of the bomb, following the dog attack. advertisement The incident occurred barely hours after the police in Borno confirmed that three suspected male suicide bombers were killed in separate foiled attacks at Muna and Dusuman village on the outskirt of Maiduguri. The dog which, according to the police, belonged to a resident of the neighbourhood where the wedding was holding, stopped the teenage suicide bomber from detonating her explosives in the crowd. The suicide bomber was about making her way into the gathering at the wedding ceremony before the dog pounced on her. The girl, whose original mission appeared to have been thwarted, detonated her explosives while battling to wriggle herself from the ...

The planned indefinite strike by the Petroleum Tanker Drivers arm of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers will commence as scheduled today (Monday), the union said on Sunday. advertisement The Chairman, NUPENG, South-West Zone, Alhaji Tokunbo Korodo, told one of our correspondents, “The strike will hold on Monday. We have not received any positive response from the government.” He said tanker drivers across the nation would boycott fuel depots to press home their demands, adding that several complaints regarding poor salaries, poor state of Nigerian roads, poor sleeping quarters for drivers and insecurity on the highways had not been addressed. However, the NNPC leadership is to meet with the Petroleum Tankers Drivers and the National Association of Transport Owners today (Monday) in Abuja in a bid to prevent the nationwide strike called by the PTD. The PTD had said its members would commence a nationwide strike today (Monday). ...

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) says that eligible candidates for its 2017 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) can now purchase the pin for registration using the Remita mode. advertisement The board said on Sunday the development came on the heels of the reported challenges the candidates faced in an attempt to acquire the pins from NIPOST and the designated banks. The Head of Information of JAMB, Dr Fabian Benjamin, said the board had noted the many headaches of prospective candidates from various parts of the country, including Lagos. He said that candidates had lamented the difficulties involved in obtaining the pins from designated banks on the payment of N5,500 and the subsequent hassles in getting registered. Candidates had described the process as cumbersome and frustrating as they have to queue as early as 2 or 3 a.m. in some cases in banks just to acquire pins. They had also said that often times, they spent th...

Mario Pasalic advertisement AC Milan needed a Mario Pasalic equaliser to salvage a 1-1 draw with bottom of the table Pescara on the east coast. Gabriel Paletta scored an early own goal when his wayward bouncing backpass eluded goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma’s attempts to control it and found the corner of the net. But Pescara were denied a famous win when Pasalic struck after 41 minutes. Strugglers Crotone maintained a glimmer of hope that they could yet secure Serie A survival after beating Chievo 2-1 in Verona. The promoted club were in 19th place with only 14 points heading into Sunday’s match, but a Diego Falcinelli winner lifted them to within five points of safety with eight games remaining. Crotone took the lead through Gian Marco Ferrari six minutes after the break and, after Sergio Pellissier had levelled, Falcinelli clinched victory in the 82nd minute. Palermo were determined to close the seven-point gap on 17th-placed Empoli but remain in di...

advertisement No fewer than 3,300 repentant cult members surrendered their weapons in Bori, Khana Local Government Area of Rivers State on Friday. The cult members, who were mostly members of Deebam and Iceland, dropped out different arms and ammunition to indicate that they had embraced the fresh amnesty declared by the Governor Nyesom Wike. Speaking after the exercise, Chairman of the Committee on Amnesty, Mr. Kenneth Chinda, explained that the repentant cult members were initially not sincere with the state amnesty programme. advertisement Chinda told the youths not to go back to their crime, adding that investors were interested in investing in a conducive Ogoniland. He listed some of the weapons surrendered by the former cult members as five AK-47 rifles, one pump action, 17 Dane guns, 20 locally made pistols, 10 AK-47 magazines, four cutlasses, two knives, three axes and five 7.62mm (NATO), 417 quantity of 7.62mm (special), 5.56mm, and four cart...

Students of the College of Management Sciences (COLMAS) of Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike in Abia, on Thursday 30-03-2017 protested against the Federal Government’s policy scrapping seven courses in the college. The affected courses are Accounting, Banking and Finance, Marketing, Economics, Entrepreneurial Studies, Industrial Relations and Business Administration. The students protested to the office of the Dean of the college, Prof John Ihendinihu, and called on the management of the university to initiate steps toward the restoration of the courses. The President, Association of Management Science Students (AMSS) of the university, Mr Uzoma Onuoha, said that they were disturbed by the news of the scrapping of the courses. Onuoha said that they were worried by the development and wanted to know what the management was doing about it. “We appeal to you sir to ensure that something is done fast to restore the programmes. “We can never be violent o...

advertisement In order to deal with the challenge of computer low level literacy of some candidates, especially with the phobia for the mouse, the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board, JAMB has disclosed that it will adopt an “eight-key device” for the 2017 UTME. Speaking during the Strategic Planning retreat on Supervision and Evaluation of 2017 UTME examinations the JAMB Registrar noted that in order to ensure equity and level playground for all candidates taking the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, the Board has designed a system that will allow candidates use only eight (8) keys without the use of the mouse. All the candidates need to do is to press the letters A,B,C,D for responses (answers) to questions and keys P, N, S and R representing different functions as follows: P = Previous question N = Next question S = Submit responses when candidate has finished examination R = Reverse (do not intend to go further to submit again) adv...

Going by the information earlier provided by JAMB, the proposed Mock examination for 2017 prospective UTME candidates will hold Saturday April 8th, 2017. That's a week from now. According to a recent information released by JAMB, over 300,000 candidates have already indicated interest to sit for the Mock examination. The purpose of the Mock examination is to give candidates an idea of what the actual UTME will look like considering the new technology JAMB has put in place. I think it is advisable for candidates to take the Mock examination as it will serve as a confidence booster during the actual examination

advertisement Basketmouth is one of the few Nigerian comedians showing the world why Nigerians are often described as the happiest people on earth. What are the possibilities across Africa and the rest of the world? Should we be worried our funny men are trooping out, or should we plant structures to support them? Is  Comedy, as some think, actually ready to take over from music as preferred live entertainment? advertisement Fitting theme for the widely travelled and ambitious Basketmouth to address. Register on the NEC portal to be part of the conversation.

advertisement Iyanya joined Mavin in November last year, and has since made himself at home at the star-studded label. The singer left MMMG at a time Tekno ‘s star witnessed a steady rise, making the challenge tough. Now, thanks to Dr. Sid , we now know Iyanya has been working hard lately to revive his career. After all, he was featured on ‘Up To Something’. advertisement The 2008 Project Fame West Africa winner, who recently released his first EP, Signature , has recorded over 50 songs in the space of three months according Sid. ‘Iyanya has made the rest of us (in Mavin) look lazy with his work rate,’ the ‘Surulere’ hitmaker said at Iyanya’s EP unveiling in Lagos, after performing ‘Up to Something’ and ‘We Up’ together.

advertisement Wizkid teamed up with Canadian rapper, Drake for new single, ‘Come Closer’, which was officially released on Friday, March 31, 2017.  ‘Come Closer’ – previously titled ‘Hush Up the Silence’ and leaked online in January – is the third studio work featuring the Nigerian pop star and Drake. 6 God featured in Wizkid’s ‘Ojuelegba’ remix with Skepta in 2015, while their 2016 collaboration, ‘One Dance’ topped the US Billboard Hot 100 chart for 10 weeks and the UK Singles Chart for 15 consecutive weeks.  advertisement The Grammy-nominated song also became the most played song ever on music platform, Spotify with over one billion streams. ‘Come Closer’, which is produced by Sarz , is Wizkid’s first single released under RCA Records/Sony Music following his recent multi-album deal with the international music company.

The Indigenous People of Biafra has declared May 30 as the day all supporters of Biafra will sit at home without going anywhere or doing any work. advertisement This, it said, would be to use the day to honour the Igbo who had lost their lives in sectarian killings in the country from 1945 to date. It enjoined the Igbo and all those who believe in the Biafra ideology all over the country to shut down their businesses and stay at home. In a press statement from the group’s Spokesperson, Emma Powerful, in Awka, Anambra State, IPOB said prayers would be held at designated places to mark the day. Their statement read in part “The indigenous people of Biafra and its leadership worldwide would like to use this opportunity to inform Biafrans, friends of Biafra, lovers of freedom all over the world and humanity in general, to prepare for the historic annual Biafra Day of Remembrance 2017. “On the 30th of May 2017, as it is now the tradition since our leader Mazi...

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho advertisement Jose Mourinho cut a frustrated figure after Manchester United’s 0-0 draw with West Bromwich Albion at Old Trafford on Saturday, branding one reporter’s line of questioning “silly.” BBC Sport’s Conor McNamara suggested to the United boss in a postmatch interview that Tony Pulis’ visiting side had been on a similar level to their hosts, despite the home team dominating possession and achieving 18 shots on goal to WBA’s three. Mourinho was not impressed. advertisement “You think the game was equal? I can smile win, lose or draw. I am sorry to say, it is a silly question,” Mourinho said. “When the team crosses the line once in 90 minutes and when the team is in the opposition half trying and trying and trying, you ask if we were equal? “One team had the ball, one team didn’t. One team tried to win, the other tried to draw.” McNamara took to Twitter later, saying that he and Mourinho had spoken afterw...

Bastian Schweinsteiger launched his Major League Soccer career with a debut goal on Saturday but was left unsatisfied after Chicago Fire’s 2-2 draw with Montreal Impact. The former Germany, Bayern Munich and Manchester United midfielder headed home from close range after 17 minutes to give Chicago a 1-0 lead over the Canadian club. advertisement But Chicago were forced to settle for a point after Montreal hit back with two goals of their own before Fire grabbed an injury-time equaliser. “It was a good feeling but I’m a little bit sad and not so happy that we couldn’t win the game,” Schweinsteiger told reporters after the game. “We can improve. We had good chances actually. We have to finish a little bit better,” he added. Schweinsteiger, who signed for Chicago after being frozen out at Manchester United by Jose Mourinho, was circumspect when asked for his first impressions on the MLS. “It’s intense,” he said. “But it’s not easy after one match to talk a...

advertisement Residents of Irete community in the Owerri West Local Government Area of Imo State have destroyed three homes of some suspected cult members in the area. Worried by the menace of cultism in the community, which had resulted in the killings of three young men, including the recent killing of 23-year-old Decency Chibundu, the residents trooped out on Friday to protest the mayhem. The protest caused gridlock on the Owerri-Onitsha Expressway as the embittered indigenes barricaded the road to express their anger over the upsurge in cult-related activities in the community. advertisement It was gathered that there was a prolonged inter-cult war in the community, which had left some youths dead, while others were inflicted with various degrees of injuries. A source in the community who preferred to be anonymous told our correspondent that some residents of the state had fled their homes owing to the cult clashes. The police spokesperson in the st...

Mudslides killed at least 206 people and left hundreds injured or missing after destroying homes in southern Colombia, officials said Saturday. advertisement They were the latest victims of floods that have struck the Pacific side of South America over recent months, also killing scores of people in Peru and Ecuador. In the southwestern Colombian town of Mocoa, the surge swept away houses, bridges, vehicles and trees, leaving piles of wrecked timber and brown mud, army images from the area showed. The mudslides struck late Friday after days of torrential rain in the Amazon basin area town of 40,000. “The latest information we have is that there are 206 people confirmed dead, 202 injured, 220 missing, 17 neighborhoods hit hard,” Colombian Red Cross chief Cesar Uruena told AFP. President Juan Manuel Santos visited Mocoa, the capital of Putumayo department, on Saturday to supervise rescue efforts in the heavily forested region. He declared a public health and...

advertisement Leader of a robbery gang, who was arrested in Ibadan, said a member of the Oodua People’s Congress sold him a cut-to-size gun with which he terrorised residents of Ibadan before he was arrested. The suspect, Abdulkareem Wasiu and three others, Segun Odelotan, Afolabi Segun and Lekan Usman, were on Saturday paraded by the Oyo State Commissioner of Police, Abiodun Odude, who was represented by the command’s Public Relations Officer, Kunle Ajisebutu. Wasiu said the OPC member, identified as Oriyomi, charged him N35,000 for the gun and that he had carried out several robbery operations in Ibadan. He said, “I bought the gun from an OPC member called Oriyomi to aid our operations. Before we were arrested, we robbed a man of his Toyota Corolla sports car at Muslim area of Ibadan. A ‘receiver’ was already waiting and we delivered it to him. I was paid N25,000 for the job.” Wasiu said he was a commercial motorcyclist and that after four motorcycles we...

Three persons, all suspected Boko Haram suicide bombers, died in their own explosions in the early hours of Sunday when they attempted to invade Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, with explosive vests strapped around their bodies, an official said. Two of the suicide bombers tried to make entry into the city through one of the known entry points near Muna Garage, a popular bus station along Maidugurui-Gamboru road. They could not advance far into the town before some local security operatives spotted them. The bombers immediately detonated themselves to avoid being caught. No one but the two attackers died, an official said. advertisement The spokesperson of the police in Borno State, Victor Isuku, said another lone suicide bomber, at the same time at a different location in the area, tried to attack civilians but was prevented by security operatives. The bomber ended up killing himself and injuring a civilian, he said. “Today, at about 0438hrs (4.38am), ...

Venezuela’s highest court on Saturday backtracked from efforts to tighten President Nicolas Maduro’s grip on power, after drawing international condemnation that raised pressure on the socialist leader as he clings to office. advertisement In a rare climb-down by the president’s allies, the pro-Maduro Supreme Court retreated from rulings that prompted opposition calls for mass protests in a volatile country stricken by economic and political crisis. advertisement The court said on its website that it was revoking a March 29 decision to take over legislative powers from the National Assembly, a move opponents had angrily branded as a “coup d’etat.” It also revoked a ruling that stripped lawmakers of their immunity from prosecution. And it ended special powers it had conferred on Maduro over security legislation in the crisis. Head of the court Maikel Moreno dismissed allegations that its rulings had deprived the legislative branch “of its functions —...

Wearing Donald Trump masks and marching behind a life-sized doll of the president sitting on a toilet, dozens of people took part Saturday in a wry and often bizarre April Fool’s Day march in New York. advertisement “Donald Trump has been elected King of Fools this year — unanimously,” Joey Skaggs, organizer of the parade, told AFP. The annual parade, now in its 32nd year, traditionally lampoons public figures — last year’s made fun of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. This year’s edition fell on a cool gray day and was smaller than usual, but no less colorful. An effort to set a world’s record for the largest collection of Trump look-alikes may have fallen a bit short, but onlookers seemed to enjoy it. advertisement Marchers, many wearing masks of the real estate mogul-turned-president, walked behind a rolling outhouse in which a large Trump doll sat on the toilet. The event’s slogan: “Make Russia Great Again.” The parade began in front of Cent...

A 14-year-old boy has been arrested over the alleged sexual assault of a 15-year-old Chicago girl which was streamed live on Facebook. advertisement Chicago police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said the suspect faces charges of aggravated criminal sexual assault, manufacturing of child pornography and dissemination of child pornography. “Additional arrests are expected as the investigation continues,” Mr Guglielmi said, adding that more details would emerge later at a police news conference on Sunday. Police were not aware of the alleged attack in March until the girl’s mother approached a police chief in the city as he was leaving a police station and showed him the video. Mr Guglielmi said the police chief was “visibly upset” after he watched, both by the video’s content and the fact that there were “40 or so live viewers and no one thought to call authorities”. advertisement Police believe the alleged attack involved five or six males. The girl’...