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Popular Nigerian cross-dresser, also known as the Nigerian male Barbie, Idris Okuneye aka Bobrisky, has said that his lover is a government official. Bobrisky unraveled the identity of his most talked about partner on Snapchat on Tuesday and hinted that his partner is over 50 years. The Nigerian Snapchat sensation also revealed that he prefers his partner, ”old rather than young.” “Both ex and present bae are over 50 years old; I like them old. Dating a government official is sweet but the trouble you face in it is hard. My bae has locked me up before,” he said.  Since Bobrisky’s emergence on the Nigerian social scene a few years ago, the real identity of his lover, who is believed to finance his lavish lifestyle has been shrouded in secrecy. A big spender, Bobrisky is always quick to attribute his wealth to his lover, whom he fondly refers to as his bae (lover). A self-confessed homosexual, when he was arrested at his Lekki, Lagos home on November 10 and released a day af

Abdulmumin Musa, Stephen Sunday and Bala Usman say they approached the EFCC in Lagos in December 2016 and informed the agency about the N13 billion which the National Intelligence Agency claimed it kept for “covert operations” in an apartment in Ikoyi, Lagos. The claim by the three men contradicts earlier admission by the EFCC and the finance ministry that another whistleblower was on the verge of being paid a commission for the operation. In a lawsuit filed on November 22 at the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court, the trio demanded immediate suspension of payments to anyone else but themselves. Public relations consultants, PR Nigeria, disclosed details of the lawsuit to PREMIUM TIMES Monday afternoon. PR Nigeria explained that lawyers to the trio had written to Attorney-General Abubakar Malami in August, accusing the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission of shortchanging the whistleblowers by bringing others who were not the arrowhead of the whistle blowing. The s

Mr. Buhari said it was appalling that “some Nigerians (in the footage) where being sold like goats for few dollars in Libya.” According to a statement by the presidency, Mr. Buhari condemned the act in Cote d’ Ivoire on Tuesday night at an interactive session with members of the Nigerian Community. The president’s reaction comes two weeks after former Vice President Atiku Abubakar on November 15 condemned the act. “It is sad and unbelievable that such horror scenes which belong in the darker pages of the history books, could be re-enacted in this day and age,” Mr. Abubakar, who recently dumped Mr. Buhari’s APC, said according to a statement by his office on that day. The Senate on Wednesday also condemned the act and called on the federal government to do more to prevent Nigerians from traveling the dangerous Libyan route. In the presidency statement on Wednesday, Mr. Buhari also pledged to ensure that all Nigerians stranded in Libya be brought home. Read the full statemen

Some armed hoodlums suspected to be kidnappers have attacked a Chinese expatriate traveling on the busy Ore Expressway in Ondo State. Sahara Reporters, however, learned that the expatriate was unhurt during the attack. But our correspondent exclusively gathered that a mobile police orderly that was there to guide him was unlucky as he was killed in a gun duel.  The hoodlums numbering about six were said to have gotten information about the journey of the expatriate and decided to launch an attack on their target.  They were said to have ambushed the Chinese expatriate who was traveling in his private jeep with a total sum of five million naira and other hard currencies.  The real identity of the foreign contractor is still being kept secret by the police.  A police source that confirmed the Incident to Sahara Reporters said that the lucky Chinese expatriate had been a “big target” of the six man-robbery and kidnap gang.  The source that pleaded anonymity revealed how a wrong tra

Four additional incidents and accidents reports were released Wednesday, by the Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB) with 12 safety recommendations. This is as the accident investigators promised to release the 17 other incidents and accidents reports in 2018, saying that at least, six of such reports would be sent to necessary stakeholders for 60 days review before the end of this year. Before now, AIB had reported 10 accident reports and a bulletin between March and August 2017. The reports were released today by the Commissioner of AIB, Engr. Akin Olateru at the agency’s office at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos. On the assumption of office in January, Olateru had promised to release at least 10 accident reports that had been lying fallow on the shelf of the investigators since its creation in 2006. The accidents and serious incidents released today occurred between 2009 and 2015 in various stations across the country. Among the reports released was tha

He gave the hint in far away Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire where he is attending the 5th European Union-African Union (EU-AU) Summit. He was accompanied on the trip by a leader of the governing APC, Bola Tinubu, and governors Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom and Mohammed Abubakar of Bauchi states among others. The president arrived late to an interactive session with the Nigerian community in Cote d’Ivoire Tuesday night and said he had to wait for the two governors to accompany him to the meeting because of their electoral value. “First I want to apologise for keeping you for too long sitting, this is because I insisted on the governors attending this meeting. “This is why I came along with them so that when we are going to meet you, when you are going to meet the rest of Nigerians, if you tell them that their governors were in the company of the president, I think that will be another vote for me in the future. I’m very pleased that they were able to turn up,” Mr. Buhari said to thunderous lau

Senate President Mr. Bukola Saraki, who is touted as a trained medical doctor, is not licensed to practice medicine in the United Kingdom, according to the country’s General Medical Council (GMC).  Saraki once claimed he practiced medicine at Rush Green Hospital, London, after qualifying as a medical doctor from the University of London in 1988 but that claimed could not be verified as the hospital closed shop in 1995. He had previously schooled in Nigeria. The GMC, in an email message, signed by Sarah Orr, its Media Relations Officer, was responding to SaharaReporters’ enquiry about Mr. Saraki’s status as a medical doctor.   According to the GMC, all licensed doctors working in the United Kingdom have to undergo a revalidation process to ensure that their skills are up to date and they are fit to practice. Majority of doctors, said the GMC, revalidate every five years, a condition that disqualifies Mr. Saraki from practicing in the United Kingdom, as he has no licence.

The federal government has declared Friday as public holiday in commemoration of the Muslim Eid-El-Maulud celebration. The Minister of Interior, Abdulrahman Dambazau, made the declaration on behalf of the federal government, according to a statement issued on Wednesday in Abuja. The statement was signed by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Interior, Abubakar Magaji. It said Mr. Dambazau urged all Muslim faithful and Nigerians in general to use the occasion to pray for peace, progress and unity of the nation. He further urged all Nigerians to support the President Muhammadu Buhari administration in its efforts at building a virile nation, and wished Nigerians a happy Eid-El-Maulud celebration. The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Eid-El-Maulud is celebrated every year by Muslims on the 12th day of the Islamic month of Rabi-ul-Awwal as the birthday of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). 

Paul Okoye , one half of the defunct Psquare duo, has said he regrets his role in the rift that engulfed his family in recent weeks. The separation of the brothers who make up the one-time biggest music group in Africa shook fans in Nigeria and beyond. The feud between Peter, Paul and elder brother/manager, Jude, played out in the public domain and was sometimes nasty. In a chat with Beat FM, the singer better known as Rudeboy said he wasn’t himself at the time. When asked if Psquare will ever record a song together again, he said: “I don’t know.” Despite being persistently probed by the hosts of the show, Paul refused to be drawn into issues bordering on Psquare. All he said was: “My fans, take heart. As e dey break my heart, na so e dey break una heart.” Addressing his role in the social media drama, he said: “I think I was very stupid, in that aspect. Something got into me. I couldn’t stand him. But what I did, I regretted it. Please forgive me for th

Brazilian footballer Robinho has been sentenced to nine years in prison for taking part in the gang rape of a woman in Milan in 2013. An Italian court ruled the 33-year-old and five other Brazilians assaulted the Albanian woman, who was 22, after plying her with alcohol in a nightclub. The forward, who left AC Milan in 2015 after five years, was not in court but pleaded not guilty via his lawyer. The sentence will be put on hold until the appeals process is completed. Robinho, capped 100 times by his country, spent two years at Manchester City and currently plays for Atletico Mineiro in Brazil. A post on Robinho’s Instagram page  said he had “already defended himself against the accusations, affirming that he did not participate in the episode” and that “all legal measures are being taken” . >> Robinho

Properties owned by former Nigeria oil minister, Diezani Alison-Madueke, and fugitive oil wheeler-dealerKola Aluko were featured in 'Tracking noxious funds klepto tour' in Lagos. The tour, organized by the Kent Law School in collaboration with civil society organizations, visited properties owned by Diezani Alison-Madueke and Kola Aluko in Lagos State. Tracking Noxious Funds is a week-long conference, which has facilitators from Kent Law School at the University of Kent, and sponsored by the MacArthur Foundation with the Institute of International Education (IIE).

Ex-President Robert Mugabe is reportedly worth more than $1bn despite his country being one of the poorest in the world. Mugabe’s wealth has come under the microscope following a military coup earlier in the week. The 93-year-old dictator has accumulated significant wealth during his rule under which thousands of people have been killed over the past 37 years. Local media reports suggest a small part of his fortune was reaped from Zimbabwe’s diamond deposits. Mugabe owns the Zimbabwe Consolidated Diamond Co. He has repeatedly been accused of stealing from the country’s coffers, while he also reportedly acquired 15 acres of land during land seizures in 2000. According to a 2001 US diplomatic cable, later released by the whistle-blowing organisation  WikiLeaks , Mugabe has about $1.75bn worth of assets, mostly invested outside Zimbabwe. It said that while reliable information was difficult to find, there were rumours his assets “include everything from secr

Maryam Sanda, alleged killer of her husband, Bilyamin Bello, has been spared, for now, of being remanded in prison by the police. Anjuguri Manzah, spokesman of the FCT police command said the police did not demand prison remand for her because she is nursing a six month old baby. Police said they have secured a court order to remand her for two weeks, after charging her at the High Court in the Jabi district of Abuja, with culpable homicide punishable under section 224 of the Penal Code. >>  Maryam Sanda and Bilyamin Bello: when they got married a few years ago “It should also be noted that this present charge is as a result of preliminary findings; at the end of investigations, additional findings will determine whether the current charge will be amended or whether other persons will be charged along with the suspect,” Manza said. “To assist the police with their ongoing investigations, some persons have been invited for questioning on the matter.” S

I LORIN— A suspected ritualist, caught with seven human skulls exhumed from a cemetery, has urged the Police to hand him over to God for divine punishment, because that is what he would do if anyone had exhumed the remains of his parents or relations for ritual purpose. The suspect was among some suspected criminals paraded by the Kwara State Police Command yesterday, in Ilorin, the state capital. The suspect, who identified himself as Olayinka Abbas Akeem, said that he was lured into the business by his friend, Tunde a.k.a. Bante, who is now on the run. Olayinka said the friend convinced him that the surest way to get rich is via money rituals, as that was what everybody was secretly doing to live a comfortable life. Olayinka, nevertheless, expressed remorse after being caught, particularly when his parents visited him at the Police cell and the exposures he would suffer in the public. The state Commissioner of Police, Lawan Ado, during the parade, disclosed that t

The Federal Capital Territory Police Command has arraigned a housewife, Mrs. Maryam Sanda for allegedly killing of her husband, Bilyamin Bello a son of former People's Democratic Party Chairman.before an FCT High Court in Abuja just as the court ordered her to be remanded in Suleja Prison custody. She was arraigned for offense bordering on culpable homicide. Maryam could not control her emotion as she burst into tears upon her arrival at the court holding her seven month old baby.  Maryam covered her face a with green scarf to prevent being photographed by the media. Before the commencement of the court proceedings, she read from the Quran.  As at the time of this report the suspect has entered the dock to take her plea and pleaded not guilty to the two-count charge of homicide.  The defense counsel, Hussein Musa asked the court to let the defendant be in the police custody arguing that she is still a nursing mother and would be improper to be remanded in prison custody.  The

Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has defected from the All Progressives Congress. Atiku, in a statement he personally signed on Friday, recalled how he joined the ruling party in 2013. Below is the statement: “On the 19th of December, 2013, I received members of the All Progressives Congress at my house in Abuja. They had come to appeal to me to join their party after my party, the Peoples Democratic Party, had become factionalized as a result of the special convention of August 31, 2013. “The fractionalization of the Peoples Democratic Party on August 31, 2013 had left me in a situation where I was, with several other loyal party members, in limbo, not knowing which of the parallel executives of the party was the legitimate leadership. “It was under this cloud that members of the APC made the appeal to me to join their party, with the promise that the injustices and failure to abide by its own constitution which had dogged the then PDP, would not be replicated in the APC and

>> Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and Muhammadu Buhari Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), on Wednesday said there will be no automatic ticket for President Muhammadu Buhari to vie for the presidency under the banner of the APC in 2019. The former governor of Lagos spoke in Akure, Ondo State when he visited the leader of the Pan Yoruba socio- cultural group, Afenifere, Pa. Reuben Fasonranti. Tinubu stated emphatically that anyone who must represent the party must be selected through a transparent primary election. Tinubu, who spoke with newsmen after the closed door meeting with Fasonranti said the party would not breach its law to grant Buhari automatic ticket. He also lashed out at some governors who had already endorsed Buhari for 2019, saying that they lacked the power to do so which went contrary to the APC ‘s constitution. “No governor can appropriate the power of endorsement to themselves. President Mohammadu Buhari is

Senator Anyim Pius Anyim released on bail, Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Anyim Pius Anyim has been released from the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). Anyim who was arrested over alleged contract fraud and false assets declaration was released on administrative bail on Tuesday after his passport was seized by the EFCC, Punch reports. “Anyim was released on administrative bail after he had surrendered his passport. He is expected to return some money to the EFCC and also report back every two weeks,” an EFCC source told the newspaper. Some of the conditions attached to his freedom include reporting to the commission every two weeks and also return some of the money traced to him. The agency ordered him to return N520m he allegedly collected from former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki or face prosecution. The EFCC reportedly obtained an extended warrant to detain the former SGF for 30 days.

Ibadan—Despite the offensive odour from the blue plastic bucket that contained human parts, many still waited to hear what the suspects will say as the Oyo State Police Command paraded three people caught in possession of two fresh human heads and legs, as well as the alleged killer of a former member of the House of Assembly in the state. The three young men informed the Police that their unbridled desires to get rich quick prompted them to get the human parts for money rituals. The state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Abiodun Odude, during the parade, said the suspects were arrested by the Special Anti-Robbery Squad of the Command on November 11, following a tip-off by a member of the public. Odude added that the suspects confessed to have severed the body parts from corpses at a Muslim cemetery in Isale General Area of Ogbomoso. The three arrested suspects are Alfa Kareem, 37; Bello, 22, and Adebayo Yusuf. Confessions One of the suspects, Kareem, noted that this was h

Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has condemned the face-off between Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) officials and officials of the State Security Service, (SSS), and National Intelligence Agency, (NIA) as counter-productive to the fight against grand corruption and urged the government of President Muhammadu Buhari to urgently instruct the leadership of the SSS and NIA to allow anti-corruption agencies to carry out their mandate without any interference whatsoever. In a statement on Wednesday signed by SERAP’s deputy director Timothy Adewale, the organization said that, Preventing the arrest of a former Director-General of the Department of State Services, Mr. Ita Ekpeyong; and a former Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency, Ambassador Ayo Oke so that they were unavailable to answer the charges of corruption against them amounted to abuse of power and obstruction of justice as it is patently contrary to Nigerian law and interna

Operatives of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Lagos State Command, have apprehended a professed pastor, Abraham Roland, for allegedly running a human trafficking camp in the Mowe area of Ogun State. The NSCDC said the pastor allegedly hypnotised his victims, who were mostly admission seekers and students at higher institutions in Lagos, and took them to the camp. He was also alleged to have sexually harassed some females among them. It was learnt that many of the victims had spent between three and five years at the camp which Roland also used as a church and residence. He reportedly struck relationships with the victims through a tutorial centre he ran at Kosofe, Lagos, where they respectively enrolled to prepare for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination. Our correspondent learnt that in the course of the tutorial, Roland introduced the victims to a fellowship, which he later moved to his Mowe residence. After some of the students gained admission, he was

Nigeria is inching closer to achieving self-sufficiency in rice production as the present administration targets seven million tonnes production of the commodity in 2018, Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, said. Mohammed disclosed this at a media briefing on Wednesday in Abuja, adding that rice demand in the country as at 2015 stood at 6.3 million tonnes. He said that due to the success recorded by the administration in the local production of rice, importation dropped from 644,131 tonnes in 2015 to about 21,000 tonnes in 2017. The minister added that as a result of the success recorded in the local production of rice, some investors from Thailand had shown interest in establishing rice milling plants in Nigeria. He explained that “a few years ago, this would not have been possible since Nigeria was not considered a top rice producing country. “Today, Nigeria is one of the largest producers of rice.” The minister said that the improvement in rice production across

Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo on Wednesday in Abuja inaugurated the National Council on Nutrition, and the 2017 Global Nutrition Report. Inaugurating the Council at the Vice President Conference hall, Presidential Villa, Osinbajo said Nigeria must make speedy and visible progress in its fight against hunger, malnutrition and other nutritional challenges. He noted that as Council had a robust roadmap to work with the National Food and Nutrition Policy, the nation must ensure that “the new Nutrition Policy is quickly domesticated in every state and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). The National Food and Nutrition Policy was adopted in April 2016 by a broad coalition of stakeholders, comprising the Federal and State Governments, civil society and international development partners. According to the vice-president, the inauguration of the council is further demonstration of the seriousness with which the Buhari administration takes the issue of improving the nutritional st

The new acclaimed leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Ezenachukwu Okwudili, on Tuesday disclosed the whereabouts of Nnamdi Kanu. Okwudili claimed that the fugitive ex-leader of the pro-Biafra group fled to London using his British passport. In a broadcast on Radio Biafra, Okwudili said, “Those who benefited from inciting young Igbo youth to violence and death, the time of reckoning has come.” “We are putting an end to blood-shed while continuing with our struggle. Kanu has fled to London using his British passport and he is hiding after our successful takeover of the Radio and IPOB Leadership.” The radio broadcast also accused Law Mefor, the brother of Uche Mefor, Kanu’s former deputy, of collecting money from Igbo traders and businessmen as under the pretence of being IPOB’s treasurer and converting same into his personal use. He said, “Those who live by the sword know the final judgment, therefore people like Uche Mefor and his brother Mr Law Mefor alo

The Economic Community of West African States’ court has berated the Nigerian Government for always filing fresh motions in a bid to frustrate a fundamental right enforcement suit filed by the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu. The regional court described the action of the Nigerian Government as unacceptable. Speaking during today’s hearing, one of the judges on the three-man panel, Justice Alioune Sall said they were not in a Nigerian court but an international court which has a different way and “the process of bringing new documents every day is not allowed here.” Sall said this after Kanu’s counsel, Ifeanyi Ejiofor told the court that it had scheduled today’s sitting for definite hearing. Ejiofor said, however, “two days ago, my attention was drawn to a new process filed by the Federal Government challenging the authority of the court to hear the case.” Describing the process filed by the Federal Government as baseless, Kanu’s counsel alleged that t

A Pentecostal pastor (name withheld) has been reported dead during an alleged sex romp with a 19-year-old-girl in a hotel room in Kwale, Ndokwa West Local Government Area of Delta. Delta Police Command Spokesperson, DSP Andrew Aniamaka, confirmed the incident on Wednesday in Asaba. Aniamaka said the victim’s wife reported the incident to the police on Nov. 19. He said the hotel workers were alerted on the incident after the girl raised the alarm for help when she noticed the pastor was gasping for breath. “The incident happened last Sunday evening. We learnt the pastor took the girl, who is said to be 19 years of age to the hotel room. “While they were in the room after some few minutes, the girl reportedly raised alarm which attracted workers in the hotel, who rushed into the room to find the pastor dead. “The wife of the pastor was called to the scene of the incident, where he met her husband stone dead,” the police spokesperson said. “She subsequently reported the matter to t

Former Vice President of Nigeria, Dr Alex Ifeanyichukwu Ekwueme is dead. A statement from his family signed by his brother and the traditional ruler of Oko in Anambra State, Igwe Laz Ekwueme said that he died by 10:00 pm in a London clinic, Sunday. The statement read: “Ekwueme family regrets to announce the peaceful passing away of their patriarch, the former Vice-President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria Dr. Alex Ifeanyichukwu Ekwueme GCON. “The sad event occurred at the London Clinic at 10:00 pm on Sunday 19th November 2017.” >> Alex Ifeanyichukwu  Ekwueme Ekwueme had slumped in his Enugu residence, and immediately taken to the Memfys Neurosurgery Hospital Enugu, where he relapsed and went into a coma. As soon as he was stabilized in the hospital he was flown to London in an air ambulance last week.

President Muhammadu Buhari has directed governors and state chief judges to release prisoners who are unnecessarily detained as part of reforms in judiciary. The president said in Abuja on Monday that he gave the directive to the states last month and explained that over-crowding prisons and some other noticeable problems in judiciary have caused loss of confidence in the system. Buhari spoke at the opening of the 2017 All Nigerian Judges’ Conference of Superior Courts, in Abuja. The theme of the conference, “Strengthening Judicial Integrity and the Rule of Law”, was apt at the time of consolidating and sustaining democracy. He said that the public expected fairness, impartiality and speed in the administration of justice. “Regrettably court cases can drag on for years and years, sometimes decades without resolution. I need only mention land cases in Lagos to illustrate my point.’’ He said that there were huge backlogs of cases waiting to be dispensed especially at the Appellate

Despite the pressure from the military and the ruling ZANU-PF, Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe vowed to remain president while addressing the nation on Sunday. After ZANU-PF sacked Mr. Mugabe as its party leader earlier on Sunday, it was speculated that the president would announce his resignation during his nationally broadcast address. However, Mr. Mugabe concluded his speech without announcing plans to resign. “The congress is due in a few weeks from now. I will preside over its processes, which must not be prepossessed by any acts calculated to undermine it or to compromise the outcomes in the eyes of the public," Mr. Mugabe said. “I'm confident that from tonight our whole nation at all levels gets refocused… Let us all move forward,” he concluded. ZANU-PF had given Mr. Mugabe 24 hours to announce his resignation or face impeachment. Given his refusal to step down, parliament will likely commence impeachment proceedings against the embattled 93-year-old preside

The Executive Secretary of the Presidential Advisory Council Against Corruption (PACAC) and President Muhammadu Buhari's appointee as chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Professor Bolaji Owasanye, has said that Nigerians have the duty to report crimes and corrupt activities around them, stating that failure to do would amount to disregard for the law. Mr. Owasanye said this while delivering an address at the ‘Tracking Noxious Funds’ conference held at the Shoregate Hotels in Ikeja, Lagos. The conference, which has facilitators from Kent Law School at the University of Kent, and sponsored by the MacArthur Foundation with the Institute of International Education (IIE), had Mr. Owasanye talking about ‘Law and Practices of the Whistle Blower Policy of Nigeria; Scope of Citizen’s Participation’. In his address, he said the citizens have the responsibility to hold the government accountable and to put pressure on government offic