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After a long battle with blood clotting on his leg, veteran actor, John Okafor aka Mr Ibu has died. The actor passed away in a hospital in Lagos state on Saturday, March 2.  According to family sources, the actor has been on life support after he underwent a second surgery for his ailment recently. The family source said that his blood pressure has been over 200 after he had the surgery and that efforts were being made to stabilize it before he sadly passed away this evening.  The actor battled with constant clotting of blood on his leg (diseased blood vessels) and other health challenges for years. In October 2023, he came out publicly to seek financial assistance to treat his ailment. There were plans to fly him abroad for further medical care but that plan was aborted by his doctors who believed he wasn't fit to fly. During the cause of his treatment, his leg was amputated in November 2023. The actor is survived by his wife and children. He was 62 years old. ...

A 26-year-old female National Youth Service Corps, NYSC member, Sanni Mariam, of 2023 Batch C Stream 2, was among those who died in an accident in Imo State on Thursday. Other passengers and the driver were also reported dead when their vehicle had an accident en route to Lagos. It was gathered that Mariam was returning from her state of deployment, Benue State, and boarded a commercial bus heading to Lagos through Imo. According to information gathered by Vanguard, Mariam took a camp exit from Benue State. She was undergoing the three-week compulsory orientation. And camping was expected to end by Thursday next week. Mariam, a Computer Science graduate from Universite Protestante de Lafrique de l’Ouest, Benin Republic, was said to have won many awards for her platoon, including the Scrabble platoon game. Efforts to contact the Benue State NYSC State Coordinator proved unsuccessful. He was neither taking calls nor responding to messages at press time.

A Mercedes Benz was seen burning to aches in Kaduna State,  no casualties of life was recorded and the cause of the fire is unknown.  video

A 20-year-old student of the University of Ilorin, Sanni Hameedat, reportedly committed suicide after lending a boy she met on the social media platform, Snapchat, the sum of N500,000.   Rubiks, the private hostel management she resided in before her death confirmed the incident to  Punch  in a statement on Wednesday, October 18, 2023.    According to the management, Hameedat was undergoing her SIWES programme before the incident happened.   The management asserted that the cause of her death was not unrelated to the pressure from the app agents, who were demanding fast repayment, coupled with her brother’s inability to assist her financially, which led to depression.    “The cause of suicide was traced to financial misappropriation. She was entrusted with a significant sum of money by her mother. She crossed paths with a guy on Snapchat and developed a friendship," the statement said.    "When the boy claimed that his mother...

Gunmen suspected to be herdsmen attacked a Benue Links bus conveying passengers to Otukpo en-route Naka road in Gwer West Local Government Area of the state at Tyolaha village.    The assailants, said to be heavily armed attacked the vehicle on Thursday, October 12, 2023, killing one passenger.    Spokesperson of the State Police Command, SP Catherine Anene, who confirmed the incident on Friday, said three people including women were injured and one person died.    Gwer West State Assembly Member, Hon. Gyila Solomon Terlumun, in a statement issued by his Senior Legislative Aide/Media Aide, Akem Peter, said three persons were killed in the attack while several others are still missing.    “Gwer West State Assembly Member, Hon. Gyila Solomon Terlumun, condemns the massacring of a Benue Links bus conveying passengers to Otukpo en-route Naka road Gwer West LG at Tyolaha village by suspected heavily armed Fulani herdsmen killing three perso...

Headteachers in the UK will be told to ban pupils from using mobile phones during the entire school day under new government guidance. The Department for Education wants children to be barred from using devices on breaks as well as in class. Education Secretary Gillian Keegan will announce the plans at the Conservative Party conference on Monday, October 2.   The government already encourages head teachers to limit phone usage and many schools have restrictions in place.   Gillian Keegan will ban smartphones from classrooms both during lessons and in break times to ensure pupils can concentrate, the Daily Mail reported. Sources close to the discussions say that Ms Keegan will issue new guidance to schools requiring them to put new measures in place to stop pupils from using their phones. A source told The Daily Mail: “Gillian believes that mobile phones pose a serious challenge in terms of distraction, disruptive behaviour, and bullying. It is one of the biggest issues that children an...

Knuckleballer and 2x World Series champion, Tim Wakefield is dead. The former Boston Red Sox star passed on at the age of 57, days after former teammate Curt Schilling revealed that the longtime starting pitcher was battling brain cancer. Ex-Boston Red Sox knuckleballer, Tim Wakefield is dead Announcing his death, the Boston Red Sox said in a statement;  "Our hearts are broken with the loss of Tim Wakefield. Wake embodied true goodness; a devoted husband, father, and teammate, beloved broadcaster, and the ultimate community leader. He gave so much to the game and all of Red Sox Nation. “Our deepest love and thoughts are with Stacy, Trevor, Brianna, and the Wakefield family.” Wakefield won 200 games and retired with a 4.41 ERA. Tim struck out over 2,100 batters and earned a trip to the All-Star Game in 2009. He won two World Series in 2004 and 2007. Wakefield retired in 2011 and was later inducted into the Red Sox Hall of Fame.

Headteachers in the UK will be told to ban pupils from using mobile phones during the entire school day under new government guidance. The Department for Education wants children to be barred from using devices on breaks as well as in class. Education Secretary Gillian Keegan will announce the plans at the Conservative Party conference on Monday, October 2. The government already encourages head teachers to limit phone usage and many schools have restrictions in place. Gillian Keegan will ban smartphones from classrooms both during lessons and in break times to ensure pupils can concentrate, the Daily Mail reported. Sources close to the discussions say that Ms Keegan will issue new guidance to schools requiring them to put new measures in place to stop pupils from using their phones. A source told The Daily Mail: “Gillian believes that mobile phones pose a serious challenge in terms of distraction, disruptive behaviour, and bullying. It is one of the biggest issues that children and te...

Casualty figure in the road accident involving some students of the Ladoke Akintola University, Ogbomoso, on Thursday rose from the initial three to six, following the death of another three passengers at the hospital where they were being treated after the crash. The PUNCH  earlier reported that three occupants of the bus travelling along Osogbo/Ifon/Oyo boundary road late on Wednesday were burnt to death in the road crash. But six other occupants were reportedly rescued by the operatives of Osun Ambulance Scheme that responded to the distress call from the scene of the accident which occurred near Ojutu Bridge, Ilobu. A resident of Okinni, identified as Adeyanju, who spoke to PUNCH Metro on Thursday, said the driver of the bus conveying the victims had hit a commercial motorcyclist in the town, and was making attempt to escape the rage of some angry residents chasing after him. “Few meters from Ojutu Bridge, the driver lost control of the vehicle and the bus somersaul...

Terrorists have reportedly killed six persons in the Takanai community of Atyap Chiefdom in Zango Kataf Local Government Area of Kaduna State.  The attack occurred on Tuesday night, September 26, 2023, barely five days after gunmen attacked a village in Kaura, killed a woman and kidnapped two of her children.   The acting Secretary to the District Head of the Community, Mr. Samson Markus, who confirmed the sad incident to  Punch  on Wednesday, said the terrorists invaded the village at around 7:pm and opened fire, killing four people in the same compound while two in another family.   According to Markus, two children were also victims of the deadly attack.   "We were going about our normal businesses when we heard gunshots, we thought it was the military at first until we saw it was the Fulanis who came in from Zango Urban,” Markus alleged.   Before the military arrived, they had succeeded in killing six persons, including 2 children....

Singer, Naira Marley has said that he has no hand, directly or indirectly, in the d€ath of his former signee, Ilerioluwa Aloba aka Mohbad.   In a fresh statement shared on his IG page this evening September 26, Naira Marley said he has not only been shocked by the passing of Mohbad but also by the ‘’lies and threats'' issued against him.   He said himself and Mohbad had their share of disagreements while working together but that it never degenerated into wishing each other d£ath. He said he has been out of the country since August 31 but is making plans to return following an invitation by the police who are currently investigating the d£ath of late Mohbad. He said he is fully cooperating with the police team and has no reason to be a fugitive since he has no hand in the d€ath of Mohbad.   Naira Marley said in due time the circumstances surrounding Mohbad's d€ath will be unveiled and the world will know the truth. He added that Mohbad left his record label in...

The Chief Coroner of the Lagos State Judiciary, Justice Mojisola Dada has ordered an inquest into the death of Ilerioluwa Aloba, popularly called Mohbad. A letter signed by the Cororner, Magistrate Taofikat Shotobi and addressed to law firm, Falana and Falana Chambers,  says the inquest will begin sitting at the Magistrate Court 3, Ademola Candide-Johnson Court in Ikorodu on Friday, September 29.   In a letter dated September 18th, 2023 and addressed to the Chief Coroner of the High Court of Lagos State, Justice Mojisola Dada, the law firm had requested the inquest to unravel the circumstances surrounding what it described as the “very tragic” death of the late Mohbad under “mysterious” circumstances.   In its reply to the firm’s letter, the coroner said she had the directives of the Chief Coroner of Lagos State, Hon. Justice Mojisola Dada, to convoke an inquest pursuant to the extant provisions of Sections 14 and 15 of the Coroner’s System Law of Lagos State,...

This is to inform the general public & all interested applicants that online application for 86 Regular Recruits Intake for Non-Tradesmen & Women has commenced. Application starts 25 September & ends 10 October 2023. Application Is Free at the official site . Shortlisted candidates will participate in the State Recruitment Screening Exercise scheduled for 6 – 19 November 2023. Nigerian Army Recruitment Is FREE, Beware of Fraudsters.

A Canada-based show promoter, Prince George, has revealed that Mohbad died the day his Canadian visa was approved.   George who turned up for a candlelight procession organised by Nigerians in Toronto, Canada on Saturday night, September 23, said he planned surprising the late singer's friend, Bella Shmurda, by bringing him to his show.    He said;    “I had planned to surprise the late singer’s best friend, Bella Shmurda, during the latter’s show in Canada by bringing Mohbad to the show. “I sent a message to Mohbad’s manager in the morning of the day he died to inform him that his visa had been approved, only to be told that Mohbad had died mysteriously”

29-year-old French rapper MHD has been handed a 12-year jail sentence for murder.   The rapper whose real name is Mohamed Sylla, was found guilty by a court in Paris for his involvement in the gang-related killing of Loic K in the capital in 2018.   The French court heard that the victim was knocked down by MHD’s car, a Mercedes, before being beaten and stabbed by a group of up to 12 people. MHD had entered a “not guilty” plea to the charge. Five of his co-defendants were also convicted, while another three were acquitted.   AFP news agency reports that MHD told the court, “From the beginning, I have maintained my innocence in this case and I will continue to maintain my innocence.” He said he wasn’t at the scene of the crime, and the case against him was based on rumours. Part of the evidence against him was footage filmed by a local resident though the window of his home, while MHD was identified by other witnesses.   Other witnesses identified MHD...

The West African Examinations Council says plans to introduce the Computer Based Test mode in the administration of its examinations are at an advanced stage. The Head of National Office, Mr Patrick Areghan, gave the hint in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on Saturday in Lagos. Areghan was speaking against the backdrop of notable achievements and advancements of the council under his watch, as he prepared to bow out of office on Oct. 1. He would be bowing out after completing his three-year tenure. Areghan said that introducing the CBT mode of administrating some of the council’s examinations had been part of his vision for the body. ”We have already started something in terms of CBT examination. We have gone far with our planning and all of that, even in the sub-region, the registrar to the council is also doing something. “But this is not as easy as some people will think. This is because we ask ourselves, how do we conduct CBT for practicals and essay papers...

The police in Lagos state have exhumed the body of singer Mohbad today September 21.   Recall that the 27-year-old singer died on September 12 in controversial circumstances. He was buried the next day, September 13, in Ikorodu Lagos.    Nigerians demanded that an autopsy be carried out following the startling revelations of him being harassed and assaulted while he was alive.   The Lagos state police command on Monday, September 19, set up a 13-man committee to carry out a detailed investigation into the circumstances surrounding his demise.   The committee is expected to turn in its report in two weeks.

A father has been arrested over the death of his 12-year-old daughter, Favour Williams.   The 12-year-old JSS 2 student of Junior Secondary School, Kurmin Tagwaye II, in Akwanga, the headquarters of Akwanga Local Government Area of Nasarawa State, reportedly died mysteriously on her father’s farm.  Sources told Daily Trust that Favour allegedly hanged herself on the farm in Kurmin Twagwaye II along Wamba road last week Monday.  Father of the deceased, Mr Williams Ma’aji, was alleged to have defiled her and the act leaked. Youth leader of Kurmin Tagwaye, Thomas Vincent, who confirmed the incident said;    “Only God knows what led to the untimely death of the innocent girl who was seen around the village that fateful day she died. “The father told us that late Favour was working on the other side of the farm with the mother and after a while, he saw her coming and she greeted him and proceeded to another side of the farm, that she wanted to g...

A heavily-mutated Covid variant dubbed the 'real deal' is already in the UK, health officials confirmed on Friday, August 18 amid fears it could trigger a fresh wave. Virus-tracking researchers detected the Omicron spin-off – nicknamed Pirola but also known scientifically as BA.X/BA.2.86 – in a patient hospitalised in London. The unidentified patient is thought to have caught the strain within the UK. UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) bosses did not reveal exactly how many cases have been spotted so far. But top scientists claim the discovery means 'we can be pretty sure it's circulating more widely'.  Only six cases of the strain first spotted last month have been detected so far worldwide, in the US, Denmark, and Israel.  The three Danish cases 'are from different parts of the country, and do not appear to have had contact with each other', it said, indicating community transmission. Dr Meera Chand, deputy director of the UKHSA told MailOnline:...

Actress and singer, Cossy Ojiakor has said that ECOWAS, Nigeria can send her as peace offering to Burkina Faso’s military ruler, Ibrahim Traore. She said this following the coup happening in some African countries with the recent in Niger Republic where its military junta took over power and sent President Muhammad Bazoum into detention. In 2022, Captain Ibrahim Traore, 34 became the head of state following the coup that ousted Lt. Col. Paul Henri Sandaogo Damiba. This would be the second coup that occurred in the country. Captain Ibrahim Traoré on his part said he acted because his predecessor, who ousted his democratically elected predecessor, failed to address a growing Islamist insurgency. Ojiakor who took to social media to express her love for Traore, described him as a cute, intelligent and brave man. She said, “I love this man, Ibrahim Traore. He is so cute, intelligent and brave. Incase Nigeria/ECOWAS want to send a peace offering to him, I am available. I present ...