There are strong indications that the coalition of northern youths will soon start lobbying members of the National Assembly to include referendum in the ongoing constitution amendments . The Arewa Youths Consultative Forum ’ s President , Yerima Shettima , who gave this indication in an interview with Saturday PUNCH , said the coalition would not use force to effect the quit notice it gave to the Igbo . Quit notice : Northern , Igbo groups form panel to resolve crisis But he expressed confidence that the referendum would not favour the Indigenous People of Biafra ’ s leader , Mr . Nnamdi Kanu, and other secessionists , saying the people of the zone would reject secession. The group had a few months ago told the Igbo living in the North to leave the region on or before October 1. It hinged its ultimatum on the secessionist agitation of IPOB . Following a lot of public outcry and condemnation from eminent Nigerians and organisations, there were reports that the forum would wit...

An Akure Magistrate ’ s Court has sentenced a middle - aged man, Busuyi Ajibola , to two months ’ imprisonment for stealing cobs of maize worth N 1, 000. The convict was said to have committed the offence at Ago Ego on Idanre Road, Akure , the Ondo State capital on July 30, 2017. Ajibola , who was described as a notorious thief that had allegedly carried out numerous ‘ operations ’ in Akure and its environs, faced one - count of stealing. The prosecution said the offence committed by the convict was contrary to and punishable under Section 390 of the Criminal Code Cap 37. Vol. 1 Laws of Ondo State of Nigeria , 2006. While the convict pleaded guilty to the one- count when it was read to him , his counsel , Grace Obanigba , urged the court to temper justice with mercy, pleading that the convict was a family man and that the court should consider his wife and children . In her judgement, the magistrate , Mrs. Oluwafunmi Edwin , said on a closer look at the charge and the fact of the...

President of the Senate, Dr Bukola Saraki, has assured Nigerians that the present efforts at amending the 1999 Constitution will not be in futility. Saraki gave the assurance when he featured on the News Agency of Nigeria  Forum in Abuja. He said the 8th National Assembly learnt from the mistakes of previous assemblies whose efforts amounted to waste time and resources because the amendment was not endorsed by the president. Saraki expressed determination that the 8 th  assembly would pull the current amendment through, saying “unlike in the past when all amendments were lumped in one bill, the ongoing amendments has been broken into about 33 bills’’.   He explained that the lawmakers decided to commence the constitution review process early in the life of the parliament to prevent the exercise from dovetailing into elections period. He also pointed out that more consultations were being carried out at all levels to get the views of Nigerians on...

The Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, said he had stopped collecting pension in Kwara State as a former governor of the state. Saraki, who said this during the News Agency of Nigeria Forum in Abuja on Tuesday, declared that he had written a letter to the state government to stop the payment of the pension. According to Saraki, the move was sequel to complaints from some quarters that former governors, who are currently senators or ministers, were receiving pension and salary in their new jobs, all from the government. A civil society organisation, Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, had accused the former governors of receiving double pay from government, and said it was illegal. “No, I’m not collecting pension; the moment I saw that allegation, I wrote to my state to stop my pension. “So, I speak for myself on that part; I’m not doing that, I am not receiving pension from my state,’’ he said.On other senators still collecting pensions from their stat...

A 51-year-old man, Alhaji Alaka Abayomi, has been arrested in connection with the attack on a family of five in Oke Ota community, Ibeshe, Ikorodu by a ritual cult, Badoo . Abayomi, who lives in the Magodo area of the state was said to be working with the group. He was arrested along with two others, whose names had yet to be disclosed. PUNCH Metro learnt the arrest led to the discovery of the gang’s shrine and hideout in Agbowa town, Ikorodu, on Monday. The assailants had killed four members of a family – Rotimi Adejare, his wife, Rita, and two kids – in the early hours of Sunday. The third kid was admitted to the Ikorodu General Hospital in a critical condition. The suspects had cut the window net of the family’s apartment to gain entry, smashing a stone on the victims’ heads afterwards. It was reported that the incident became known around 12pm when their church members checked on them to know why they didn’t attend a special church programme held that...

Nigerians have been urged to go for periodic screening , especially for colon cancer , which is said to be a huge burden on the country, as it is common among people above 40. The President , Society for Gastroenterology and Hepatology in Nigeria President , Prof Musa Borodo, gave this warning at a press briefing commemorating the 10th Scientific Conference and Annual General Meeting of the association in Ado Ekiti . The goal of the conference is to explore better ways of treating diseases of the gastrointestinal ( GI) tract , leveraging on technology. Borodo warned that diseases such as colorectal cancer , liver cancer , helicobacter pyloris and other infections that occur in the gastrointestinal tract , are usually not easy to detect when looking out for signs and symptoms. And when the symptoms are obvious they are often too late to treat. According to him , about 10 percent of people in Nigeria are suffering from Hepatitis B – a viral infection – which he warned could lead to...