How man abducts 5-Year-old boy in Ogun, moves him to Abuja

A suspected child kidnapper, Bola Adesina who abducted a 5-year-old boy, one Ahmed and attempted to ferry him from Ogun State to Kaduna State, was nabbed after the boy raised an alarm in a vehicle in which he was travelling with his abductor.

LEADERSHIP Friday learnt that Adesina, an Okada rider based in Shagamu Ogun State, carried Ahmed in his Okada on a commercial ride in the town but later loaded him into a luxurious bus travelling to Abuja for onward delivery to his client based in Kaduna, one Iya Oyibo.

Christmas: Recreation parks in FCT record low turnout

Low turn out at one of Abuja parks

Operators of some recreation parks within the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), have complained of low patronage as Nigerians celebrate the Christmas.

Mr Abdulatif Olaosebikan, the Head, Programmes and Events, Parks and Recreation Department, FCT Administration, attributed the low patronage to the security situation in the country.

He advised all Nigerians to be security conscious and to support the Federal Government in the fight against insurgency.

Non-performing loans in banks still minimal, says UBA boss

Oduoza

The Group Managing Director, United Bank for Africa (UBA), Phillips Oduoza, on Friday said the Non-Performing Loans (NPLs) in the banking sector was still minimal.

Oduoza said that NPLs had not reached the five per cent threshold set by CBN for the sector.

He said that as long as banks were still doing business, the NPLs would rise, adding the authorities were working hard to ensure stability in the financial system.

The 2013 Annual report of the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) said the volume of NPLs increased by N38.05 billion or 13.30 per cent to N324.14 billion in December 2013 from N286.09 billion in 2012.

Incredible: Ceiling collapse exposes panty thief

A Chinese man who stole hundreds of pieces of ladies' underwear had his secret exposed after an emergency exit ceiling where he had been storing his hoard collapsed, state media reported.

The man, surnamed Tang and in his 30s, admitted to having mental problems since he was young and that he did not know how long he had been obsessed with women's undergarments, reports said.

Christmas tragedy: Man drowns in Lagos pool

Tragedy struck on Christmas day in Lagos when, Sodiq Ojomo, working with a catering service, drowned in a swimming pool at an event centre.

The Director, Lagos State Fire Service, Mr Rasak Fadipe, disclosed this on Friday while reacting to the service activities for the year.

Fadipe said that the incident occurred at No. 3/5, Durosinmi Etti Street, Victoria Island.

Alao-Akala appoints Balogun, ex-commissioner as Campaign DG

Alao-Akala

Former Gov. Adebayo Alao-Akala and the Labour Party governorship candidate in Oyo State has appointed Dr Kola Balogun as director-general of his campaign organisation.

This is contained in a statement signed by Abraham Ojo, Alao-Akala’s media aide and made available to Mega StarNews in Ogbomoso on Friday.

Muslim youths protect Christians during Xmas service in Kaduna

More than 200 Muslim youth volunteers were part of those protecting Christians during church services to celebrate this year’s Christmas in Kaduna, says Pastor Yohanna Buru.

Buru, a cleric of Christ Evangelical Church, Sabon Tasha, Kaduna South, disclosed this in an interview on Friday in Kaduna.

He confirmed that over 200 Muslims were at his church to help protect the faithful from any attack during the church service.

Kano APC picks BUK Deputy VC as Ganduje’s running mate

BUK Deputy VC, Prof. Hafiz Abubakar

The APC in Kano State has nominated the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (DVC) of Bayero University Kano (BUK), Prof. Hafiz Abubakar, as the party’s governorship running mate.

The Special Adviser to Gov. Rabiu Kwankwaso on Media and Publicity, Alhaji Baba Dantiye, said on Friday in Kano that Abubakar, until his nomination, was the university’s DVC (Academics).

``The decision to pick Abubakar as the running mate of the gubernatorial candidate, Alhaji Umar Ganduje, was taken after series of meetings and consultations by the party’s stakeholders in Kano,’’ he said.

Group urges govt. to wash hands off sponsorship of pilgrimages

Nigerian on pilgrimage

A group, Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO), has urged the three tiers of government to wash their hands off the yearly sponsorship of thousands of Nigerians to religious pilgrimages.

The Chairman of CLO, Anambra Branch, Comrade Aloysius Attah, said that a sum of about N14.93bn goes into such exercises annually.

He contended that Nigeria, being a secular state, should desist from such sponsorship, especially now that the country’s earnings are gradually dwindling by the day.

``We call for the total scrapping of government funding of religious pilgrimages in Nigeria.

“I am 100% in support of Buhari,” Says Pastor Bakare

Watch Video of Pastor Tunde Bakare's declaration for Buhari

In an exclusive interview with SaharaTV, Pastor Tunde Bakare, the serving Pastor and Overseer of the Latter Rain Assembly Church in Lagos, has debunked insinuations being circulated on social media that he opposes the presidential candidature of General Muhammad Buhari.

Bakare ran with Buhari in 2011 on the presidential ticket of the Congress For Progressive Change.

He explained that the audio tape being circulated was a talk he gave immediately after the last governorship election in Ondo state in 2012, saying he made it clear for those who cared to listen that he supports Buhari’s ambition any day.