Nigerian Govt alerts states on release of water from Cameroon Dam

The Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency, NIHSA, has urged states along the Benue River to increase their vigilance.




The call is coming following the ongoing plan by the management of the Lagdo Dam in Cameroon to open the dam for water to gush out.




In a statement made available to journalists on Tuesday by the NIHSA, signed by the Director General and the Chief Executive Officer, Umar Ibrahim Mohamed, he said the states likely to be affected by the flow of water from the dam are: Adamawa, Taraba, Benue, Nasarawa, Kogi, Edo, Delta, Anambra, Bayelsa, Cross River, and Rivers.




The agency also called on governments at all levels to implement adequate preparedness measures to mitigate potential flooding that may result from rising river levels during this period.




The release of water, the statement said, will begin at a rate of 100 cubic meters per second (8.64 million cubic meters per day) and is expected to gradually increase to 1,000 cubic meters per second over the next seven days, depending on inflows from the upstream Garoua River, the primary feeder of the reservoir and a significant contributor to the Benue River.




“The Cameroonian dam authorities assured NIHSA that the water releases will be regulated to avoid exceeding the capacity of the Benue River and triggering major flooding downstream in Nigeria.




“The controlled water releases will cease once there is a noticeable decrease in inflow into the Lagdo reservoir,” the statement read.




NIHSA emphasized that there was no immediate cause for concern, as significant flooding downstream in Nigeria was not anticipated, adding that current water levels along the Benue River remained within safe limits.




The agency also assured the public that it would continue to closely monitor water levels along the Benue and other national inland rivers, providing regular updates to prevent any flood-related disasters.

‘It’s getting out of control’ – Gen Abdulsalami Abubakar worries over economic hardship

Former Nigerian Military Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, has expressed concerns over the country’s economic hardship, stating that it is “getting out of control.”




Abubakar stated this while receiving the leadership of the Campaign for Democracy and Human Rights, led by Abdullahi Mohammed Jabi, who visited his uphill residence in Minna, Niger State, on Tuesday.




He noted that many Nigerians struggle to afford basic needs like food and transportation.




“Everybody is crying about this hardship and it seems to be getting out of control, people cannot afford three square meals.






“The issue of transportation, the hike in fuel, the hike in school fees for the children and the lack of funds in everybody’s pocket is making life difficult for everybody,” the elder statesman observed.




Gen. Abubakar disclosed that he belongs to a forum that had passed three recommendations to the federal government on the way out of the economic hardship, as giving out palliatives is not the solution to hikes in food and other commodities across the nation.




He suggested the government should provide affordable food options by buying and selling essential items at lower prices.




According to him: “There is a need for government to flood and saturate the communities with food, let them (government) buy food and sell it at lesser prices to the people so that people will try to buy some of these food items depending on their pockets and income.”




Abubakar also urged peaceful protests ahead of the planned #EndBadGovernance demonstration on October 1, recalling the violence and looting that marred previous protests.




He lamented: “During the last protest, we saw unnecessary, uncalled for carnage, theft and criminalities; instead of protesting, the people went about looting even private houses; private individuals suffered in the hands of the demonstrators.”




Earlier, the leader of the delegation, Abdullahi Jabi, told the elder statesman that they were in his residence to rejoice with him on the celebration of his birthday, and prayed for long life and good health for him.




He also urged Gen. Abubakar to help prevail on the federal government to solve the problem of hardship and hunger in the land while soliciting his assistance for the implementation of some of its programmes.

‘I’m your biggest fan’ – Rihanna tells Nigerian director, Dammy Twitch

Famous singer, Rihanna has revealed that she is a huge fan
of popular Nigerian music video director, Dammy Twitch.



 



Music executive Bizzle Osikoya shared the clip of Rihanna’s
meeting with Dammy Twitch at a recent event via his X handle on Tuesday.



 



He revealed that Rihanna said she’s Twitch’s biggest fan and
also said she would like to listen to rising Nigerian singer, ShineTTW’s songs.



 



He wrote, “Yoooo @rihanna just said she is @DammyTwitch
biggest fan. And she told @shinettw_ she wants to hear his music.”



 




Yoooo @rihanna just said she is @DammyTwitch biggest fan. And she told @shinettw_ she wants to hear his music pic.twitter.com/t9iHF9kla3— Bizzleosikoya.eth (@bizzleosikoya) September 16, 2024


Meanwhile, Dammy Twitch has relished his meeting with
Rihanna.



 



He shared a clip of the superstar hugging him at a recent
Fenty event via his X handle.



 



Twitch captioned the clip, “Dammy Twitch x Rihanna



 



“Locked in. “What God cannot do does not exist.”

PDP must act now, tolerated Wike for too long – Ex-National Auditor, Nnaji

Former National Auditor of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Bar. Ray Nnaji has suggested that the party tolerated the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike for too long.




Nnaji stated this in an exclusive interview with newsmen while offering his view on the crisis plaguing the party.




This comes amid the challenge from Wike daring any governor or leader of the PDP to publicly call him a mole.




The Minister threw the challenge when he appeared on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme.




He had previously dared State governors elected under the platform of the PDP over his threat that he will put fire in their states.




Wike said he had no apology to anybody, insisting that heaven will not fall.




However, lamenting on what has become of the party, the former auditor stated that no right member of the PDP will commend what’s happening in the party, saying he doesn’t see Wike being in APC and the PDP at the same time.




Nnaji also said that the PDP wasted time in replacing its former National Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, insisting that the vacuum created room for the crisis.




His words: “No right member of the PDP will commend what’s happening in the party.




“I don’t see Wike being in APC and the PDP at the same time. It’s the soul of Rivers State they are pursuing for the purposes of 2027.




“You know quite well that Wike used his power as a former governor to make sure that APC was assisted to come to power, that was why he was compensated with a ministerial appointment.




“He (Wike) wanted to pull the structure he had then into the APC. That explains why the APC dissolved its Rivers state executives, which prompted the members to go to the court.




“Wike himself, and those 25 State House of Assembly members who defected, when they found out that others weren’t following them, the problem in the state started.




“The main fact is that the acting Chairman failed to do what he ought to do. It cannot be blamed on the acting Chairman alone, it should be blamed on the Party entirely because the constitution is very clear.




“When a vacancy exists, what do you do? Of course, the constitution provided answers to all those things, but they failed to do it.




“Iyorchia Ayu was from North Central, when he left the position, Damagun came just to fill the gap.




“The party shouldn’t have wasted time in replacing Iyorchia Ayu. The party would have replaced Ayu with another person from that zone. If that would have been done, I don’t think we would have entered into this crisis.




“I don’t think it is as difficult with the party as it was with Amodu Sheriff, which ended up in the Supreme Court before the 2019 election.




“I still believe that the party will still come out of it, even though they didn’t do what they ought to have done early enough.”




On setting up a reconciliation committee, Nnaji had this to say: “I don’t know who they are reconciling with. Is it Wike or the Governor?




“From the look of things, the government is not ready to play ball, when Wike wants the structure. And if you give Wike the structure, the governor becomes a follower of Wike.




“That is not what the governor wants, he’s supposed to be the leader of the party in the state and take charge.




“Wike, seeing what’s happening, believes he has done his parallel congress and produced a structure. Of course, the governor has his own structure, who the national picks will be another issue.




“I learnt Wike was invited to the disciplinary committee, I don’t know the outcome of the invitation but they waited too long to allow Wike to this point.




“He was not part of the formation of the party but he’s the most beneficiary of the PDP. Going ahead to seek the destruction of the party he has benefited a lot from doesn’t augur well for him, especially in the future.




“If he destroys PDP, who’s sure the APC will be a comfortable place for him to stay?




“I don’t think he’s thinking from that angle. It is his personal interest that matters most for him now.




“The PDP has to make sure it puts its house in order to see if it can liberate the country come 2027.”

18 killed in road accident along Sagamu-Benin expressway

The Ogun state Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Agency
(TRACE) says 18 persons have died in a road accident in the Ogbere axis of the
Benin-Sagamu expressway.



 



In a statement, Babatunde Akinbiyi, the agency’s
spokesperson, said a Toyota Hiace (XA 690 AKU) vehicle crashed into a bad
section of the road, leaving passengers burnt beyond recognition, with one
injured.



 



Akinbiyi said an explosion, triggered by petroleum motor
spirit (PMS) stored in a jerrycan in the vehicle, compounded the situation.



 



“Eyewitnesses and the driver confirmed that a jerrycan
filled with PMS fell over when the bus hit a bad section of the road,” he said.





 



 “The fuel spilled onto
the bus floor and ignited after coming into contact with the exhaust pipe,
causing the vehicle to catch fire in transit.



 



“The partially burnt and injured driver rescued was taken to
Rona Hospital in Ijebu Ode, while the dead were deposited at State Hospital
Mortuary, Ijebu.”



 



Akinbiyi asked drivers to refrain from storing fuel in kegs
to avert disasters.



 



The TRACE spokesperson extended “heartfelt condolences” to
bereaved families.



 



In August, the agency reported that four people died in road
accidents in Abeokuta, the state capital.



 



On Monday, no fewer than 36 Muslim worshippers lost their
lives in a road accident in Kaduna state.



 

Zamfara: Bello Turji will be killed soon, only a matter of time — Gov Lawal

Governor Dauda Lawal of Zamfara State has expressed optimism that the reign of terror unleashed on the state and its environs by notorious and wanted bandit leader, Bello Turji will soon come to an end.




The governor stated this on Monday during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today when asked about the likelihood that the notorious bandit will be stopped.




Governor Lawal was positive that the bandit leader will soon be apprehended or eliminated.




“With what we have in place, with the collaboration between us (the state government) and the Federal Government, security agencies, believe me, it is only a matter of time; Turji would be killed very, very soon,” he said.






This is coming just days after the military made significant gains against bandits, killing wanted bandit leader Halilu Sububu, who had been terrorising citizens in Zamfara, Sokoto and other parts of the North-West.




Recall that Sububu and more than 30 other bandits were killed last week.

#BBNaija: Nelly, Anita, Tjay, Handi… 9 housemates nominated for eviction

Nelly, Anita, Kassia, Victoria, Shaun, Tjay, Handi, Wanni
and Onyeka are the nine housemates nominated for possible eviction this week in
the BBNaija ‘No Loose Guard’ show



 



Similar to last week, Biggie asked the housemates to write
down the names of two other contestants they wanted to nominate for possible
eviction.



 



He also scattered the housemates to prevent the issue of
conspiracy which led to the strikes that were earlier issued to Wanni, Handi,
Kassia and Shaun.



 



Big Brother also asked each person to publicly announce the
names of the housemates they had put up for eviction.



 





Nelly and Anita got 5 nominations — the highest — followed
by Wanni and Kassia who were nominated three times.



 



Tjay, Handi, Onyeka, Shaun and Victoria got two nominations
while Ozee and KellyRae were nominated once. One or two housemates will exit
the house on Sunday at the live eviction show.



 



16 housemates have so far been sent packing from the reality
show.



 



Team Tami (Damilola and Toyosi) was the first pair of ‘No
Loose Guard’ housemates to be evicted — on August 4 — while Ndi Nne (Chinne and
Nne) followed suit a week later.



 



On August 18, Team Streeze (Mayor and Tobi Forge) and Team
Flourish (Ruthie and DJ Flo) were asked to leave Biggie’s house.



 



Team Zinwe — Zion and Chinwe — exited the reality show on
August 25 while Team Radicals (Fairme David and Mitchky) was evicted on
September 1.



 



Chizoba and Ben were sent home last Sunday.