Throwback photos of Ogun state governor, Ibikunle Amosun and his family

Photos:Fathia Balogun at the City People Awards 2016

Yay! Peter Okoye says P-Square is back! And that brother Jude Okoye is back as his manager

Peter Okoye says the problems with P-Square is over and that they are back! Can I hear amen from all P-Square fans? Continue to read his statement and video he released...

Two killed in Florida nightclub shooting

At least two people were killed and 14 others wounded in a shooting early Monday at a Florida nightclub, police said, in an incident that reportedly occurred at a party for teenagers.
The attack comes just six weeks after an attack at a gay club in the state left 49 dead in the worst massacre on US soil since 9/11.
Officers have detained one “person of interest” and two other individuals for questioning over the latest shooting, which happened at Club Blu in Fort Myers.
The venue was holding a party for teens at the time, according to the local CBS affiliate.

The Fort Myers Police Department reported that while two individuals were fatally shot, “at least 14-16” more sustained minor to life-threatening wounds during the episode, which occurred at approximately 12:30 am (0430 GMT) in the club’s parking lot.
A nearby home and vehicles were also shot at, resulting in one minor injury, the department said in a statement.
“At this time the scene is still very active as investigators and crime scene personnel attempt to determine what had occurred,” the statement said, adding that multiple area streets had been closed.
Officers are “actively canvassing the area looking for other persons who may be involved in this incident,” although the area had been deemed safe.
An attack on a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida on June 12 left 49 dead in the worst gun massacre in recent US history.
Police killed the gunman, Omar Mateen, a 29-year-old US citizen of Afghan origin, after a three-hour standoff.
The Islamic State jihadist group claimed responsibility for that attack, calling the Mateen “one of the soldiers of the caliphate.” US authorities have said he was apparently radicalized after watching jihadist propaganda online.
That rampage and other recent shootings have renewed debate about gun laws in the United States.
After the incident, the White House denounced the “cowardice” of US senators who failed to pass gun control legislation.
President Barack Obama, a Democrat, has repeatedly called for Republicans to realize the cost of their opposition to gun control and spending on mental health and drug treatment.
“We refuse to fund drug treatment and mental health programs. We flood communities with so many guns that it is easier for a teenager to buy a Glock than get his hands on a computer or even a book,” he said at a recent memorial service for five police officers shot in Dallas.
Last month, Democratic lawmakers staged a virtually unprecedented 24-hour sit-in in Congress after Republicans refused to allow a vote on two widely supported measures.

BREAKING: Edo Speaker steps down

Mrs. Elizabeth Ativie, the Speaker of Edo State House of Assembly, has stepped down from the role.

She was replaced by the Deputy Speaker, Dr. Justin Okonoboh, by 18 out of the 24 members of the House and sworn in at about 11am on Monday.

It would be recalled that Ativie was sworn in on May ‎3 her predecessor, Victor Edoror, was impeached.

Ativie decided to step down after a motion was moved by the Majority Leader, Folly Ogedengbe, under matters of urgent public importance, for a change in the leadership of the House.

‎Ogedengbe explained that the change was necessary to ensure fairness in the political system, so that the three senatorial districts would be represented.

The incumbent State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole, hails from Edo North senatorial district while his deputy, Dr. Pius Odubu, and Ativie hail from Edo South.

Okonoboh represents Igueben constituency in Edo Central senatorial district.

Rules 1(2), 20, 22 and 73 of the House were relaxed before the member representing Owan East ‎asked Ativie to step down for the Igueben lawmaker to assume officer while she took office as his deputy.

Ogedengbe “I going to move that there is a change of leadership in the House in order that this state moves forward, that there will be fairness and equity in the system, that the three senatorial districts will be properly accommodated. I am going to move with a heavy heart.

“I move, therefore, that the Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, Mrs. Elizabeth Ativie, should step down and assume office as Deputy Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly and that the Deputy Speaker, Dr. Justin Okonoboh, be promoted as the new Speaker.‎”

He had noted that 17 members had supported the change of leadership.

But 18 members stood up for identification in support of the motion, which was seconded by the member representing Oredo West, Chris Okaeben.

 While accepting the change, Ativie said that her short stay in office recorded tremendous achievements as the members worked as a team.

Ativie commended the lawmakers for giving her the opportunity to serve and urged them to accord same to her successor.

She said, “Although this is a huge a difficult sacrifice to make, I believe that it should be done for the sake of the people of Edo State. No sacrifice will be too big to pay in meeting the yearning aspirations of or people, who elected us to this House‎.

“Today, I bury my pride and my ambition for the general good of the people and the state, through which I emerged as a legislator.”

On his part, Okonoboh said that his emergency was a result of wide consultations within the All Progressives Congress

He noted that the new development was a House matter that was devoid of any interference from the governor.

He commended Ativie for her willingness to step down in a manner unprecedented in the entire country, vowing that all her appointments would remain‎ valid

Why I starved, chained my son – Pastor Francis

Francis Taiwo, a Celestial Church of Christ pastor who starved and kept his nine-year-old son in chains for months, has been arrested.

The 40-year-old pastor was apprehended by the police from the Onipanu division on Sunday at his church – CCC, Key of Joy Parish – in Ajibawo, Atan, in the Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government Area of Ogun State.

Police sources told PUNCH Metro that Francis might be charged with attempted murder, among other offences, after the completion of investigation.

“The pastor may be charged with attempted murder. His action was capable of killing the boy,” one of the sources said.

Our correspondent had reported that Francis chained his son, Korede, to the altar in the church for more than a month and starved him until he went into a coma in an attempt to cast out the supposed spirit that made the boy to steal.

Korede was, however, rescued on Friday during a joint operation by the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and the police, after receiving a tip-off from residents of the area.

Korede’s stepmother, Kehinde, had also been arrested for allegedly aiding the cruelty meted out to the boy.

Korede, who said he aspired to be a doctor, had blamed his father for his stealing habit.

“It is true that I stole a pot of soup and a bowl of eba in our house. I also stole in the neighbourhood. My father’s inability to give money to my stepmother for the upkeep of the family caused it. When I was chained, my father and stepmother fed me twice a day. Some days, I was not given any food. I want to go back to school because I want to be a doctor in the future. I do not want to go back to my father’s house,” Korede had said.

Francis, a father of five who hails from Benin Republic, confessed to the act in his statement to the police, adding that Korede’s mother was late.

He said, “I was ordained a pastor in the CCC in 2012. I had divorced two wives, including Korede’s mother, Maria; she is late now. She had four children for me – two boys and two girls – before she divorced me in 2007 after she gave birth to Korede. I chained Korede because he is possessed. An evil spirit makes him to steal. He needs deliverance. His siblings are not living with me.”

A resident, who identified himself only as Elijah, said Francis had been warned on several occasions against unleashing violence on the victim.

He said, “His father has been chaining him for the past six months. He would chain him for hours and release him. His grouse is that Korede steals and runs away from home and he thinks a spirit is controlling the child. He once took him to a river in chains for deliverance.”

The Ogun State police spokesperson, SP Muyiwa Adejobi, said the case had been transferred to the child labour unit of the command for investigation.

“The case has been transferred to the Anti-Human Trafficking and Child Labour Unit of the command for necessary investigation and actions as directed by the Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of zone 2, AIG Abdulmajid Ali,” he said.

Egypt trains 100 Nigerians in medicine, agric

Egypt says it had trained over 100 Nigerian officials in medicine, agriculture, security and counter-terrorism investigation and engineering in order to improve Nigeria’s expertise in various fields.

It stated that the training courses were provided and funded by the Egyptian Agency of Partnership for Development, an organ of the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs to strengthen bilateral relations with Nigeria.

The Egyptian Ambassador to Nigeria, Ashraf Salama, disclosed this on Thursday night during the 64th anniversary celebration of the Egyptian revolution that toppled the monarchy in Egypt peacefully and established the republic.

The envoy, said his main objective was to bring his country and Nigeria closer and to strengthen bilateral ties thereby setting a solid example of inter-African relations on the continent.

Salama, who is approaching the end of his tenure after spending four years as ambassador, stated that President Muhammadu Buhari’s visit to Egypt had further cemented the cooperation between the Arab nation and Nigeria.

On the multilateral level, the envoy said that Egypt and Nigeria have supported each other’s nominees in various international organisations, the last of which was the support of Nigeria to Egypt to become a non-permanent member at the United Nations Security Council.

“Another emerging area of cooperation between the two countries is in the field of training; In the last year, Egypt has trained more than 100 Nigerian officials in different fields which include security and counter-terrorism investigation, medicine, engineering, agriculture and so on,” Salama said.

Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Khadija Ibrahim, lauded Egypt for the donations and medical assistance to displaced Nigerians in various Internally Displaced Peoples camps in Abuja and the North-East