FG okays 10-year validity period for passports

The Federal Government has approved a 10-year validity period for Nigerian passports.
This followed a presidential approval to change the face of the e-passport 10 years after it was introduced in the country.
Currently, the passports have a five-year validity period.
The Comptroller-General of Nigerian Immigration Service, Muhammed Babandede, who said this in a report monitored on Channels Tv on Thursday, added that the extended validity period would reduce the stress Nigerians went through every five years to renew their passports.

“One of the reforms he (President Buhari) has approved is that we would improve the quality, security of our passport booklets.

I’ve had to refund money for shows that clashed with my studies – Osupa

Ace fuji musician, Saheed Osupa, has given an update on his academic pursuit at the University of Ibadan.
The artiste shocked many of his fans about three years ago when he enrolled for Political Science at the premier university.
In an interview with our correspondent, Osupa revealed how his family took the decision, saying they thought he was joking.

He said, “They thought it was a joke. Even my first born who just finished studying at the University of Ilorin called me on my matriculation day, which, coincidentally, was also his convocation day. He jokingly said, “Remember the son of whom you are’, which was what I told him when he first gained admission.”
Osupa added that his priority was with his education as he had even cancelled some shows because they clashed with his classes.

Killers of Benue Catholic priest sentenced to death

The two surviving kidnappers of a Catholic priest, Fr. John Adeyi, have been sentenced to death by hanging by a Makurdi High Court.

Adeyi, the Vicar-General of Catholic Diocese of Otukpo and Parish Priest of Catholic Church, Okpoga, was kidnapped by gunmen in 2016.
The cleric was later killed and his body dumped in a farm near Otukpo.

However, four kidnappers were arrested by the Intelligence Response Team led by ACP Abba Kyari few months after, but two of them later died in custody in unexplained circumstances.

In a verdict on Wednesday, the court found the two surviving suspects guilty and handed them the death sentence.

Reacting to the development, Kyari in a Facebook post noted that justice had been served.

“Glory be to God Almighty, the kidnappers and killers of Rev. Fr. John Adeyi of Otukpo Diocese Benue State, whom we arrested in 2016 after a serious manhunt in Bauchi, Benue and Enugu states have been convicted and sentenced to death by hanging by the High Court in Makurdi, Benue State. Justice has been delivered to the kidnappers and killers of the innocent man.

“My unit, IRT has recorded her first death conviction since inception in 2015,” he posted.

The family of the late cleric applauded the judgment in a statement, but noted that the development reminded them of the sad loss of their son. It is gratifying, however, to know that the culprits did not go unpunished. May the soul of Fr Adeyi continue to rest in perfect peace with his creator,” the family stated.

700 separated children still in US custody after deadline

The US government said Thursday that hundreds of families it broke up at the border with Mexico have not been reunited as a court-ordered deadline to return all children to their parents elapsed.

A federal judge in California had ordered that all eligible migrant families be brought back together by 6:00 pm (2200 GMT) and officials said in a court filing that 1,442 children aged five and older had been reunited with their families.

 

“The reunification plan outlined to the court… is proceeding, and is expected to result in the reunification of all class members found eligible for reunification at this time by the court’s July 26, 2018 deadline,” the government said.

Suspend recess, approve 2019 polls budget, Presidency begs National Assembly

The Presidency has urged the National Assembly to suspend the ongoing recess and attend to requests by President Muhammadu Buhari pending before the legislature.
The National Assembly was billed to proceed on holiday on Thursday but the lawmakers went on recess on Tuesday in protest against the alleged clampdown on President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki; and Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu.
One of such requests is the one asking the lawmakers to vire funds in the 2018 Appropriation Act to fund the supplementary budgets of the Independent National Electoral Commission and security agencies for the conduct of the 2019 general elections.

Burnley keeper, Nick Pope, suffers shoulder injury

Burnley goalkeeper Nick Pope faces an anxious wait to learn how long he might be on the sidelines after suffering what manager Sean Dyche fears is a “serious” shoulder injury in the Europa League match with Aberdeen.

The 26-year-old — part of England’s World Cup squad and who made his international debut against Costa Rica earlier this year —  had to go off after a collision with Aberdeen striker Sam Cosgrove.

“Nick has gone to hospital and it certainly looks more serious than not serious at this stage,” said Dyche.

Keep me in your prayers, Davido tells fans

David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido on Thursday called on his fans to keep him in their prayers.
Davido, on his Twitter handle, @iam_Davido,  said, he may have just recorded the biggest feature of his career. He added that it could literally change his life
He, however, didn’t reveal on whose song he featured.

Defections: APC rules out automatic tickets for lawmakers

The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Adams Oshiomhole, has ruled out the likelihood of offering  the APC’s legislators automatic tickets  as a way of making them to remain in the party.

Oshiomhole said this at a meeting with the APC caucus in the House of Representatives at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja on Thursday.

He explained that the best the party could offer in line with its democratic practice was to provide a level playing field for all members to test their popularity.

Igbo Village, Prof Ahaneku, Fr. Prof. BonaChristus, Faculty of Arts Unizik set

By Odogwu Emeka Odogwu

IGBO LANGUAGE, CULTURE AND FR PROF BONACHRISTUS

Igbo language is one of the four major languages in Nigeria.  Igbo language is a member of the Niger-Congo family of languages. And it is spoken by about 18 million people in Nigeria, Equatorial Guinea, etc.

Sentencing of Killers of Benue Catholic Priest to Death by Hanging: Bishop Ezeokafor Hails Makurdi High Court

....Expresses Mixed Feelings


   *BY ABUCHI ONWUMELU OF FIDES NEWSPAPERS*


The Catholic bishop of Awka Diocese, His Lordship Most Rev. Paulinus Ezeokafor, has hailed the Makurdi High Court for bringing to book the two surviving kidnappers and murderers of Vicar General of Catholic Diocese of Oturkpo, Benue State, Rev  Fr John Adeyi, PhD.