Nigeria: CBN Says No Extension for BVN Registration

A senior official of the Central Bank of Nigeria, has revealed that the deadline for registration of the Biometric Verification Number will not be extended.

Ibrahim Mu’azu, who is the director, corporate communications, CBN, says the deadline for registration is tomorrow, Tuesday, June 30, 2015.

According to him, bank customers were given adequate time and CBN expected they should have taken advantage of the period scheduled for the exercise to register.

Contrary to the speculation that customers who do not have BVN will be prevented from making transactions, such as payments and withdrawals, Mu’azu said only customers using remote access services: internet banking, Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) and other on-line services would not be able to transact.

He also confirmed that over 14 million bank customers have already registered.

For Nigerians in diaspora to participate in the exercise, CBN has also directed banks to provide online platforms for those who have local accounts to register.

Chad arrests 60 suspected militants after suicide bomb attack

Security forces in Chad have arrested 60 suspected Boko Haram militants and dismantled a cell responsible for two suicide bomb attacks in its capital on June 15, the chief prosecutor of the central African nation said on Sunday.

Blasts in two police offices in N'Djamena that appeared to have been coordinated killed 34 people including four suspected Boko Haram militants and injured dozens. It was the largest attack of its kind in Chad.

"An active cell of a terrorist network has been identified and dismantled," said prosecutor Alghassim Khamis, adding that those arrested came from Chad, Cameroon, Mali and Nigeria.

He identified one attacker as Issa Oumar, alias Issa Tchoulou, but did not give his nationality. Bomb fragments collected at the sites had been turned over for analysis to the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation, he said.

Chad has played a leading role in helping Nigerian forces win back territory from Boko Haram, which has mounted a six-year insurgency to carve out an Islamist caliphate in Nigeria's northeast and attacked neighbours Niger and Cameroon.

The Chadian capital is a command centre for a regional force in the fight.

Over 100 million Nigerians live below poverty line - Osinbajo

The Vice-President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, has said over 100 million Nigerians live below the poverty line. He called for urgent steps to arrest this trend.

Osinbajo said this on Saturday while delivering the 10th anniversary lecture of the Crescent University, Abeokuta, Ogun State capital.

The Vice-President, who spoke on the topic: ‘Nigerian Economy and the Future’, said unless the country’s Gross Domestic Product experience double-digit rise annually, the increasing population may be difficult to sustain with available resources.

He noted that the fertility rate of Nigerians was increasing by the year, while the wealth of the country was not growing enough to match it.

Osinbajo explained that in a situation where the fertility rate was six per cent, there was also the urgent need to nurture and spur the economy to grow by at least 10 per cent annually, enhancing its capacity to cater for the population effectively.

He identified Boko Haram insurgency, corruption and tax evasion, among others, as factors posing grave threat to the nation’s economy.

Angelina Jolie calls for strong response to end sex crimes

Angelina Jolie has appealed to African leaders attending a summit in Johannesburg to encourage more global support to end violence against women around the world.
Speaking at a forum, the 40-year-old actress said that sexual attack such as rape was the “weapon of choice” in many conflict zones as perpetrators seldom face justice.
The ‘Maleficent’ star, who is the UN special envoy for refugees, added that violence against women is still treated as a lesser crime, noting that armed groups turn it into a weapon of choice because of near total impunity.
Jolie continued that it is clear that this is not an African problem but a global one, but few places have suffered as Africa.
She urged to think what it would mean if the 54 nations of the AU press together as one towards full rights and opportunities for women.

APC Senators Demand Ekweremadu's Resignation

Aggrieved APC senators loyal to Ahmad Lawan have demanded for the immediate resignation of the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, saying it was one of the conditions that would make the faction to recognise Senator Bukola Saraki as President of the Senate.

The aggrieved lawmakers, under the auspices of the Senate Unity Forum, however, stated that they had nothing personal against Saraki and Ekweremadu, PUNCH reports.

“The Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, was not properly elected. He requires a simple majority vote of 55 to win the election but he got 54, so he did not win and we cannot recognise him. We refuse to. Our party has asked us not to talk to the press but we will not keep quiet internally,"

“We demand that Senator Ike Ekweremadu must resign his position because he needed at least 55 senators to emerge as deputy senate president. Ekweremadu is a lawyer and an experienced lawmaker. He knows he is not qualified to win the election with 54 votes.”

“Apart from Ekeweremadu resigning, we are also demanding thorough investigations into the decision of the Clerk of the National Assembly to conduct the election when he was aware that the President had summoned us to a meeting.”

Nine pregnant girls rescued from Enugu baby factory by the Police

The Enugu State Police Command on Saturday rescued nine pregnant girls during a raid on a baby factory at the 9th Mile area of the state.

The Police Public Relations Officer of the command, Mr. Ebere Amaraizu, said that the baby factory belonged to Ikechukwu Onoh who ran the baby factory from his home. Onoh was arrested during the raid and the girls are now in Police custody

The ladies were identified as Stella James, 19, from Ohaozara, Ebonyi State; Eze Jennifer, 19, from Obukpa in Nsukka LGA, Enugu State; Ugwu Christabel, 17, a native of Aku, in Igbo-Etiti LGA, Enugu State; Happiness Mbaonu, 17, from Nnewi, Anambra State; and Ovunna Ifeoma, 20, from Ezza, in Ebonyi State, Esther Nwankwo, 21, a native of Nkalagu, in Ebonyi State; Onyedika Agu, 23, of Isuawa, Awgu in Enugu State; Blessing James, 23, from Ohafia, Abia State; and Chibueze Ujunwa, 24, from Aninri LGA, Enugu State.

Onoh claimed that he got a provisional approval in October 2007 from the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development in the state to admit and shelter pregnant women in his hospital, known as Tex Hospital and Maternity Home, which is located at 9th Mile. He said he decided to keep the pregnant girls in his private residence when the said hospital was closed down.