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Ebonyi State’s Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Mr. Orji Uchenna, has confirmed the detection of the first case of Avian Influenza (bird flu) infection in the state. Disclosing this in Abakaliki, Uchenna said the virus was detected in a poultry farm at Ugwuachara area of the state capital, adding that the attention of his ministry was drawn to the development following death of birds. He stated that officials of the state veterinary services took a sample to a research institute in Jos, where it was confirmed that the birds died from the H5NI strains of the Avian Influenza. Mr. Uchenna directed the veterinary department of the ministry to isolate the farm and take inventory of all poultry and ancillary farms in the state, while sustaining enlightenment on the influenza. The Director of Veterinary Service and Acting Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Dr Ibiam Okoro, who led the Commissioner to the farm, said the department had already mounted surveillance to cont...

When we just hope the Naira will appreciates, but the reverse was the case as the Naira depreciated further to a 43-year low at N305 per dollar as scarcity of dollars intensified in the unofficial market. From an average of N287 per dollar on Tuesday, the parallel market exchange rate rose to an average of N305 per dollar across the country. Similarly, the new year stock market haemorrhage entered the eighth day yesterday, with a total N1.22 trillion losses to investors, giving a year-to-date decline of 12.36 per cent in market capitalisation. The market key index, the Nigerian Stock Exchange All Share Index, NSE ASI, declined year-to-date by same margin. The stock exchange, which opened this year at market capitalisation of N9.851 trillion began a free fall till yesterday, closing at N8.63 trillion while the NSE ASI which opened the year at 28,642.25 points closed yesterday at 25,103.05 points. The losses were heightened in the last 48 hours with a cumulative two-day loss of N430 bil...

Nigerian Football Federation official Ibrahim Abubakar was shot dead by at his home in Abuja this morning, according to reports. The country’s football governing body announced on Twitter that armed robbers had killed the head of protocol. It was explained that Abubakar’s remains will be taken to Kaduna, in the northwest of the country, for burial. The NFF’s official Twitter feed read: ‘NFF’s Head of Protocol Ibrahim Abubakar was shot dead by armed robbers in his house in Abuja in the early hours of today. ‘Abubakar’s remains is being taken to Kaduna for burial.’ No more details are yet known about the circumstances surrounding the incident.

Olisa Metuh still undergoing investigation by the EFCC in Abuja. Metuh, who was arrested by four operatives of the anti-graft agency from his Abuja home, spent the first night with his interrogators at the headquarters of the EFCC, answering questions on how the sum of N1.4 billion strayed from the account of the Office of the National Security Adviser into a company, Destra,  linked to him. Interestingly, it was the suspect, who first hinted that the former President, Goodluck Jonathan, had given him a job to do and that he successfully completed the said job,  but failed to say what it was and how much he was paid for and when. The revelation by Metuh, according to EFCC officials, prompted the agency to beam its searchlight on cash payments from the ONSA, leading to the discovery that he was one of the major beneficiaries of slush funds, now a subject of investigation and prosecution by the Federal Government. It was learnt that out of the $2.1 billion arms funds, N400 mil...

OFFICIALS of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC have quizzed the National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Chief Olisa Metuh. The operatives, four in number, came in a white unmarked Toyota Hiace bus and picked Metuh from his Prince and Princess residence, Abuja. A statement by his Special Assistant, Richard Ihediwa, reads: “Officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arrived the Abuja home of the spokesman of the opposition,Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Olisa Metuh this morning, inviting him to follow them to the commission’s headquarters. “Upon enquiry on the reasons for the invitation, the officials stated that he has some issues to clear with the commission. They also said he was not being arrested but friendly invited. The operatives, four in number, came in a White unmarked Toyota Hiace bus. “As at the time of issuing this statement, Chief Metuh is still being kept at the commission’s headquarters and his la...