The Federal Government has appealed to the Canadian Government to remove the stringent conditions preventing Nigerians from procuring its visa. Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola made the appeal when the Canadian High Commissioner to Nigeria, James Christoff paid him a courtesy visit on Wednesday in Abuja. In a statement issued by the Deputy Director of Press and Public Relations in the ministry, Mr Afonja Ajibola, the minister said easing the visa conditions would boost investment and accelerate economic growth in both countries. Aregbesola also urged the Canadian Government to assist Nigeria with new technologies to ease the monitoring of Nigerian borders, high seas, land, railways and schools. He said such technology would also facilitate quick response to security issues and enhance investments in Nigeria. Earlier, Christoff said that the visit was to seek for bilateral cooperation with Nigeria in the areas of economy, security, technology, education and training of Immigration Service personnel. The high commissioner said that the traing of immigration personnel would ensure efficient border monitoring and enhance Nigeria’s security. Christoff said that the Canadian Government would review some of its visa conditions, so that Nigerians can access Canada without difficulties. Also, the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Dr Shuaib Belgore, said strengthening partnership and cooperation between Nigeria and Canada would enhance development in both nations, including areas of security.

  Lance Corporal John Gabriel, a soldier with registration number N/A13/69/1522, has opened up on how he tricked Sheik Goni Aisami-Gashua, a prominent cleric in Yobe State, before killing him. Daily Trust had reported how the cleric was shot dead after he offered lift to his killer on Friday night. Aisami was headed for Gashua from Nguru when his killer who was in mufti pleaded to join him to Jaji-Maji. As they proceeded on the journey, he tricked the cleric who alighted from his vehicle but never made it back again as Gabriel snuffed life out of him. Speaking when he was paraded by the police on Wednesday, the killer soldier who was attached to 241 Recce Model Battalion, Nguru, said the Sheik asked him two questions before he pulled the trigger. “We were approaching Jaji-Maji and the windows were wound down, so I told him (the victim) that I was hearing a sound under his vehicle and he said he was suspecting something under it and he wanted to park and check. After he parked by the roadside, he alighted and I followed him. After checking, he found out that it was not what he suspected. “”Meanwhile, I had removed my rifle and fixed the magazine when he was under the vehicle. When he didn’t find anything under the vehicle, I told him to check the back tyre, but as he was about doing so, I pointed my rifle at him and he asked me, ‘What did I do to you?” And I responded, you did not do anything to me. He asked further, ‘Do you want to kill me?’ And I said, ‘No I don’t want to kill you.’ So, he kept quiet and I fired a warning shot, thinking he would be scared and run away. But he didn’t run away. However as he made to enter his vehicle, I fired directly at him.” The death of the Islamic scholar had sparked a nationwide outrage, with many demanding immediate prosecution. In an interview with BBC Hausa Service, the National Chairman of Islamic propagation group, Izala Movement, Sheikh Abdullahi Bala Lau, had said the manner in which he was murdered showed its terrorism against the Muslim Ummah. “We condemn the assassination and we call on the Federal Government to quickly prosecute the assassins; let’s probe the motive of the killing. If it had happened that a Muslim killed a pastor, the story would have been different, we won’t let this go, we won’t keep quiet anymore,” he had said.

  The national working committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Wednesday met with its governorship candidates ahead of the 2023 general election. The meeting was held behind closed doors at the party’s headquarters in Abuja. Seyi Makinde, governor of Oyo state, who is seeking re-election, was absent from the meeting. The meeting comes amid the crisis rocking the leading opposition party. Briefing journalists after the meeting, Iyorchia Ayu, national chairman of the party, said the governorship candidates expressed concerns in their respective states. Ayu added that members are prepared and the party will win the governorship election in 25 states. “The candidates came and expressed their concerns in their various states; briefed us about the efforts they are making in their various states to win the election,” he said. “As you know, the elections will be won in the states, not just at the national level. I am very happy with the progress made so far in various states and some of the little issues that we have clarified. It was an extremely useful meeting. “So we are happy that the members of the party are very determined that we don’t just win at the national level, states of assembly, national assembly, or state governorship; we want to return about 25 state governors or more as we used to have.” Also speaking, Bala Mohammed, governor of Bauchi, described the mood in the party as “very excellent”. “The chairman has already spoken, you know we are loyal party members. We believe in the supremacy and sanctity of the party and he (Ayu) has already told you that the mood is very excellent,” he said. “The candidates are coming together uniting the party to discuss, even issues of reconciliation. So, it is a very democratic party.”

  The Labour Party has denied a news report that its Presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi and one of its leaders, Prof. Pat Utomi we’re engaged in a war of attrition over the party’s campaign funds. National Publicity Secretary of the party, Comrade Arabambi Abayomi, issued the disclaimer in a statement made available to reporters in Abuja, on Wednesday, He described the story as part of a coordinated attack launched by “agents, miscreants and misfits political characters loyal to the would soon defunct APC led administration.“ The party spokesperson said the Labour Party wouldn’t have dignified the false publication laced with deliberate falsehood or considered it necessary to react to such an epistle of personal bitterness ,ignorance and complete unintelligent outburst but for the benefit of the few in the public who may innocently be misinformed. According to him, authors of the write up were induced by “ethically rusty and morally depraved social misfit and miscreants known as ‘Unknown Source.” He noted that claims that allies of the Presidential Candidate of the Party, Mr. Peter Obi, have sidelined the National Chairman of the Labour Party, Barr. Julius Abure, and Professor Pat Utomi, who were earlier listed as signatories to the Labour Party’s campaign donation account, were figments of the imaginations of the author. Abayomi said, “The Labour party hereby states as follows: “The National Chairman of our great Party Bar Julius Abure, the presidential candidate of Labour party Mr Peter Gregory Obi and Prof Pat Utomi are one united , indivisible political families that enjoys cordial relationship that aimed to extinct the present clueless administration of President Buhari led APC and confined them to dust bin of history “That the National Chairman, Bar. Julius Abure, has not convened any meeting of the National Working committee or National Executive Council where the formation of Peter obi/Datti Campaign Council would be formally discussed before inauguration “There was never any Labour Party’s campaign donation account in existence nor an alternative fund-raising platform, tagged FUND40MB that was known to Labour party “Mr. Peter Obi, has never instigated any war through proxies in Labour party as he is busy with how to fix Nigeria from a consuming nation to a productive one where Nigerians will take back their country from the present administration that has put our country on Autopilot. The LP National Publicity Secretary further said, “Having set the records straight , it is important that this long empty epistle of calumny written here by this “unknown source” is a manifestation that he substantially lacks the capacity to correctly understand the complexities in rational thinking needed to be a responsible public commentator . “Such an unintelligent epistle usually comes from a programed puppet with a wholesome bitter and ignorant mind that is poisonous to the society because on what basis did he arrive at this warped opinion ?. “On any scale and in any measure he came to this level of peddling absolute distortion people ike this unintelligent Fellow wanting to re – write history are cancers that should be completely isolated in any decent Society. “For the information and education of the lilliputian political paw and puppet known as ‘unknown source’ and his ilk , it must be clearly emphasised that Labour Party National Chairman Bar Julius Abure , our Presidential Candidate, Mr Peter Obi, and Prof Pat Utomi , are already in the class of responsible and reliable leaders who will not only take the people to where they want to go but far much further to where they don’t know they have to be ,but ought to be .“