Four students of Nasarawa State University, Keffi, have been reportedly killed in a stampede while struggling for rice meant to be distributed as palliative by the state government.     The students were said to have allegedly broken into the warehouse where the food items were kept to be distributed Friday morning, overpowered the security attached to the institution at about 5 a.m., and forcefully broke into the warehouse scrambling for palliative. Vanguard correspondent gathered that some students billed to benefit from the Nasarawa state government palliative were issued I.D cards to admit them into the venue where the distribution was to take place. It was also gathered that as early as 5 a.m., students had already taken over the arena, overpowered the security, and broke into the warehouse, resulting in the stampede. Details of the incident are still sketchy at the time of this report. Details later.

  Canada is set to reduce its intake of temporary foreign workers, a decision revealed by officials on Thursday. This strategy marks a significant shift from the nation’s previously expansive immigration policy. The federal government proposes adjusting the number of temporary residents to constitute no more than five per cent of the national population over the coming three years, a notable decrease from the current 6.2 per cent, which amounts to approximately 2.5 million individuals. The adjustment comes in the wake of Canada experiencing substantial population growth driven by high levels of immigration, which has begun to outstrip job creation. “Canada has witnessed a considerable increase in the volume of temporary residents recently,” said Immigration Minister Marc Miller during a press briefing. This surge includes international students, foreign workers filling employment gaps, and individuals displaced by conflicts and natural disasters. Recent government statistics highlight a 3.6 per cent drop in job vacancies to 678,500 in the final quarter of 2023, continuing a downward trend from a peak of 983,600 in mid-2022. “With the labor market tightening, it’s clear that changes are necessary to render the system both more efficient and sustainable,” Miller remarked. The policy revision is set to be finalised following discussions with provincial governments, some of which have voiced concerns over the strain on housing and public services due to the influx of migrants. The move aligns with other recent adjustments, including a cap on new permits for international students and the introduction of visa requirements for certain Mexican travellers. In tandem with the reduction in temporary foreign workers, Employment Minister Randy Boissonnault has called on businesses to prioritise hiring refugees. The new guidelines will limit the proportion of temporary foreign workers in companies to 20 per cent, down from 30 per cent, with exceptions for the healthcare and construction sectors. Additionally, Minister Miller has directed Canada’s immigration department to review existing temporary labour programs to ensure they align more closely with the country’s labour market needs and to eliminate any program abuses.

  The wives of two Binance employees detained by the Nigerian government have cried out that they are heart-broken for the continued detention of their husbands. Two Binance employees, Tigran Gambaryan and Nadeem Anjarwalla, are being held by Nigerian authorities in a guarded house. They were arrested three weeks ago. Tigran Gambaryan (American citizen) and Nadeem Anjarwalla (British-Kenyan citizen), were detained by the Nigerian authorities on February 26th following a series of meetings in Abuja for which they had been invited by the Nigerian Government to attend. Tigran is the Head of Financial Crime Compliance of the Binance Security & Investigations Team. Nadeem is the Regional Manager of Binance for East and West Africa. At the court hearing in Abuja today, which was attended by Tigran and Nadeem, the court ruled that after hearing arguments from both parties, they would resume the session on April 5th which is 10 working days from today. This ruling came after the original court order to hold Nadeem and Tigran expired on March 12th and a request for a new order was filed by the Nigerian Economic and Financial Crimes Commission. The Judge did not grant an extension to this order. Throughout their detention the families of Tigran and Nadeem have continued to plead with the Nigerian authorities for the release of their loved ones. Tomorrow is Nadeem’s only son’s first birthday and on April 5th, Tigran’s son will turn 5. With their continued detention, both fathers will now miss key milestones in their childrens’ lives. Elahe, the wife of Anjarwalla said, “I am completely heartbroken. I was holding on to the hope that Nadeem would be home in time to celebrate our son’s first birthday together and I am devastated this won’t be happening. “Nadeem has no authority to make high level decisions at Binance and I am once again asking from the bottom of my heart that the Nigerian authorities please allow him and Tigran to return home whilst they continue their discussions with Binance. “I am also calling on the British and Kenyan governments to do more to get Nadeem back home to us. Please, we just want this nightmare to end.” Yuki, wife of Gambaryan said, “Tigran was only supposed to be away from us for a very short trip and now over 3 weeks later we have no idea when we will see him again. “I don’t know what to tell our two children who rush to the door every time they hear a car, eagerly hoping that their father has finally returned from a very long work trip. “Tigran is globally recognized for his work in law enforcement and many of his peers would say that Tigran’s continuous efforts are what keep crypto currencies safe and clean. “Please let him come home to continue this good work. The longer that our husbands are away from our families, the harder it is becoming for us to go about our daily lives. “We are asking you from the bottom of our hearts and with the deepest respect that you please release them so that our families can be complete once again.”

  A soldier serving at sector 3 Garrison, Monguno, Borno State, Suleiman Sidiq, has allegedly stabbed Marufu Keji, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of a station in Ilesha Baruba, Baruteen Local Government Area of Kwara State, over a land dispute. In a video of the incident seen making the rounds on social media, the soldier was seen with a jack knife while shouting at the DPO and other officers inside the station. “I will kill you and waste your blood, I am not a coward. I am a soldier, you can video me,” he was heard saying. Spokeswoman of Kwara Police Command, DSP Toun Ejire-Adeyemi, confirmed the incident to our correspondent who visited the command on Thursday night. In a statement that was later released on behalf of the CP, Victor Olaiya, Toun said, “parties involved were warned to maintain peace and return Thursday (today) for further resolution. “However, the situation took a violent turn when the complainant, Suleiman Sidiq, who was under the influence of intoxicating substances, became so unruly. “All efforts and persuasion to calm him down proved abortive, he attacked the Divisional Crime Officer, ASP Okeowo Joel. In the course of intervention by the Divisional Police Officer, DSP Marufu Keji; Suleiman Sidiq brought out a Jack Knife and inflicted severe injury on the head and stabbed him in the left hand. “Following the assault, he fled the station by scaling the fence before he was given a hot chase and arrested.” The statement further said the DPO was receiving medical treatment for the injuries sustained, adding that details of the incident would be provided as the investigation progresses.

  A High Court in Ado Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital on Thursday sentenced a 28-year-old Ayodeji Alomoge to death by hanging for killing his wife’s lover. The millionaire reveals the fastest way in the world to make money LEARN MORE The convict was arraigned before Justice Jubril Aladejana in April 2023 on one count charge of murder. Delivering judgement, Justice Aladejana said: “To me, rivalry between men over the affection of a woman should not be grounds to justify provocation. “I consequently find the defendant guilty of the murder charge against him and therefore convicted as charged. “The judgement of this court upon you is that you, Ayodeji Alomoge shall be hanged by the neck until you die.” According to the charge, Alomoge, on June 21, 2022 at Ikere-Ekiti within the jurisdiction of the court, murdered Ayomide Ogunleye for having an affair with his wife. The police said the offence is contrary to the provisions of Section 234 of the Criminal Law of Ekiti State, 2021. In his statement to the police, the father of the deceased, Ige, said, “My wife called me on the phone around 12:30 a.m. crying profusely. “She told me that my son was attacked and beaten by Alomoge and his gang, I rushed down to the place, I met my son in a pool of blood. “I saw Alomoge and asked him the reason for his action, he said, Ayomide has been having an affair with his wife and he told me that he warned my son to stop or else he will kill him. “I took him to a nearby hospital and later to the University Teaching Hospital, Ilorin, Kwara where he later died.” To prove his case, the prosecutor, Kunle-Shina Adeyemo, called five witnesses and tendered the defendant’s statements, pictures of the deceased and medical report of the cause of death as exhibits. The defendant spoke in his own defence through his lawyer, Adeyinka Opaleke, who pleaded to the court to temper justice with mercy, he called no witness.

  In a devastating assault on Madaka community within the Rafi local government area of Niger State, suspected bandits have wrought havoc, claiming the lives of no fewer than 21 individuals, among them, the village head. The incident unfolded with terrifying swiftness around 3pm on Thursday, amidst the bustling activity of the community market, resulting in a grim tally of casualties. Reports from the scene suggest that it was utter chaos, with approximately 50 residences engulfed in flames, along with several commercial establishments, and a number of automobiles and motorcycles reduced to charred remnants. The assailants, armed and unrelenting, are said to have descended upon the village with merciless gunfire, indiscriminately snuffing out lives and reducing the once-vibrant market to ash. Furthermore, they callously abducted an unknown number of villagers, spiriting them away to an undisclosed location. Alhaji Isah Bawale, a respected district head, verified the harrowing events in a somber telephone interview from Minna, the state capital. This tragedy marks a chilling recurrence, as the community had previously weathered a similar assault years ago, resulting in the untimely demise of a former district head. Alarmingly, Madaka has languished without adequate security presence since that fateful day, leaving its inhabitants vulnerable to the whims of marauding bandits, who have since operated with impunity. Efforts to seek clarification and assurance from the Niger State Command of Police, through the Public Relations Officer SP Wasiu Abiodun, were met with promises of verification and a follow-up, though no response had been forthcoming at the time of this report. The Niger State Government is yet to make a comment regarding the incident, prompting mounting concerns regarding measures being taken to safeguard vulnerable communities like Madaka against such brazen acts of violence. Resolute Action Needed Meanwhile, the Northern Senators Forum has decried the recent wave of kidnappings and other violent activities in the region, calling on the Federal government to come up with urgent and resolute action to end the menace. In a statement released by its Chairman, Senator Abdulaziz Yar’adua, in Abuja on Thursday, the group vowed that it would not “rest until the security situation is significantly improved and the perpetrators of these heinous acts are brought to justice.” Yar’adua, who recently replaced Senator Abdul Ningi who resigned as the Chairman of the Forum following his three-month suspension by the Senate, said the recent wave of violence and kidnappings in the North is a major concern to the Northern Senators Forum.   He said that the Forum is committed to pursuing a lasting solution to this menace and will spare no effort in ensuring it is brought to a halt. “The series of events that have unfolded in Kaduna State, beginning with the kidnapping of 286 students and staff from a school on March 7th, the despicable attack on worshippers in a mosque on March 8th, the abduction of 61 more persons on March 12th, followed by 14 individuals on March 17th, and a staggering total of 87 individuals in Kujuru on March 18th, amongst others, are not only reprehensible but demand urgent and resolute action,” the statement read in part.

  Friday 22 March 2024 Naira appreciates to N1,382/dollar, Presidency cautions speculators Smoke out illegal miners, FG tells 2,200 new mining marshals Delta bloodbath: State warns monarchs against shielding suspects States owe FG N1.7tn budget loans Solders’ Killing: Troops Won’t Leave Creeks Until Culprits Are Caught – Army Ningi’s Suspension Raises Serious Concerns About Nigeria’s Democracy – Arewa Group Passengers Abducted As Bandits Intercept Katsina Transport Authority Vehicle Security Agencies Have No Right To Declare Anyone Terror Financier — Gumi FBN Holdings Appoints Five New Directors As Otedola Takes Over Dump Your Dollars, Naira Will Appreciate Soon, Presidency Tells Forex Speculators Why Vessels Caught In Oil Theft Are Destroyed – Tantita Security Director NLC Owns Labour Party – Ayuba Wabba Killings: Okuama women, children trapped in forests for 6 days FX backlog: Show evidence of payment, foreign airlines tell FG Police arrest 2 undergraduates for faking their kidnap Troops kill terrorist who disguised as police officer in Sokoto Drug trafficking: Court jails Lagos socialite’s convicted friend 15 years Edo guber: 8 parties yet to nominate candidates, with 3 days to go — INEC This Is A Delicate Period To Govern Nigeria – Shettima ‘I Don’t Care’, El-Rufai Damns Consequences Of Meeting SDP Officials Tinubu endorses sustainability reporting initiative for investment promotion Bill to increase UBEC funding to 4% passes second reading APC directs members to withdraw court cases in 7 days Benin-Lokoja Road: BUA gets tax credit contract on 60-km stretch 21 minutes ago FAAC disburses N1.15tr to Fed Govt, states, councils ACF hails Tinubu for reopening Nigeria’s borders with Niger Lassa fever: NCDC registers 20 deaths across 16 states Visit a newspaper stand this morning, buy and read a copy for yourself…