Gunmen on Thursday attacked a police check point along the Abakaliki -Enugu Highway, setting a patrol van belonging to the Police ablaze. The incident happened at Ishieke junction at the outskirts of Abakaliki town. Sources in the area claimed the gunmen killed one police officer and abducted another but this could not be independently verified as of the time of filing this report. Police spokesperson in Ebonyi, Joshua Ukandu confirmed the attack. He, however, denied knowledge of the killing or abduction of any police officer saying reports from the scene were still sketchy. An incident happened this morning but I am still trying to put the details together. At this point, I can’t confirm much, let me get my facts right. “I just got an information that there was an attack at that point but I don’t have any other information,” he stated. The incident came barely three weeks after four police officers and two civilians were killed in an attack on another checkpoint at hilltop junction.

  The Forum of Northern Labour Party (LP) Chairmen and Secretaries says the position of the chairman of the party should be zoned to the north. Speaking at a press briefing on Wednesday in Bauchi, Hussaini Saraki, convener of the forum, said the LP is united and has no faction. He said the leadership of the party should be zoned to the north for inclusivity and fairness. On March 27, the LP conducted a controversial national convention in Anambra state, which re-elected Julius Abure as its national chair. The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has since described the convention and its outcome as farcical. The NLC also said a transition committee has been set up to take over the affairs of the party. “Northern Nigeria is united for one Labour Party and we are not interested in any faction — whether Apapa faction or Abure faction, they are no more in existence,” Saraki said.   “What we have is a united Labour Party. In fact, we the northerners, we will not take anybody to be given the position of the chairman of the party if not somebody from the north. “We want the party leadership to be zoned to the north, so that at least there is that inclusivity. “The presidential candidate of the party is coming from the south, let the chairman of the party come from the north.”

  Junior Pope Odowondo was a bonafide superstar in Nigeria’s bustling film industry. Known for his charismatic performances, this dashing actor and charming television personality captivated audiences with his magnetic presence and versatile acting skills. Here are ten things to know about Junior Pope : Pope Obumneme Odonwodo, popularly known as Junior Pope, is a Nollywood actor, model, and philanthropist. 2. He was born on 7th May 1984 in Bamenda, Cameroun to Mr. and Mrs. Luke Odonwodo. 3. He hails from the Ukehe tribe of Enugu State in the southeastern part of Nigeria but grew up in Cameroun. 4. He completed both his primary & secondary school education in Cameroun before relocating to Nigeria. 5. After college, he attended the University of Nigeria Nsukka Enugu State and graduated with a degree in Accountancy. In 2006, he joined Nollywood and acted in many movies. 6. He played the role of guard and servant. In 2007 he rose to fame after acting in the blockbuster movie “Secret Adventures” directed by Tchidi Chikere. According to him, it was the award-winning movie director “Tchidi Chikere” that brought him to the limelight. 7. He has acted in over 100 movies, including Secret Adventures, Mad Sex, Bitter Generation, and Vengeance of Bullet. In 2010, he won the award for Nollywood’s Most Promising Actor in Nigeria at the Entertainment Factory Awards. 8. On 26th July 2014, Junior Pope married Jennifer Awele Okpuno, and the couple was blessed with three boys. 9. He was a Christian by faith 10. After a boat accident, he was declared deceased. Hours later, however, he miraculously revived, yet tragically, he ultimately succumbed. Credit: TribuneOnñine

  The Federal Government will charge N3,000 on average per toll gate when the Lagos-Calabar coastal road is completed.   Nigeria’s Minister of Works Dave Umahi confirmed the figure on Thursday when he was featured on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief. “Let me leave out the infrastructure along the corridor. Let me just concentrate on the tolls and I put 50,000 vehicles as an average passage on these toll points per day,” Umahi said on the breakfast show. “I put N3,000 as an average cost. N3,000 because the cars could be like N1,500, and the big trucks could be like N5,000,” he said. “So, we put an average”.