Friday, December 30, 2016
Video - Government cuts 50,000 non-existent public workers from payroll
Nigeria has removed 50,000 ghost workers from its public payroll over the past 11 months. Essentially, people who don't exist have been receiving salaries. Authorities say it's part of a scheme that ripped off the public to the tune of 600 million dollars this year alone. Kelechi Emekalam reports from Abuja.
Toronto sisters post apology video for causing Nigeria sex scandal
In a bizarre video posted to YouTube on Thursday, the two Toronto sisters detained in a sex scandal in Nigeria appear to have issued an apology.
“We apologize to Femi Otedola and his family, especially his wife and children, and all the other petitioners,” a woman who appears to be Jyoti Matharoo says in the 45-second video, while another woman — apparently her sister Kiran Matharoo — stands beside her.
The sisters were charged last week after being accused of cyberbullying and attempting to blackmail numerous moneyed Nigerian men with photos of sex acts, according to reports in Nigerian media.
Police in Nigeria have alleged the sisters targeted Otedola, who is a billionaire oil tycoon.
The accusations against the sisters made headlines in Nigeria and in Canada. Photos of their Kardashian-like Instagram accounts show a lavish jet-setting lifestyle, complete with cocktails, expensive handbags, and the latest fashions.
In Thursday’s video, posted by an account called Linda Ikeji TV, the Matharoo sisters appear standing, Jyoti in a black dress and Kiran in a black jumpsuit.
Jyoti speaks to the camera while reading off a phone, while the other woman looks on.
“We created a platform called Naijagistlive.com and .co where people can send in stories,” Jyoti says. “Most stories were sent by close friends or associates of people being written about. The intention was not to hurt anyone or to be malicious. The intention was not to extort anyone. We haven’t received any money from this website.”
She goes on to say “the money” went to someone else.
“We are again very sorry and we assure all the petitioners that we will not have any affiliation whatsoever with this website or any other website that has to do with this,” Jyoti continues.
“We promise not to say anything of the contrary to what we are saying now. We freely volunteer to make this video, and not under duress, because we are aware of the damages done to people.”
NAFDAC says rice contaminated, not plastic.
Lab tests on a consignment of rice seized by Nigerian customs officials show that the product is "contaminated" but not plastic, the National Agency For Food and Drugs (Nafdac) says.
The rice contained bacteria "above permissible limits", a senior Nafdac official said.
Customs officials' claims that the rice seized in Lagos last week was "plastic" sparked confusion and official denials.
The health minister intervened, saying there was "no evidence" for the claims.
Tests on samples of the rice showed that it was "unwholesome for human consumption", exceeding the maximum limit for bacteria including "Coli form", Nafdac said in a statement.
The Nigerian customs service, speaking at the same press conference, said that it had acted on "credible intelligence" that "large consignments of plasticized rice were.... to be shipped from the Far East to Africa".
Regardless of the outcome of the lab tests, intelligence still indicated that "several metric tonnes of expired and dangerous rice are still lying in wait at warehouses in neighbouring countries", with the Nigerian market the ultimate destination, customs chief Ibrahim Ali told media.
Rice is Nigeria's staple food and it is a tradition for people to give bags of rice as a gift during the Christmas period.
The rice contained bacteria "above permissible limits", a senior Nafdac official said.
Customs officials' claims that the rice seized in Lagos last week was "plastic" sparked confusion and official denials.
The health minister intervened, saying there was "no evidence" for the claims.
Tests on samples of the rice showed that it was "unwholesome for human consumption", exceeding the maximum limit for bacteria including "Coli form", Nafdac said in a statement.
The Nigerian customs service, speaking at the same press conference, said that it had acted on "credible intelligence" that "large consignments of plasticized rice were.... to be shipped from the Far East to Africa".
Regardless of the outcome of the lab tests, intelligence still indicated that "several metric tonnes of expired and dangerous rice are still lying in wait at warehouses in neighbouring countries", with the Nigerian market the ultimate destination, customs chief Ibrahim Ali told media.
Rice is Nigeria's staple food and it is a tradition for people to give bags of rice as a gift during the Christmas period.
Thursday, December 29, 2016
Video - Nigerian army freed hundreds from Boko Haram
Hundreds of Boko Haram prisoners have been freed during an army offensive in northern Nigeria.
President Muhammadu Buhari says Boko Haram has been defeated in its war for an Islamic state.
Fighters have fled their last remaining stronghold in Sambisa Forest.
Al Jazeera is the only media organisation that has entered the forest since its recapture by the army.
Video - Niger Delta militants express readiness to dialogue with government
Niger delta militants are have been attacking oil pipelines in Nigeria have formally agreed to hold talks with the government. President Muhammadu Buhari's earlier this year appealed to the militants to come to enter into negotiations the government. The militants now say the decision to embrace dialogue was reached after a meeting held under the auspices of the Coalition of Niger Delta Group.
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