Britain is appealing for information about a 72-year-old citizen abducted from a construction site in central Nigeria one year ago.
A statement from the British High Commission has David Priestly's Nigerian wife appealing that he is "a good husband and loving father" well respected in the Nigerian community for his good works during the 30 years he has lived in the West African nation.
The statement says Priestly's two children miss him terribly and are desperate for any information about their father.
It says nothing about a ransom. Kidnappings for ransom are common in Nigeria. Hostages are often released unharmed once money changes hands.
Priestly was kidnapped by armed men on Jan. 21, 2015, from Kwali, 60 kilometers (38 miles) southwest of Abuja, the capital in central Nigeria.
ABC
Tuesday, March 1, 2016
Ex-Interior Minister of Nigeria charged over fatal stampede
Nigeria's ex-interior minister has been charged with fraud over a botched recruitment drive, which resulted in stampedes that left 20 people dead.
Abba Moro led a scheme which encouraged young graduates to apply for jobs in the immigration ministry in March 2014.
Stadiums, which were being used as test centres, were overwhelmed by huge crowds of people turning up to apply.
Mr Moro has pleaded not guilty to his role in an alleged $2.5m (£1.8m) fraud, involving missing application fees.
There is a high level of unemployment in Nigeria, especially among young people.
Court papers filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) allege that more than 675,000 people were defrauded by the scheme, which required them to pay a $6 (£3.50) application fee to take the initial recruitment test.
The case has been adjourned until 2 March.
On 15 March 2014 deadly stampedes occurred at stadiums in the Nigerian cities of Abuja, Benin and Port Harcourt, as well as a school in Mina city, as people scrambled to apply for the new jobs.
Many Nigerians online have been commenting on the irony that a former minister in charge of the country's prisons is facing a lengthy stint behind bars if he is found guilty.
At the time, Nigeria's interior minister rejected calls for him to step down and initially refused to accept any responsibility for the disaster.
He blamed the officials in charge of the stadium for the deaths, as well as the job seekers themselves.
BBC
Related story: Video -16 feared dead in stampede at recruitment drive in Abuja
Abba Moro led a scheme which encouraged young graduates to apply for jobs in the immigration ministry in March 2014.
Stadiums, which were being used as test centres, were overwhelmed by huge crowds of people turning up to apply.
Mr Moro has pleaded not guilty to his role in an alleged $2.5m (£1.8m) fraud, involving missing application fees.
There is a high level of unemployment in Nigeria, especially among young people.
Court papers filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) allege that more than 675,000 people were defrauded by the scheme, which required them to pay a $6 (£3.50) application fee to take the initial recruitment test.
The case has been adjourned until 2 March.
On 15 March 2014 deadly stampedes occurred at stadiums in the Nigerian cities of Abuja, Benin and Port Harcourt, as well as a school in Mina city, as people scrambled to apply for the new jobs.
Many Nigerians online have been commenting on the irony that a former minister in charge of the country's prisons is facing a lengthy stint behind bars if he is found guilty.
At the time, Nigeria's interior minister rejected calls for him to step down and initially refused to accept any responsibility for the disaster.
He blamed the officials in charge of the stadium for the deaths, as well as the job seekers themselves.
BBC
Related story: Video -16 feared dead in stampede at recruitment drive in Abuja
Monday, February 29, 2016
Nigeria cuts N2.29bn from government payroll after 2,400 ghost-employees found
Nigeria has removed more than 20,000 non-existent workers from the government payroll following an audit, leading to savings of 2.29bn naira (£8.3m) from its monthly wage bill, the finance ministry has said.
Corruption and mismanagement have long stunted development in Africa’s biggest economy and top oil producer, and are now exacerbating the impact of a sharp fall in global crude prices.
The audit used biometric data and a bank verification number (BVN) to identify holders of bank accounts into which salaries were being paid.
This showed the names of some civil servants receiving a salary did not correspond to the names linked to the bank accounts. In some cases individuals were also receiving salaries from multiple sources.
“The federal government has removed 23,846 non-existent workers from its payroll,” said Festus Akanbi, special adviser to finance minister Kemi Adeosun who took office in November and soon after set up an efficiency unit to cut waste.
“Consequently the salary bill for February 2016 has reduced by 2.293bn naira when compared to December 2015 when the BVN audit process commenced,” said Akanbi, adding that those removed had been paid by ministries, departments and agencies.
The ministry said it would now undertake “periodic checks and utilise computer-assisted audit techniques” and also introduce tougher monitoring of new entrants to the civil service to avert further abuse of the system.
The administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, who took office last year vowing a crackdown on graft, said it wanted to cut the costs of running the government rather than slash jobs to help tackle Nigeria’s worst economic crisis in years.
“The ongoing exercise, which is part of the cost-saving and anti-corruption agenda of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, is key to funding the deficit in the 2016 budget,” said Akanbi.
The ministry, which said personnel costs represent more than 40% of total government expenditure, said it had so far checked the details of about 312,000 civil servants.
Akanbi said the ministry was working with the financial crimes agency and the National Pension Commission to identify irregularities and recover salaries and pension contributions related to the deleted workers.
Guardian
Corruption and mismanagement have long stunted development in Africa’s biggest economy and top oil producer, and are now exacerbating the impact of a sharp fall in global crude prices.
The audit used biometric data and a bank verification number (BVN) to identify holders of bank accounts into which salaries were being paid.
This showed the names of some civil servants receiving a salary did not correspond to the names linked to the bank accounts. In some cases individuals were also receiving salaries from multiple sources.
“The federal government has removed 23,846 non-existent workers from its payroll,” said Festus Akanbi, special adviser to finance minister Kemi Adeosun who took office in November and soon after set up an efficiency unit to cut waste.
“Consequently the salary bill for February 2016 has reduced by 2.293bn naira when compared to December 2015 when the BVN audit process commenced,” said Akanbi, adding that those removed had been paid by ministries, departments and agencies.
The ministry said it would now undertake “periodic checks and utilise computer-assisted audit techniques” and also introduce tougher monitoring of new entrants to the civil service to avert further abuse of the system.
The administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, who took office last year vowing a crackdown on graft, said it wanted to cut the costs of running the government rather than slash jobs to help tackle Nigeria’s worst economic crisis in years.
“The ongoing exercise, which is part of the cost-saving and anti-corruption agenda of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, is key to funding the deficit in the 2016 budget,” said Akanbi.
The ministry, which said personnel costs represent more than 40% of total government expenditure, said it had so far checked the details of about 312,000 civil servants.
Akanbi said the ministry was working with the financial crimes agency and the National Pension Commission to identify irregularities and recover salaries and pension contributions related to the deleted workers.
Guardian
President Muhammadu Buhari orders probe after hundreds killed in Massacre
Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari has ordered an investigation into communal clashes, which have left hundreds dead in central Benue state.
Mr Buhari expressed "deep shock" at the past week's violence between herdsmen from the Fulani ethnic group and local farmers, an official statement said.
Several thousand people have been displaced, according to local media.
Benue has a history of violent attacks and reprisals between semi-nomadic herdsmen and farmers.
The clashes are often linked to cattle raiding.
Mr Buhari called for unity among Nigerians, saying: "There should not be any reason why Nigerians of any group or tongue cannot now reside with one another."
Different groups of Fulani militants killed a total of more than 1,200 people in 2014, meaning that if taken together they would be the world's fourth deadliest militant group, according to the most recent Global Terrorism Index.
The scope of their attacks is now enough to "pose a serious threat to stability", the report said.
The communal violence in central Nigeria is not connected to the six-year insurgency by Islamist militant group Boko Haram in the country's north-east.
Boko Haram was the world's most deadly militant group, according to the report.
BBC
Mr Buhari expressed "deep shock" at the past week's violence between herdsmen from the Fulani ethnic group and local farmers, an official statement said.
Several thousand people have been displaced, according to local media.
Benue has a history of violent attacks and reprisals between semi-nomadic herdsmen and farmers.
The clashes are often linked to cattle raiding.
Mr Buhari called for unity among Nigerians, saying: "There should not be any reason why Nigerians of any group or tongue cannot now reside with one another."
Different groups of Fulani militants killed a total of more than 1,200 people in 2014, meaning that if taken together they would be the world's fourth deadliest militant group, according to the most recent Global Terrorism Index.
The scope of their attacks is now enough to "pose a serious threat to stability", the report said.
The communal violence in central Nigeria is not connected to the six-year insurgency by Islamist militant group Boko Haram in the country's north-east.
Boko Haram was the world's most deadly militant group, according to the report.
BBC
Friday, February 26, 2016
President Muhammadu Buhari rewards Nigeria national football team after 30-year wait
The Nigeria squad that won the first Fifa Under-16 World championship have been rewarded after a 30-year wait.
New Nigeria president Muhammadu Buhari has made good on a promise to reward the players after the 1985 tournament when he was the military head of state.
Nduka Ugbade, captain of the team who beat West Germany 2-0 in the final in Beijing, told BBC Sport: "I have finally received my money.
"I am extremely delighted that our president has fulfilled his promise."
Buhari had promised the players a house, stock in the central bank and a scholarship and other incentives after their success but soon after he was ousted by another military regime and the country's government never fulfilled his pledges.
Following Buhari's election as president last year he announced in January a 2m naira ($10,000; £7,000) reward for each of the players and 1.5m for the officials.
"He's truly a man of his word and on behalf of myself and the team I say a big 'thank you' to our president," added Ugbade.
"I would also like to thank the sports ministry, Alhassan Yakmut of the sports commission, the Nigerian Football Federation, both local and international media, and everyone involved in this great story."
'Minute's silence'
Another of the winning squad Jonathan Akpoborie, who went on to represent the country at senior level, told BBC Sport: "I have spoken to some of my colleagues and they are happy that the president has delivered on his promise.
"This gesture - and not the amount involved - will change the perception of unfulfilled promises in our country."
However, the rewards came too late for Kingsley Aikhionbare, who died in London in 1996. At the presentation to the players a minute's silence was held in his honour.
The Under-16 World Championship was contested three times before it was changed to the Under-17 world Championship in 1991.
Nigeria won the Fifa under-17 World Cup in 1993, 2007, 2013 and 2015.
BBC
New Nigeria president Muhammadu Buhari has made good on a promise to reward the players after the 1985 tournament when he was the military head of state.
Nduka Ugbade, captain of the team who beat West Germany 2-0 in the final in Beijing, told BBC Sport: "I have finally received my money.
"I am extremely delighted that our president has fulfilled his promise."
Buhari had promised the players a house, stock in the central bank and a scholarship and other incentives after their success but soon after he was ousted by another military regime and the country's government never fulfilled his pledges.
Following Buhari's election as president last year he announced in January a 2m naira ($10,000; £7,000) reward for each of the players and 1.5m for the officials.
"He's truly a man of his word and on behalf of myself and the team I say a big 'thank you' to our president," added Ugbade.
"I would also like to thank the sports ministry, Alhassan Yakmut of the sports commission, the Nigerian Football Federation, both local and international media, and everyone involved in this great story."
'Minute's silence'
Another of the winning squad Jonathan Akpoborie, who went on to represent the country at senior level, told BBC Sport: "I have spoken to some of my colleagues and they are happy that the president has delivered on his promise.
"This gesture - and not the amount involved - will change the perception of unfulfilled promises in our country."
However, the rewards came too late for Kingsley Aikhionbare, who died in London in 1996. At the presentation to the players a minute's silence was held in his honour.
The Under-16 World Championship was contested three times before it was changed to the Under-17 world Championship in 1991.
Nigeria won the Fifa under-17 World Cup in 1993, 2007, 2013 and 2015.
BBC
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