PREMIUM TIMES’ Festus Owete and Idris Ibrahim travelled to Sapele, Delta State, to speak with the mother of Canadian-based Nigerian woman, Stephanie Otobo, who accused the pastor of the Omega Fire Ministry, Auchi, Johnson Suleman, popularly called Apostle Suleman, of having amorous relationship with her.
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See More:http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/227679-interview-i-begged-apostle-suleman-stephanie-otobos-mother.html

The Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, has released a new foreign exchange policy in the country with immediate effect.
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Read More:http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/224045-breaking-nigeria-central-bank-announces-new-foreign-exchange-policy.html

Mike Ogirima, a professor of Orthopaedic and Trauma Surgery, is the President of the Nigerian Medical Association, NMA, and President of Nigeria Orthopaedic Association. He spoke in an exclusive interview with Ayodamola Owoseye, Nike Adebowale and Idris Ibrahim on critical issues in Nigeria’s health sector and doctors’ perspective of the way forward.
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Read Interview: http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/223917-interview-doctors-public-hospitals-shouldnt-allowed-run-private-clinics-nma-president.html

President Muhammadu Buhari has thanked all Nigerians, “Christians and Muslims alike”, for their constant prayers and kind wishes for his health.
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Read More: http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/top-news/223675-im-grateful-nigerians-says-president-buhari.html

Residents of Zaria Road, Sabon Tasha, a poor suburb of Kaduna, have no sympathy for their neighbour from whose house the staggering sum of $9.7million and 74,000 pounds was recovered last week.
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Some of the returnees appealed to federal and state governments to provide job opportunities for Nigerian youth to prevent them from endangering their lives looking for greener pasture abroad.
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Read More: http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/223578-nigerian-returnees-libya-narrate-tales-rape-abuse-violence.html

A presidential aide, Garba Shehu, has asked Nigerians to be ready to see President Muhammadu Buhari return from his medical vacation in London to the country anytime soon.
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The man wearing T-shirt on a wrapper lowers his head and frame slightly, to enable him step out of a small opening that serves as entrance door to his thatched house. He identifies himself simply as Fingesi.

Read More: http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/221870-special-report-nigerias-oil-rich-communities-abandoned-shocking-poverty-despite-huge-wealth.html

A black Toyota Camry 2001 model car with registration number DS740ABJ has been reported stolen at the Millennium Park in Abuja on Sunday.
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See How:http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/more-news/219977-car-stolen-abuja-millennium-park.html

The governor of Ebonyi State, David Umahi, says Ebonyi people will vote overwhelmingly for President Muhamadu Buhari if he contests any election in the future.
The governor, elected on the platform of the People Democratic Party (PDP), poured encomiums on President Buhari, saying that he was the only recognisable APC member in Ebonyi State.
The president, said the governor, regards Ebonyi State with deep affection unlike APC members from the state who do not care about the welfare of the people.
Pledging the unflinching loyalty of the people of the state to the Buhari administration, Mr. Umahi said the only vote APC would get in the state would be for the president.
“I have always said that APC is one man and that’s the president. The president is a man with good character and that’s why we are supporting him and he is supporting Ebonyi State.
“Ebonyi State is very dear in the heart of the President but not in the hearts of the masquerades who have not given anybody chalk.
“If APC will get a vote in Ebonyi State, it will get vote by the President alone and nobody else”.
The governor spoke when a delegation from Ohaozara, Onicha and Ivo Federal constituency as well as leaders from Onicha-East constituency paid him a New Year homage in Ohaozara LGA.
He said that his efforts to transform the state had made it impossible for the APC to be useful.
Referring to the APC and its symbol, broom, the governor added jokingly that “our people doing handiwork have refused to produce brooms again”.
Mr. Umahi, according the statement, said: “When you have broom in Ebonyi State where will you sweep? Is there any place to be swept? Is Ebonyi not clean? Is Ebonyi not neat?
“There is nothing to sweep. They have to take it (broom) to places that are dirty and continue their sweeping. But in Ebonyi State and because of the kind of people in APC, our people doing handiwork have refused to produce brooms again. So, there are no brooms in Ebonyi State because we have made everywhere to be very clean.
“When you’re walking on our roads you will be seeing yourself because the light will be on. So you will be seeing your shadow on the road. So there is nothing to sweep,” he said.
Mr. Umahi advised the people not to be deceived by those who had opportunity to help others but rather used it to care for themselves alone.
“We have seen the need for unity in Ebonyi State. We’ve seen the need for equity and fair play in the land of Ebonyi and God is helping us so much in this direction because that’s why we have absolute peace in Ebonyi State and that’s why there is no other party.
“People have been deceiving our people for years. Every time they deceive our people and they have had opportunity to buy houses in Abuja. Whom have they sent to school? Whom have they paid their school fees? The time of deceit is gone.”
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http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/219972-pdp-governor-assures-buhari-of-states-vote-in-next-election.html

Former Vice President and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Atiku Abubakar has declared 2017 as a year of new hope for Nigeria and Nigerians.
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At least 15 Boko Haram fighters were killed in Borno on Friday as Nigerian troops of Operation Lafiya Dole and Boko Haram terrorists engaged in prolonged fierce battle in Borno State.
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The heads of two key federal agencies who are also close allies to President Muhammadu Buhari have been sparring over counter allegations of unprofessionalism and illegality, a development that backs insinuations of disjoint in the Buhari administration.
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President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed optimism that the current economic recession will ebb in 2017.

President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed optimism that the current economic recession will ebb in 2017.
Speaking on Monday in Abuja while declaring open an induction course organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Nigerian Career Ambassadors-designate who were recently cleared by the Senate, President Buhari said:
“We are optimistic that the external factors that partly contributed to push our economy into recession will ebb in 2017. Until then, I regret that the resources available to fund our missions abroad will not be as robust as we would like.
“We are working hard to turn around our national economy by effectively reforming our macroeconomic environment through measures, some of which were outlined in my budget speech to the National Assembly last week.”
The President, who said the prevailing economic circumstances have led to a restructuring of Nigerian missions abroad, reminded the Ambassadors-designate that , “as we are all making great sacrifices at home, we also expect you to similarly make judicious use of the resources put at the disposal of your missions. As Heads of missions, you will be held accountable for the utilisation of all resources under your control. These are lean times, and all of us are expected to do more with less.”
President Buhari specifically charged the Ambassadors-designate to change the narrative of Nigeria outside the country by playing up the positive values and outstanding contributions of Nigerians in the global arena.
“I want to emphasise your duty to change the narrative of Nigeria as seen by the outside world. For far too long, we have allowed Nigeria to be defined by others, always emphasizing our negatives. To the average foreigner, Nigeria evokes 419, terrorism, militancy, communal and religious clashes, insecurity, corruption and all our other faults,” he said.
The President continued: “You have the duty to correct this narrative by taking the initiative to define and portray our country for what it truly is. We are a nation of 180 million vibrant, enterprising, hardworking, hospitable and peaceful people. We are a remarkable nation that has succeeded in harnessing our multiple diversities as strengths such that we are the leading country on the continent. Therefore, you will need to mobilise, sensitise and motivate all your staff so that together you engage with your host governments, the private sector and other segments of the society to explain that Nigeria is much more than the negative image portrayed to them.”
President Buhari also enjoined them to leverage on the achievements of Nigerians within the country and in diaspora: Think of people like Nobel Laureate, Wole Soyinka, Chinedu Echeruo who founded Hotspot application which he sold to Apple for over a billion Dollars; think of Bayo Ogunlesi, who runs over a billion Dollar Infrastructure Fund and is now Adviser to US President-elect; and Jelani Aliyu, an accomplished car designer at General Motors. Indeed, these and other hardworking Nigerian professionals in the diaspora have never forgotten their roots and have been making significant contributions to their communities back home, and even to our economy through their huge remittances.”
He urged them to sustain the work ethic characterized by the love of country, professionalism, excellence, integrity and honour associated with the “Nigerian diplomatic tradition established in 1957 by the pioneers of the Nigerian Foreign Service, sometimes referred to as the “Twelve Apostles” and also “bequeath same to succeeding generations. ”
President Buhari also charged the Ambassadors-designate to stress Nigeria’s commitment to international peace and security through contributions “to nearly every UN peacekeeping initiative since 1960 when we achieved our independence. In addition, we are the stabilizers and shock absorbers of West Africa having helped to contain potentially de-stabilizing developments in the sub-region.”
He urged the Ambassadors–designate always to be mindful of the national priorities that “revolve around the economy, security, anti-corruption, good governance, agricultural transformation and infrastructural development, including rail, roads and power” and use their roles “as Principal Representatives to build meaningful partnerships to attract foreign investments, new skills and technologies.”
President Buhari stressed that “as Nigerian Ambassadors, you must set the standard of putting Nigeria first in all your actions. You must show leadership, fairness and justice to all. Discipline, probity, accountability and zero tolerance for corruption must be your watchwords. You are expected to project the best image and traditions of our country in your conduct and all you do.”

Read More: http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/top-news/218432-recession-will-end-2017-buhari.html

The State Security Service (SSS) sent two different and contradictory security reports to the Nigerian Senate on the Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), PREMIUM TIMES can authoritatively report today.
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The anguish of the parents of a four-year-old victim of ritual killing has been compounded by the death in police custody of one of his suspected murderers.
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The Nigerian Senate has rejected the nomination of Ibrahim Magu as Chairman of anti-graft agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
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Read More:https:///9q85zZ

An audio has emerged showing Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers admitting to giving money to some electoral officials and threatening to kill them if they do not act to instructions.
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MMM Founder, Sergey Mavrodi has allegedly written an open letter to the Federal Government of Nigeria explaining how the scheme works, and its benefits to investors.
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See Letter Here:http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/top-news/217720-mmm-scheme-works-enriching-3-million-nigerians-founder-mavrodi.html

The House of Representatives on Tuesday in Abuja passed a bill to set up the Ecclesiastical Court of Appeal in the country, through a second reading.
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A report published in Human Rights Watch, in October, detailed how government officials abused and raped women living at IDP camps in Borno State.
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See Details:http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/217192-nigerian-soldiers-policemen-arrested-raping-sexually-exploiting-women-displaced-boko-haram.html

Importers of vehicles through the land borders are requested to utilise the grace up till December 31, 2016 to clear their vehicle imports landed in neighbouring ports.
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See Why:http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/top-news/217120-nigeria-bans-importation-vehicles-land-borders.html

The Kaduna State Government has officially labelled the Shiite Islamic Movement of Nigeria, IMN, an insurgent group.
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Gov. Rochas Okorocha of Imo, on Monday described the Igbos as “the most truthful, committed and trust -worthy people but often misunderstood in the country.’’
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Rotimi Akeredolu, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, is set to become the governor-elect of Ondo State.
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See Full Results Here:http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/216437-breaking-ondodecides-official-akeredolu-landslide-victory-set-become-governor-elect.html

After the voting on Saturday by hundreds of thousands of residents of Ondo State, all is now set for the official announcement of results.
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See Results Here:http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/216425-ondodecides-inec-official-results-live-updates.html

Fidel Castro, the Cuban revolutionary leader who built a communist state on the doorstep of the United States is dead.
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Billionaire businessman and lawyer, Tunde Ayeni, is in detention at the headquarters of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission in Abuja in relation with the ongoing investigation of former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Bala Mohammed, for alleged fraud, PREMIUM TIMES can report.
see more:http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/top-news/216338-detaining-billionaire-businessman-tunde-ayeni-efcc.html

Speaker Yakubu Dogara on Wednesday said the invasion of the homes of senior judicial officers by the State Security Service was a disorganised and worrisome.
Read More:http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/216101-dogara-vows-amend-sss-law-condemns-raid-corrupt-judges-homes.html

Six persons were killed in an attack by suspected cattle rustlers in Kukoki community, Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State.
Read More:http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/215559-gunmen-storm-niger-kill-6-steal-700-cattle.html

A former presidential spokesperson, Reuben Abati, has been arrested.

Mr. Abati, who was spokesperson to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan was arrested on Monday and is expected to spend at least Monday night at the office of the anti-graft agency, EFCC.
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Read More:http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/213540-breaking-former-presidential-spokesman-reuben-abati-arrested.html

A typical day for 13-year-old Abdulrahman Ismail, a resident of Samaru Zaria, starts at 5 a.m. After the Muslim morning prayers, Abdulrahman sets out for his daily menial job at the gate of the main campus of Ahmadu Bello University in Zaria.
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