Author: Drum Africa Correspondent
The Federal Government on Sunday expressed sympathy to the government and people of South Korea following the tragic crash of Jeju Air Flight 2216. The crash occurred on Sunday, December 29, 2024, when the Boeing 737-800, returning from Bangkok, Thailand, attempted to land at Muan International Airport in southern South Korea. The plane skidded off the runway and collided with a wall, resulting in a fiery explosion. Out of the 181 passengers and crew on board, 179 lost their lives, leaving only two survivors. In a statement issued by the Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Abuja, Kimiebi…
Former Governor of Rivers State, Peter Odili, has commended Governor Siminalayi Fubara for navigating through political challenges in the past 12 months and more since the crisis broke out in October 2023. Odili noted that Governor Fubara’s struggles were not driven by personal interest but were aimed at safeguarding the collective good of Rivers State, emphasizing that the fight is to ensure that the state cannot be reduced to anyone’s personal property. “The battle he fought was not for himself or his family but in the interest of our dear state,” Odili stated. “It was an existential fight for the…
Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu, has officially welcomed over 3,000 new members to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Abia State. This mass defection took place in Akwete, Ndoki, Ukwa East Local Government Area, during an empowerment program organized by Hon. Chris Nkwonta, representing Ukwa East and Ukwa West Federal Constituency. Kalu addressed a lively gathering from Ukwa East and Ukwa West Local Government areas, where he revealed that even more defections to the APC are on the horizon. The event was symbolic, with APC’s iconic broom symbol prominently displayed to showcase the…
Kenyan President William Ruto has promised an end to abductions, following the latest spate of disappearances that have been condemned by rights groups, lawyers and politicians. Security forces in the East African nation have been accused of carrying out dozens of illegal detentions since youth-led anti-government demonstrations in June and July. The latest disappearances have primarily involved young men who have criticised Ruto online, with rights groups dismissing police denials of involvement and calling for action. Speaking to a crowd Friday in Homa Bay, a town in western Kenya, Ruto promised an end to the abductions but also told parents…
The Governor of Abia State, Dr. Alex Otti, OFR, is making a case for the creation of more Local Government Areas in the State for administrative convenience and better service delivery to the people. Governor Otti revealed this on Friday, December 7th at Awomukwu High School in Ikwuano LGA, during a civic reception organized by Awomukwu Think Tank Forum in honour of two of their illustrious sons, Dr. Monday Ubani, SAN, who was recently conferred with the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) in the legal profession and Chief Davidson S.C Alaribe who was earlier this year inaugurated as…
Human rights lawyer Femi Falana (SAN), has declared that the Nigeria Police should be held responsible for the stampedes that led to the loss of lives in some states in the part of the country. Speaking on Friday at a public lecture to mark the one year demise of former Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, Falana accused the Nigeria police of “sheer incompetence.” The lecture was titled: “Security Sector Reform un Promoting Peace, Stability and Development: The Ondo State example.” He noted that the stampedes that occurred during the distribution of food items and other palliatives in the country were a national…
US President-elect Donald Trump has asked the US Supreme Court to delay an upcoming TikTok ban while he works on a “political resolution”. His lawyer filed a legal brief on Friday with the court that says Trump “opposes banning TikTok” and “seeks the ability to resolve the issues at hand through political means once he takes office”. On 10 January, the court is due to hear arguments on a US law that requires TikTok’s Chinese owner, ByteDance, to sell the social media company to an American firm or face a ban come 19 January – a day before Trump takes…
The Catholic community in Anambra State was yesterday thrown into mourning following the confirmation of the killing of a priest, Chukwujekwu Okonkwo, by kidnappers. He was shot dead on Boxing Day on the Onitsha-Owerri Expressway in one of the security breaches recorded across the country during the Christmas holidays. News of the killing of Reverend Father Okonkwo was announced by the Chancellor of Nnewi Diocese, Rev Fr Tobias Ezeogu. “We announce with great sorrow the brutal murder of Reverend Father Tobias Chukwujekwu Okonkwo, a devoted priest and pharmacist, who was shot dead by unidentified assailants in Ihiala, Anambra State, on…
Actress Olivia Hussey, who shot to international prominence as a teenager for her role in the acclaimed 1968 film version of Romeo and Juliet, has died aged 73. The Argentinian-born actress, who grew up in London, died on Friday surrounded by her loved ones, a statement posted on her Instagram said. Hussey won the best new actress Golden Globe for her part as Juliet, but decades later she sued Paramount Pictures for sexual abuse as she was aged just 15 when she filmed the movie’s nude scene. Her other most notable screen role was as Mary, mother of Jesus, in…
Abia state governor, Dr. Alex Otti has signed into law Seven Hundred and Fifty Billion, Two Hundred and Eighty-Two Million, Two Hundred Thousand Naira (750, 282, 200, 000) only for the 2025 fiscal year. Assenting to the 2025 appropriation bill passed by the Abia State House of Assembly, governor Otti commended the law makers for giving the bill an accelerated hearing and passage, saying that the budget would give his goverment the impetus to continue to deliver on his promises to Abians. “This budget that has been passed is a budget that will give us the impetus to continue to…