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Lagos, Nigeria-Images of a Nigerian government official cutting hair extensions off two female employees have sparked strong reactions online. Andrew Kumapayi, the sector commander for the Nigerian Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) in Rivers State, Nigeria, was reportedly performing a routine inspection of officers' hair and nails on Monday. Two women reportedly were judged to have non-compliant hairstyles. Images of Kumapayi cutting off the extensions with a pair of scissors were posted on the FRSC Rivers State Facebook Page. These have now been deleted, but not before people online got hold of them -- and shared them on several social media sites, including Twitter. Some say the punishment will send a message to other employees.

The Edo State Governorship Election Petitions tribunal has overruled the petition filed by the Peoples Democratic Party and its candidate, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, challenging the declaration of Godwin Obaseki of the All Progressives Congress as winner of the September 28 poll by the Independent National Electoral Commission. In a two-hour ruling read by the Chairman of the three-man panel, Justice Ahmed Badamasi, it upheld the election of Obaseki as Governor of the state.

- Attacks Jonathan, Rivers gov over failed PDP peace parley - In defiance sets ball rolling for convention - National chairman is an APC mole, gov insists Ernest Chinwo in Port Harcourt, Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja and Bassey Inyang in Calabar The Senator Ali Modu Sheriff-led faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has accused the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, and his Ekiti State counterpart, Ayodele Fayose, of recruiting former President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, into a ‘fake” peace effort predetermined to scuttle Governor Seriake Dickson’s peace committee plan. The faction also accused Wike of funding the botched peace meeting with N50 million while at the same time bankrolling the appeal being pursued by the National Caretaker Committee at the Supreme Court at the cost $6 million. Addressing journalists on Thursday in Abuja on the latest position of the Sheriff-led National Working Committee (NWC) on the crisis, his deputy, Cairo Oj...

- Gives FG 7-day ultimatum to return money allegedly diverted by ex-governor - Amaechi: Wike is a child, he talks without evidence Governor, Nyesom Wike yesterday said that the $43 million found in a luxury apartment in Ikoyi, Lagos belongs to the Rivers State Government and gave the federal government a 7-day ultimatum to return it, “failing which Rivers State Government will take legal measures to ensure that it gets back her stolen resources.” Addressing journalists at the Government House, Port Harcourt last night, he said that investigations by his administration revealed that the money was proceed from the sale of gas turbines by the immediate past governor of the state, Rotimi Amaechi. But Amaechi told THISDAY last night that Wike’s allegations were frivolous and lacked any evidence. Wike said: “The money in question belongs to the former Rivers State Governor, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi. We want to confirm that the house in Ikoyi also belongs to Chibuike Rotim...

Nigeria's Muhammadu Buhari must stand for re-election in 2019 in the best interest of the country, one of his allies and governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai has said. Sworn in as the country's leader less than two years ago after ousting the incumbent Goodluck Jonathan at the polls, Buhari was heralded into the office like a messiah of a sort. His campaign promises included stamping out corruption through and ushering in a new democratic era free from bitter partisanship. A biting economic recession accompanied by rising cost of living and a not-so-successful war on graft have, however, watered down his popularity among the people who now see his change agenda as only a tired campaign slogan. Those problems and his ill-health and notwithstanding, El-Rufai said Buhari has done well enough to be given a second term. "My prayer is that the president gets well...gets back to full health and run again because I still believe his being president...the stability th...

ISIS claimed responsibility for deadly bombings at two churches in Egypt on Palm Sunday.

Nigeria's secret service says it foiled a planned attack by Boko Haram militants on the US and UK embassies in the country's capital, Abuja. Six ISIS-linked Boko Haram members were arrested for the planned attack last month, the Department of State Services (DSS) said "The group had perfected plans to attack the UK and American Embassies and other western interests in Abuja," DSS official Tony Opuiyo said in a statement. The men were arrested March 25 and 26 in Abuja and central Benue state, Opuiyo added. Another man was previously arrested, on March 22, in north-eastern Yobe state, the DSS said. That man confessed to being part of the group, officials said. In 2011, Boko Haram killed at least 21 people in a car bomb explosion at the UN headquarters in Abuja. A UK Foreign office spokeswoman said the UK is "grateful for the support we receive from the Nigerian security authorities in protecting UK diplomatic staff and premises in Nigeria." "We...

Uefa has charged Lyon and Besiktas for multiple offences during Thursday's Europa League quarter-final first leg. The fixture at Parc Olympique Lyonnais kicked off 45 minutes late after clashes between fans before kick-off. Lyon face four charges for the setting-off of fireworks, blocking stairways, insufficient organisation and a pitch invasion after a late winning goal. The Turkish club have been charged for setting off fireworks, the throwing of objects and crowd disturbances. European football's governing body has not yet set a date for a hearing, at which its ethics and disciplinary body will determine any punishments. Lyon's charge for insufficient organisation relates to poor crowd segregation, while the pitch invasion charge brought against the club is not for fans entering the pitch before kick-off, which Uefa says happened because Besiktas fans threw fireworks. Violent clashes between fans at one end of the stadium followed the throwing of fireworks...

North Korea put its military might on display during a parade in the heart of Pyongyang while the regime showed off some of its latest arsenal. Pictures on state television showed thousands of soldiers marching in formation alongside tanks, balloons and enormous crowds. Leader Kim Jong Un was shown clapping and smiling from a reviewing box. At one point, the soldiers directed a chant toward him. "We saw a submarine launch ballistic missiles, we saw missiles that are capable of being launched from a mobile launcher and just seconds before we came on the air we saw these very large what are believed to be intercontinental ballistic missiles," as jets tracked colors of the North Korean flag in the sky during the parade. In a live broadcast, a newsreader from North Korea's state-run television service called the new military hardware the country's "modernized strategic missiles." "No nation in the world develops missiles and shows the real thing during...