Remembering MKO and June 12 - By Reuben Abati

This day, June 12 will always be remembered by those who have defied the culture of silence and conspiracy against a significant moment in Nigerian history, to remind us of how today, 23 years ago, the battle against the exit of the military from power was fought at the ballot by a determined Nigerian people. It is indeed sad that apart from the Southwest states of Oyo, Ogun, Lagos and Osun, which have doggedly continued to celebrate the hero, and later martyr of that battle, Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale (MKO) Abiola, there has been studied indifference to the June 12 phenomenon by the Federal Government and remarkably, the rest of Nigeria.


This is sadder still because MKO Abiola was not an ethnic champion: he was a man of pan-Nigerian vision and ambition, who went into politics to give the people hope, to unite them and lead them out of poverty. His campaign manifesto was instructively titled “Hope 93 — Farewell to Poverty: How to

20 dead, 42 injured in Orlando bar attack

An estimated 20 people were killed at a gay nightclub after a heavily armed gunman seized hostages early Sunday, prompting a police SWAT team to storm the venue, officials said.

“Unfortunately there are people who died from gunshot wounds, maybe around 20, inside the night club,” FBI special agent Ron Harper told a media briefing.

Mourners visit Muhammad Ali’s graveside (PHOTOS)

Muhammad Ali’s burial place, the historic Cave Hill Cemetery on the outskirts of Louisville, Kentucky, was opened to the public on Saturday as visitors came from near and far to visit Ali's grave. Visitors were allowed to kneel, pray beside the grave and kiss it.  Ali joins other household names buried in the historic Cemetery, including KFC founder Colonel Harlan Sanders, and Patty Hill, the primary school teacher who co-wrote with her sister Mildred the tune to ‘Happy Birthday’. Continue to see more photos below....

Oshiomhole Mourns as Amodu is buried amid tears

Okpella community in Etsako East Local Government Area of Edo State was thrown into mourning, yesterday evening, when the remains of the former Super Eagles and one of the most successful indigenous coaches, Amodu Shuaibu was laid to rest amid tears and wailing.

The body of late Amodu had earlier arrived Okpella from Stella Obasanjo Hospital in Benin, at about12: 30p.m. and was brought out of the inner chambers of his house for internment at about 5:07 pm.Family members and neighbours could not hold their emotions as they cried and wailed uncontrollably.

Amodu’s mother who had earlier been taken to the palace of Okuokpellagbe of Okpella, Alhaji AYE Dirisu was brought to Amodu’s compound, where she also lives after being briefed of her son’s

Minister of state for Petroleum's younger brother Dumebi Kachikwu wanted by EFCC

According to a tweet from  SaharaReporters,The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is allegedly in search of Dumebi Kachikwu, the younger brother of Minister of State for Petroleum. All his bank accounts have been frozen. More details later...

Pele auctions World Cup Medals for £3.6m

Brazil legend footballer, Pele has earned £3.6m from a three-day auction of his World Cup medals. More than 2,000 items were sold in total, with the Fifa Player of the Century selling his entire collection of awards and even his old passports.

The 75-year-old's World Cup winner's medal from 1970 fetched £346,000 on the final day of the sale, while his 1,000th game crown went for £162,000.

Some of the proceeds will go to a children's hospital in Brazil.

South African woman fined $10K for making hate comments on Facebook

 A court in South African Friday ordered a woman to pay 150,000 rand ($9,941) to charity after she was found guilty of hate speech for referring to blacks as "monkeys", News24 reported.

The ruling African National Congress (ANC) brought charges against former estate agent Penny Sparrow after she caused public outrage by saying on her Facebook page that blacks made beaches

Pictures from Muhammad Ali’s burial

Thousands of people gathered on Friday to pay their final respects to Muhammad Ali, as a jovial funeral procession, highlighted by fans who chanted and threw flowers, gave way to a more somber memorial service in Louisville, Kentucky.

Ali's memorial service at the KFC Yum! Center started at 3 p.m., an hour after it was originally

Former Super Eagles' Coach, Amodu Shuaibu is Dead

Former Super Eagles’ coach, Amodu Shuaibu is dead. The sportsman died barely four days after former coach, Stephen Keshi’s demise.

"Amodu Shuaibu's death comes three days after that of former Super Eagles Captain and Coach, Stephen Keshi," NFF announces.

"The four - time Coach of the Super Eagles complained of chest pains on Friday night and died in his

Niger Delta Avengers blow up another Agip pipeline

In continuation of its onslaught against oil facilities of multinationals operating in the Niger Delta, the Niger Delta Avengers has blown up a major crude trunk line belonging to Agip in Bayelsa State.

“3:am of Friday @NDAvengers blow up the Obi Obi Brass Trunk line belonging to Agip ENI. It is Agip’s Major Crude oil Line in Bayelsa State,” the militant group said on its Twitter handle.

There was no immediate confirmation of the attack from Eni

On Thursday, militants also bombed a pipeline operated by the state-run oil firm the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) at Ogidigben in Delta state.

Today in History: former Nigerian Head of State Gen. Sani Abacha died after brief illness

On June 8, 1998, General Sani Abacha, the then Head of State took ill and died.

Boxing Legend Muhammad Ali’s passports to be auctioned $25k & $35k

Muhammad Ali passports are up for auction, and both chronicle the world travels of "The Greatest." One of them is loaded with visas from places like Venezuela, Lebanon, Portugal and a ton more stops in 1971. 

Ali fought 4 times that year, but only once outside the U.S. so check out the gallery to see where the champ spent all his downtime, TMZ reports.

Bomb hoax forces EgyptAir plane to land in Uzbekistan

An EgyptAir flight from Cairo to Beijing made an emergency landing in Uzbekistan on Wednesday after a bomb threat that turned out to be a hoax, the airline said.

Uzbek authorities checked the Airbus A330 and found no explosives on board, EgyptAir chairman Safwat Musallam told AFP.

“The authorities there cleared the plane for departure after they searched the plane and found no threats,” he said.

Musallam said an anonymous call was received warning there was a bomb on board after flight MS955 had left Cairo, and it landed at the nearest airport.

Breaking !!! Former Super Eagles' Coach, Stephen Keshi dies @ 54

Former Super Eagles' head coach, Stephen Keshi has died. He was 54. According to reports, Keshi was to traveled to United States on Wednesday evening, but had a cardiac arrest and died during early hours of Wednesday in Benin City, Edo State.

A friend said Keshi, who lost his wife last year after long battle with cancer was not sick at all. He however said Mr. Keshi might not have gotten over the death of his wife.