Melania jets off for her first overseas trip alone

Melania Trump has departed for a week-long tour of Africa, her first major international trip without the president by her side.

The first lady smiled and waved at photographers as she prepared to board a military jet at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland just as the sun began to set on Monday evening.

Melania is scheduled to arrive in Accra, Ghana, on Tuesday and will continue her tour with stops in Malawi, Kenya, and Egypt.

Flood: Dickson Orders Closure Of All Schools in Bayelsa State

Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson, has ordered the immediate closure of all schools in the state to avoid loss of lives due to the current flooding in the state.

The governor also set up a special committee to facilitate prompt and effective response to the flood emergency in the state.

A large number of communities in almost all the local government areas had been seriously affected by the flooding, especially in Ekeremor, Sagbama, Ogbia, Southern Ijaw LGAs.

Cleric, 16 Pregnant Women Arrested At Baby Factory

A cleric and 16 pregnant women have been arrested by operatives of the Rivers State Police Command.

The suspects were arrested after operatives of the Command raided a suspected baby factory in Port Harcourt belonging to the cleric identified as Glory Raphael.

Apart from the 16 pregnant girls, three other persons helping the cleric to run the baby factory were also apprehended.

The State Commissioner of Police, Zaki Ahmed, told newsmen on Saturday that Raphael was engaged in child trafficking in the guise of operating a legal business.


Ahmed, who had earlier paraded 39 suspected armed robbers, kidnappers and cultists in Port Harcourt, said that the police were able to get hold of the hoodlums through the efforts of the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad, State Criminal Intelligence, and Investigation Department.

“Men of the Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Department in a sting operation on Friday stormed the premises of one Gloria Raphael, who is the General Overseer of Mount Sinai Ministry at Rukpokwu. She is into the business of child trafficking.

“Sixteen pregnant women awaiting delivery and onward sale of the children to the waiting buyers were arrested. One of them by name Chinyere Nweke had labor yesterday (Friday) and was rushed to the police clinic where she gave birth to a baby girl,” Ahmed said.

Southern City News observed that those arrested were below 18 years, but were pregnant.

When asked why she was arrested, Gloria Raphael stated, “There was a day my sister, Esther Joseph, called me to come and help her; that somebody was sick.