Author: Khadijah Olowode

By Abimbola Ogunnaike Facts emerged on Friday, 5 April, 2024 that all is now set for the coronation of the Olubadan-designate, Oba Owolabi Olakulehin, as the new Olubadan of Ibadanland. The Osi Balogun of Ibadanland, Oba Lateef Adebimpe, confirmed the development on Friday while speaking with newsmen shortly after members of the Olubadan-In-Council visited the next Olubadan at his private residence at No 1, Cassia Street, Alalubosa Government Reserved Area in the Ibadan South West Local Government Area of Oyo State. Recall that Oba Olakulehin, on Friday,5 April, 2024 made his first public appearance since the death of the late…

By Abimbola Ogunnaike Famous veteran Nigerian singer, Charles Oputa, popularly known as Charly Boy, has finally has opened up on the controversy about his sexuality, saying that he is not a gay. Charly Boy, who is also addressed as Area Fada addressed the controversy in a recent interview with reality star, Uriel Oputa also added that he has a feminine side which he called Linda. Charly Boy emphasized that if he were gay he would have been championing the fight for gay rights in Nigeria. “I’ve a feminine side I called Linda. And I remember when I was doing the…

By Abimbola Ogunnaike Senate President Godswill Akpabio has replied to a letter sent to him by Counsel to Senator Abdul Ningi, Femi Falana (SAN), demanding that his suspension be lifted. Recall that Ningi was handed a three-month suspension by the Senate for granting an interview to BBC Hausa Service in which he alleged that N3.7 trillion was padded in the budget for the 2024 fiscal year without link to any project or location. But two weeks after his suspension, Ningi in a letter addressed to the Senate President Godswill Akpabio through his counsel, Falana, blamed the Senate president for his…

By Abimbola Ogunnaike No fewer than four people were said to have lost their lives when the police fired shots to disperse a procession by members of the proscribed Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN), otherwise known as Shiites, in Kaduna, on Friday, 5 April, 2024. The group were said to have embarked on the procession to mark the International Quds Day. The Shi’ites reportedly trooped out in a large number in the state metropolis when the law enforcement operatives, particularly the Nigeria Police, moved to stop them. It was gathered that the Shiites had assembled near the Katsina roundabout along…

By Abimbola Ogunnaike The Kano State Government has filed an eight-count charge against former governor, Abdullahi Ganduje, and seven others, including his wife Hafsat and son Umar, accusing them of various financial crimes. The charges include collecting $200,000 from a contractor as well as misappropriating funds earmarked for the purchase of face masks and hospital equipment. In a charge sheet filed before a Kano High Court, the New Nigeria Peoples Party(NNPP)-led state government said the offence contravened Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-Commission Commission Law 2008. Other defendants in the case were Abubakar Bawuro, Jibrilla Muhammad, Lamash Properties Limited, Safari…

By Abimbola Ogunnaike Amid geopolitical tensions, crude oil price surged further on Thursday,4 March, 2024 hitting $90.65 per barrel. Brent crude futures for June settled up $1.30, or 1.5 per cent to $90.65 a barrel, while US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) futures for May settled up $1.16, or 1.4 per cent, to $86.59 a barrel. Both contracts closed on Thursday, 4 April, 2024 at their highest levels since October last year, having received support in recent days from the heightened geopolitical tensions and potential supply risks. The increment in oil prices comes following news reports that Israeli embassies across the…

By Abimbola Ogunnaike The seven-man panel investigating the impeachment allegations against the embattled Edo State deputy governor, Philip Shaibu, is set to write a report on its activities so far. This comes amid the refusal of Shaibu to honour invitations extended to him. At the resumed sitting on Thursday,4 April,2024, the panel led by Justice S.A. Omonua (rtd), adjourned sitting to Friday,5 april, 2024 so as to give more opportunity for Shaibu to present his defence. But neither Shaibu nor his counsel appeared before the committee. At its sitting on Friday, Justice Omonua lamented the deputy governor’s absence. “This is…

By Abimbola Ogunnaike The Kogi State Governor, Usman Ododo, and his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) will, on April 15, open their defence at the state’s governorship election tribunal sitting in Abuja. The Social Democratic Party (SDP) and its candidate in the November 11, 2023 governorship election, Muritala Ajaka, are challenging the declaration of Ododo as the winner of the poll. Ododo won the election with 446,237 votes to defeat his closest rival, Ajaka, who scored 259,052 while Dino Melaye of the Peoples Democratic Party polled 46,362 votes to emerge a distant third. The three-member tribunal chaired by Justice…

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission football team, EFCC FC, on Saturday, 30 March, 2024, lifted the FCT F.A Cup after defeating Sporting Supreme FC in a very scintillating performance which ended 4-3 penalty shoot out victory. The game which took place at the Bwari Township Stadium, Abuja before a large crowd of football lovers and cheerleaders saw the EFCC team defeat their opponents in a penalty shootout which ended 4-3 to lift the trophy after a breathtaking 2-2 draw at full time. In the course of the game, Sporting Supreme FC took the lead with the first goal at the…

By Abimbola Ogunnaike As part of its efforts to tackle the distribution and vending of unauthorised drugs, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) recently carried out a raid targeting drug sellers in Apapa, Lagos and nearby areas. This was made known in a statement shared on the agency’s X account on Friday,5 April, 2024. The statement said, “NAFDAC’s Investigation ans Enforcement Directorate recently conducted a targeted raid on drug hawkers operating in the Apapa area and its surroundings as part of its ongoing efforts to combat the distribution and sale of unauthorised pharmaceuticals. “Numerous hawkers…

President Bola Tinubu thanks Mr. Jim Obazee, former Chief Executive Officer of the Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria (FRC), for his services as the Special Investigator of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and other related entities, upon his appointment on July 28, 2023. The President commended Obazee for the dedication and professionalism he exercised in handling the complexities of this critical national assignment. Subsequent to the conclusion of the assignment and the submission of a final comprehensive report, and with the winding up of all apparatuses used during the scope of the task which terminated on March 31, 2024,…

By Abimbola Ogunnaike The Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, Kogi Command, disclosed that it has released the charred remains of the 13 victims of the Obajana Easter Sunday auto-crash to their families for burial. The Sector Commander, Mr Samuel Oyedeji, made this disclosure during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria(NAN) in Lokoja, the state capital on Thursday, 4 April, 2024 that the corpses were handed over to the families on Wednesday, 3 April, 2024 Recall that the 13 victims died in a Sharon vehicle which was engulfed by fire at Obajana market on Easter Sunday when a truck hit…

By Abimbola Ogunnaike Following the close of sales of expression of interest and nomination forms by the All Progressives Congress, APC, for its governorship primaries in Ondo State, the party will be smiling to the bank after it raked in about N720 million. The sales of forms were purchased by no fewer than 16 aspirants vying for the party’s ticket ahead of the November 16 governorship election. It was gathered that 14 male aspirants picked the forms for N50 million each, while two female contenders paid N10 million each for only the expression of interest form due to the party’s…

Transcorp Power Plc, one of the power subsidiaries of Nigeria’s leading listed conglomerate, Transnational Corporation Plc, has released its audited financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2023. The Company reported gross earnings of N142.1 billion for the 12 months, marking a strong increase of 57.30%, from N90.34 billion reported in FY 2022. Profit before tax showed a similar impressive year-on-year growth, surging by 84.61% to N52.8 billion, from N28.6 billion reported in the previous year. Commenting on the results, Peter Ikenga, Managing Director/CEO of Transcorp Power attributed the substantial growth to the Company’s strong operational capabilities and effective…

Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) today announced the signing of grant agreements with 19 clean energy developers under its Results-Based Financing (RBF) multi-donor fund, the Universal Energy Facility (UEF), Stand-Alone Solar for Productive Use (SSPU) programme, for the deployment of high capacity solar + battery storage systems to businesses and institutions cross Nigeria. These systems are expected to be fully installed and operational before the end of this year. “This marks a significant step forward in our shared vision for a sustainable future. By signing these grant agreements, the UEF is truly making a difference by empowering clean energy developers to bring their innovative solutions to life,” said Joseph…

Kunle Afod, the visionary filmmaker behind the immensely popular Yoruba Proverb Challenge, has announced the grand opening of the Kunle Afod TV studio in Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria. This landmark event marked a significant milestone in the evolution of the beloved cultural phenomenon, poised to captivate audiences on a global scale. Since its inception, the Yoruba Proverb Challenge has captured the hearts and minds of enthusiasts across Nigeria and beyond, fostering a vibrant community of individuals eager to showcase their mastery of traditional wisdom. With the launch of the Kunle Afod TV studio on March 29, 2024, Afod embarks on…

President Bola Tinubu has said that the future of the Nigerian child is going to be brighter as the path to take them out of poverty has been cleared with his signing into law of the Student Loans Re-enactment Bill. The President spoke on Wednesday night, 3 April, 2024, when he hosted members of the APC Presidential Campaign Council and the Independent Campaign Council to Iftar at the State House in Abuja. “The only thing that can fight poverty is education. Today, I signed the bill for the Student Loan Scheme. Imagine the children of the poor; what about people…

By Tunde Rahman Delivering a keynote address at a well-attended National Spokespersons’ Summit and Awards on March 26 in Abuja, former Director-General of the Nigeria Television Authority, Professor Tonnie Iredia, was excellent as he articulated what should constitute the critical success factors in the work of a spokesperson. The summit with the theme “Change Narrative, Change Society” was organised by the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations in collaboration with the Ministry of Information and National Orientation. Participants at the summit included communication experts, top journalists, scholars and other dignitaries. A spokesperson must build trust and credibility through transparent and truthful…

President Bola Tinubu has called on ECOWAS member states to come together, strengthen ties, and reject forces bent on causing division within the community. Speaking at the inauguration of the Sixth Legislature of the ECOWAS Parliament, on Thursday in Abuja, President Tinubu, who is the Chairman of ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, said regional solidarity is imperative to strengthen the bloc’s resilience and effectiveness at this critical juncture. He emphasized that member states can not afford to remain passive spectators while the community faces the threat of disintegration. “We stand united against such forces and are committed…

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Thursday, 4 April, 2024, filed a six-count charge against Idris Olanrewaju Okuneye popularly known as Bobrisky. Bobrisky will be arraigned on Friday, 5 April, 2024, before Justice Abimbola Awogboro of the Federal High Court, Lagos. While the first four counts of the charge border on abuse of the Naira, the last two counts border on alleged money laundering. In the charge sheet filed by EFCC Prosecutor, Senior Advocate of Nigeria Rotimi Oyedepo, alongside seven other lawyers, Bobrisky in the first count is alleged to have tampered with the sum of N400,000 by…