Author: Soffiyyah Olamide

The Gombe Division of the Court of Appeal, on Thursday, 22 February, 2024 upheld the conviction of Alhaji Idris Yahaya, Auditor General for Local Government, Yobe State. He was convicted and sentenced to five years imprisonment on Monday, 13 March, 2023 by Justice Muhammad Lawu Lawan of the Yobe State High Court, after being prosecuted by the Maiduguri Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on a one count of criminal misappropriation of N19.900 million. Yahaya received funds from the Office of the Auditor General for Local Government and Emirate Affairs, Yobe State, for the purchase of an official vehicle, a 2015 Toyota Corolla, and diverted part of the money to his personal use. The lone…

President Bola Tinubu, on Saturday, 24 February, 2024, declared open the 14th Biennial Police Games tagged Oluyole 2024, stating that sport has remained the number one unifying factor in the country. He added that the Nigeria Police Games has, over the years, been a great way of discovering talents and that he expected nothing less from the 14th edition. Declaring the event open at the Lekan Salami Sport Complex, Adamasingba, Ibadan, the Special Guest of Honour, President Tinubu, reminisced on how a police officer, Chioma Ajunwa won a gold medal for Nigeria at the Atlanta 1996 Olympics. The President was…

Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Retd) has expressed the appreciation of officers and men of the anti-narcotic agency to President Bola Tinubu for his continuous support for the on-going efforts to curb the scourge of substance abuse and illicit drug trafficking in the country. Marwa stated this in response to questions from journalists while inspecting facilities at the NDLEA barracks, which is almost ready for commissioning in Yola, Adamawa state. According to him: “We thank God for the project, we appreciate the continuity in governance. President Buhari appreciated the issues…

By Abimbola Ogunnaike The Economic Community of West African States(ECOWAS) on Saturday, 24 February, 2024 in Abuja, lifted the economic sanctions imposed on Niger Republic, Burkina Faso, Mali and Guinea. The regional body took the decision during the extraordinary summit on the political, security, and peace conditions in the ECOWAS sub-region. ECOWAS, however, said the political and targeted sanctions remain. Recall that the West African bloc had in a swift response to the military coup in Niger, enforced a no-flight zone over the country. The Nigerian government also cut off power supply to the military-ruled country to persuade the juntas…

By Abimbola Ogunnaike Kidnappers have killed a man identified Olayinka Ogunyemi, one of the seven persons abducted from Kuduru community in the Federal Capital territory (FCT), Daily Trust online reports. Recall that kidnappers stormed the area and abducted the victims on 28 December, 2023. Ogunyemi, according to a community source, was killed after members of the families of the hostages failed to pay the N290 million demanded. The source said the bandits called on Friday, 23 February, 2024, to break the news of the execution of Ogunyemi, a civil engineer. “The bandits called us yesterday that they have killed Engineer Olayinka…

Operatives of the Kaduna Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission EFCC, on Friday, 23 February, and Saturday, 24 February, 2024, arrested 36 suspected internet fraudsters. The suspects, comprising 35 males and 1 female were arrested at Sabo Kaduna and Narayi Highcoast and Layin Dogon Iche Samaru in the Zaria Local Government Area of Kaduna State, following credible information on their suspected involvement in internet-related offences. Items recovered from the suspects include 43 phones and five laptops They will be charged to court as soon as investigations are concluded.

Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Saturday, 24 February, 2024, took a test run of the Red Line train, inspecting the tracks and the rail corridors for another time ahead of next Thursday formal commissioning of Lagos Rail Mass Transit (LRMT) infrastructure. The 37-kilometre rail line, built by the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA), will be inaugurated by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, along with its stations and other ancillary facilities. The Red Line traverses seven stations from Agbado, a boundary town in Ogun State, to Oyingbo in Lagos Central. Sanwo-Olu took journalists on a train ride from the Ikeja Mega…

By Abimbola Ogunnaike Two of the governorship aspirants in the just concluded All Progressive Congress governorship primary in Edo State, Dr Ernest Umakhihe and Prince Clem Agba, have congratulated Senator Monday Okpebholo for being nominated as the party’s standard bearer for the forthcoming September 21, 2024 governorship election in state . Agba, in a statement titled, ‘My Stand on the Outcome of APC’s Governorship Primary Election, said he has decided to work in the best interest of the party “as a loyal party man”. “I have called Senator Monday Okpebholo to congratulate him on his candidature and assure him of my…

By Abimbola Ogunnaike Following the election of Senator Monday Okpebholo as the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for the September 21, 2024 governorship election in State, the first runner-up in the just concluded primary election, Dennis Idahosa, has rejected the candidature of Okpebholo. Idahosa, in a statement made available to newsmen in Benin City on Saturday, 24 February, 2024, alleged that the “fictitious results” declared by Governor Bassey Otu of Cross River State-led committee represented the highest level of rape on democracy ever witnessed in Edo State. “Events in the last few days may have been very disappointing and demoralizing…

Oyo State Governor, ‘Seyi Makinde, on Saturday, 24 February, 2024, swooped on a facility being used by suspected illegal miners to process and package lithium out of the state. The Governor ordered the closure of the facility, which was originally a factory meant for recycling batteries and tyres. He equally ordered the arrest of four persons suspected to be operating at the site, noting that they operated against the approved licence secured from the government for business operations in the state. Makinde, who was on an unscheduled inspection tour to the factory site at Idi Ayunre, Oluyole Local Government, Ibadan,…

The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN has cautioned the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) to shelve its planned nationwide protest scheduled to hold on Tuesday, February 27, and Wednesday, February 28, 2024. The Attorney General made this known in a letter written to the Nigerian Labour Congress Counsel, Femi Falana dated Friday, 23 February, 2024. He noted that “Government has substantially and reasonably complied with the items in the MOU and it is only appropriate and equitable for organised labour to engage more with government to ensure the full implementation of same, especially in the…

Ekiti State Governor, Mr Biodun Oyebanji on Friday, 23 February, 2024, absolved President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of any blame over current economic situation in the country, saying the situation preceded his ascendancy to office . He however said the President is capable of fixing the current challenges if given ample time and necessary support. Governor Oyebanji stated this during the monthly Evening of Praise and Worship programme held at the Lady Jibowu hall, Government House, Ado-Ekiti. He urged Nigerians to be patient with the Federal Government as the problem the country is facing had been there long before the President…

A chieftain of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim has called on the Federal Government to dump the free float of the Naira in exchange for other currencies. According to him, for some time now, especially since the “floating” of the exchange rate by the current regime, the jet speed with which the nation’s currency has been depreciating has migrated to a worrisome lightening speed, pushing the rate to about N1900 to one United States Dollar today. Olawepo-Hashim, presidential aspirant of the APC in 2023 and presidential candidate of the Trust Party (TP) in the 2019 election, made the…

In fulfilment of his promise to provide succour to residents of Kosofe, Ikosi-Isheri and Agboyi-Ketu whose communities were ravaged by flood last year, the Senator representing Lagos East Senatorial District in the Upper Legislative Chamber, Senator Mukhail Adetokunbo Abiru, FCA, has distributed 150 bags of 50kg rice to the affected constituents. The affected communities where the rice were shared include: Odo-Ogun, Ajegunle, Owode-Elede, Osho-Ogun, Agboyi-town, all under Agboyi- Ketu LCDA. In Ikosi-Isheri LCDA, some affected residents residing in Agiliti 2, Maidan, Orisha/Isheri , Ajegunle/ Idera/ Kiokio, Isheri- North and Akinpelu communities received the rice. In Kosofe Local Government Area, residents…

The Christian Association of Nigeria Youth Wing) on Friday called on security agencies to effect the immediate arrest of a Muslim Cleric, Idris Abdulaziz Dusen Tenshi, who demanded the killing of the wife of the President, Senator Oluremi Tinubu and also described her as an infidel. While demanding public prosecution of the Cleric, YOWICAN requested that the said preacher should be restricted from preaching in Nigeria to serve as a deterrent to others. The President of YOWICAN, Belusochukwu Enwere, said these during a press conference delivered at the end of its 2024 National Prayer Day/First Quarter National Executive Council (NEC)…

After days of intense collaboration, innovation, and problem-solving, three teams – Team Within, Team X, and Team Storepoint – emerged winners in the inaugural Take-on-Squad Hackathon 1.0 coding event held at the state-of-the-art GTCO Training Complex, Tayo’s Plaza, Abeokuta, Ogun State, from January 18th to 20th, 2024. Team Storepoint, represented by Haruna Faruk and Ladipo Samuel from the University of Lagos, secured third position and a prize of N1 million. Their winning solution, Storepoint, facilitates quick access to an online marketplace for local shops and small businesses within 5 minutes, using Squad’s API to streamline the payment process. Team X,…

The Kwara state High Court, sitting as an appellate court in Ilorin, has discharged and acquitted two journalists convicted for publishing a defamatory article against a rice factory, faulting the police and trial magistrate’s ruling. In February 2023, a magistrate’s court convicted Alfred Olufemi, an investigative reporter and Gidado Shuaib, editor of Abuja-based News Digest, over a report against Hillcrest Agro-Allied Industries Limited. The report published in News Digest in 2018 detailed how the company’s staff members smoke Indian hemp freely within its premises, violating relevant laws and health regulations. In his verdict, the trial magistrate, AS Muhammad, found the…

By Abimbola Ogunnaike Facts emerged on Friday, 23 February, 2024 on why The Zamfara State House of Assembly Speaker Hon Bilyaminu Moriki was impeached Consequently, Hon Bashar Gummi, was ratified as the pro-tempo speaker. It was gathered that 18 out of 24 members unanimously agreed to impeach the speaker during an emergency meeting on Thursday night, 22 February, 2024. It was also gathered that the removal of the speaker was not unconnected with the motion moved by one of the members representing Maru state constituency Hon. Nasiru Abdullahi. His removal according to house members followed the resurgence of insecurity as…

The Abuja chapter of the Chartered Institute of Insurance of Nigeria (CIIN), has declared its readiness to adopt secondary schools within the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, as part of its drive to re-awaken the importance of the subject in the economy. CIIN made the declaration at the investiture of its chapter Chairman, Owolabi Abbass, AIIN, FCIB, in Abuja on Friday, 23 February, 2024. Speaking through its President and Chairman of council, Mr Edwin Igbiti, ACII, FIIN the group explained that the initiative has become very imperative give the need to catch and bring more young talents into the country’s insurance…