Author: Soffiyyah Olamide

By Babatunde Ogala I had met Aketi very early in my legal career. I didn’t have the privilege of meeting him before I was called to bar and as a lawyer. I first encountered him as young lawyer when he contested and was elected Publicity Secretary of the bar. From thence I admired him from a distance. He was boisterous and damn down to earth. Within a few months thereafter, I was to get close to Aketi and from there we began the journey as friends as well as egbon and aburo. Our relationship further blossomed in 2006 when we…

By Segun Tomori The 30th edition of “Investing in Mining Indaba” recently held in Cape Town, South Africa provided another opportunity for African countries through their Ministers of Solid Minerals/Mineral Resources to consolidate on the pact to forge a common front in projecting the continent’s interest in the global mining industry. Nigeria and Uganda had led over a dozen other African countries into a coalition, early January, on the sidelines of the Future Minerals Forum in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to make a case for local value addition and maximum beneficiation from its vast mineral resources for citizens and member countries.…

By Abimbola Ogunnaike The Senate on Thursday, 22 February, 2024 confirmed Olayemi Cardoso and 11 others to serve as members of the Central Bank of Nigeria Monetary Policy Committee. The confirmation followed a report submitted to the Chamber by the Senate Committee Chairman on Banking, Insurance and Other Financial Institutions, Senator Mukhail Adetokunbo Abiru representing Lagos East Senatorial District. Abiru said, all the nominees of President Bola Tinubu appeared before the Committee and were thoroughly screened, adding that they were not indicted by the DSS report, Police findings as well as the Code of Conduct Bureau report. According to himHe…

Communities in Arochukwu town have expressed appreciation to the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC over the ongoing emergency repairs of failed sections of Atani-Amuvi-Amankwu Road and the 8-kilometre Atani Phase II Road in Arochukwu Local Government Area of Abia State. Leaders of the communities showed their joy when the NDDC Executive Director, Projects, Sir Victor Antai, led a team of the Commission’s directors and engineers to inspect the roads, with concrete drains and solar-powered street lights. Speaking on behalf of Ugbo community in Arochukwu, Eze John Ogbonnaya Okoro, gave plaudits to the NDDC, stating: “This road you are seeing today was more like a track road, mostly marshy and undulating,…

The Arewa Economic Forum (AEF), an economic think-tank of intellectuals and business entrepreneurs of Northern Nigeria, has reacted to the financial situation in the country and called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to consider reversing the fuel subsidy removal policy and halt the disbursement of excess allocations to state governors. The Forum Chairman, Alhaji Shehu Ibrahim Dandakata, who addressed a press conference in Abuja on Thursday, 22 February, 2024, said lack of accountability and misplacement of priorities by governors is why poverty and hunger have hit an all-time low in the country. As an alternative to resuming payment for the…

As Nigeria finds itself at a critical crossroads, grappling with simultaneous challenges of a food crisis and a foreign exchange (forex) shortage. This is even as the nation seeks solutions to mitigate these pressing issues, the debate over whether to open its borders for importation has intensified. The food crisis gripping Nigeria has raised concerns about food security and access to essential nutrition for millions of citizens. Adverse weather conditions, supply chain disruptions, and other factors have contributed to dwindling food supplies and soaring prices, placing a significant strain on households and exacerbating the vulnerability of already marginalized communities. Meanwhile,…

Trial could not continue on Thursday, in the Charge marked FHC/ABJ/CR/550/2022: FRN v. Ali Bello & Anor, before Justice J. K Omotosho at the Federal High Court, in Abuja, owing to concerns about the competence of the charge, including the amended charges brought by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC. Ali Bello’s co-defendant, Suleiman Daudu, through his counsel and Senior Advocate of Nigeria SAN, Nureni Jimoh, raised objections against the fresh charges by EFCC. Although the amended charges have not been read to them for their plea to be taken afresh, the co-defendant is praying the court to reject…

The Kogi State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, sitting in Abuja has struck out the Petition of the Action Peoples Party (APP), challenging the Election of Alh Ahmed Usman Ododo as the Governor of Kogi State in the November 11, 2023 Governorship Election in the state. This followed the withdrawal of the petition by Counsel to the Petitioner, Daniel Edeachi, Esq. The application to withdraw the petition was not opposed by Counsel to Governor Usman Ododo, Ibrahim Sanni Muhammed, SAN; Counsel to APC, DC Denwigwe, SAN and Counsel to the Independent National Electoral Commission, Kanu Agabi, SAN, respectively. The Tribunal, upon…

Ogun State has purchased 100 trucks load of rice to be sold at cheaper rates to residents of the state to cushion the effect of the rise in the prices of goods in the country. The state Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun stated this on Wednesday, 21 February, 2024, while speaking at a stakeholders’ meeting in Abeokuta, the state capital. Prince Abiodun disclosed that the rice would be subsidized and made available at the rate it was before the recent astronomical rise in the prices of the commodities. He, however, said the poor, the elderly, and the vulnerable would enjoy free…

By Abimbola Ogunnaike In a bid to increase Liquefied Petroleum Gas, popularly called cooking gas volume domestically and to crash the price of the commodity, the Federal Government on Thursday, 22 February, 2024 announced the banning of the exportation of the product. The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo, made this disclosure while speaking on the sidelines of the internal stakeholders’ workshop in Abuja on Thursday. According to Ekpo, the LPG producers in Nigeria and key stakeholders in the industry had been told to stop exporting the commodity out of Nigeria, following the recent jump in the…

By Abimbola Ogunnaike Following a correspondence between Benue State Governor, Hyacinth Alia and the state House of Assembly, the later on Tuesday, 21 February, 2024 approved the sack of three local government caretaker committee chairmen over alleged financial misconduct and criminal activities. The Speaker of the House, Hyacinth Dajoh, who reads the correspondence to the ears of the lawmakers during plenary session yesterday, also approved replacements for the three council boss. The affected chairmen are Tavershima Agber, Gboko, Gideon Haanongon, Ukum, and Francis Zazan of Katsina-Ala. The correspondence also urged the House to replace the sacked trio with Verlumun Avar,…

By Abimbola Ogunnaike The Ebonyi State Ministry of Health has announced that Lassa fever had killed at least killed 14 people in the state. The 14 cases were among the 29 confirmed cases of the disease recorded as at February 20 this year in the state. The Director of Public Health at the Ministry, Dr Hyacinth Ebenyi, confirmed the development during an interview with newsmen in Abakaliki, the state capital on Wednesday, 21 February, 2024. Ebenyi added that at least 110 suspected cases of the disease were recently recorded in the state. “Yes, there has been an increase in the cases…

By Abimbola Ogunnaike A 67-year-old drug dealer, Orji Isaac, is currently cooling his feet in one of the cells of the Lagos State Police Command for allegedly selling drugs to a 22-year-old man identified as Lekan Ganiyu. The command, which confirmed the arrest in a post it shared on its X handle @LagosPoliceNG on Wednesday, 21 February, 2024,said that its operatives arrested the suspects in the Yaba area of the state. “Police officers of Sabo Division, while embarking on surveillance patrol busted a drug dealer, Isaac, while selling drugs to Ganiyu. “The duo will be arraigned in court at the conclusion of…

By Abimbola Ogunnaike A pastor and five others have been sentenced to death by hanging on Wednesday, 22 February, 2024 by an Ondo State High Court in Akure, Ondo State capital over their involvement in bank robberies which took place in Akure and Idanre in 2011. The convicts are: a pastor, Adewale Adelu, and five others – Ikechuckwu Maduagwu, Fayemi Olubusuyi, Ropo Adeleye, Dele Otopka, and Bayo Omotosho. The court presided by Justice Yemi Fasanmi found guilty of robbing two commercial banks in Akure and Idanre on November 19 and December 8, 2011 in Akure and Idanre respectively. They were arrested by…

By Abimbola Ogunnaike The Nigerian Senate has warned the Federal Government not to contemplate of increasing electricity tariff for now, saying that doing so would worsen the plight of Nigerians, just as it said that doing the increase at this time would have backlash effects. The Red Chamber handed the warning at a plenary presided by the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio on Wednesday, 21 February, 2024. The Senate further adopted a resolution asking its Committee on Power to investigate the over N2 trillion subsidy requirements, as claimed by the Minister of Power, and another N1.3 trillion owed electricity Generation Companies…

By Abimbola Ogunnaike The Children, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence Court sitting at the Chief Magistrate’s Court in Awka, Anambra State and presided over by Genevieve Osakwe on Wednesday ordered the remand of Anambra State based lawyer, Adachukwu Okafor. Justice Osakwe said the accused should be remanded at the State Criminal and Investigative Department custody in Awka, for allegedly inflicting physical injuries on the body of her 11-year-old housekeeper. Okafor, who resides at Chris Igwilo Street Akapka GRA, 3-3 Onitsha of Anambra State, was arraigned before the court for the alleged offence The female lawyer was said to have allegedly used various objects…

By Abimbola Ogunnaike The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, has disclosed that each state governor has been allocated an extra N30 billion to address the challenges of food scarcity and hardships confronting Nigerians. Akpabio said each state should properly utilize the money towards ensuring the availability of food to their citizens. Speaking on the floor of the senate on Wednesday, 21 February, 2024, Akapbio said: “I must say that unverified report has it that each of the state government in the last few months received additional N30 billion from Federal Inland Revenue Service, outside their normal allocation from the federation account…

By Abimbola Ogunnaike President Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment of DCG Kemi Nanna Nandap to serve as the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Immigration Service. Nandap will take over from Mrs. Caroline Wura-Ola Adepoju whose term in office expires on Thursday, 29 February, 2024. Nandap’s appointment would take effect from Friday, 1 March,, 2024. This was contained in a statement issued on Wednesday, 21 February, 2024 by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, Before she was appointed Comptroller-General, Nandap was the Deputy Comptroller-General in charge of the Migration Directorate of the Service. “The President anticipates…

By Abimbola Ogunnaike Catalonia’s top court in Spain on Thursday, 22 February, 2024 sentenced former Barcelona defender, Dani Alves, to four and a half years in prison for sexually assaulting a lady in a nightclub in 2022. The court also ordered that Alves pay €150,000 to the victim. “The sentence considers that it has been proven that the victim did not consent and that there is evidence, in addition to the testimony of the plaintiff, to consider the rape proven,” the court said in a statement. Alves, a former Brazilian international, insisted the sex was consensual. After the verdict, his…

By Abimbola Ogunnaike In other to cushion the effects of cost of living crisis on its workers, the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, announced the reduction of public servants working days to three times in a week Sanwo-Olu made the announcement during a media parley on economic hardship. on Thursday, 22 February 2024 at Alausa, Ikeja, the state capital. “We want to start with our public servants, immediately from next week, Civil servants from the lower level will be working like three times a week and level 15-17 can work four times in a week,” he said. On the rising…