Author: The Gazelle News

On Monday, 9 March, 2020, The Gazelle News.com broke the news of the removal  of two Principal Officers of the Lagos State House of Assembly: Hon Olumuyiwa Jimoh, representing Apapa State Constituency 2, Deputy Majority Leader; and Hon Rotimi Abiru, Somolu 2, Chief Whip. Equally, the lawmakers suspended two of their colleagues Indefinitely: Moshood Olanrewaju Oshun, Lagos Mainland 2; and Kazeem Adewale Raheem, Ibeju Lekki 1. The Gazelle News.com also reported that 27 out of the 40 lawmakers signed the letter which brought about the action. This medium will now exclusively listed the lawmakers who signed the letter in the…

The Senate has advocated gender parity as a priority for women in the amendment of the Constitution. The position of the upper chamber was conveyed on Thursday when it adopted a six-point resolution sequel to the consideration of a motion on the 2020 International Women’s Day with the theme: “I am Generation Equality: Realizing Women’s Rights.” The motion which was sponsored by Senator Betty Apiafi (PDP – Rivers West) was Co-sponsored by eight other female Senators in the Ninth Assembly. Senator Apiafi, in her motion, said that the International Women’s Day is celebrated on March 8 annually, and is a…

MTN Group on Wednesday, 11 March, 2020, announced an encouraging set of results for the year ended 31 December 2019. The Group also announced that its President and CEO,  Rob Shuter would be stepping down from his role at the end of his contract in March 2021. Shuter said: “In 2019, the 25th anniversary of MTN Group, we delivered commercial momentum across our operations as well as great progress in our strategy and strong financial results, despite challenging trading conditions. “We added 18 million customers to reach a total of 251 million and increased our data users by 17 million…

Justice Jude Okeke of a Federal Capital Territory, FCT High Court, Maitama, on March 10, 2020, adjourned the trial of a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal, until April 8, 2020. Lawal is facing prosecution along with his younger brother, Hamidu David Lawal, Suleiman Abubakar, Apeh John Monday and two other companies, Rholavision Engineering Ltd and Josmon Technologies Ltd, on a 10-count amended charge bordering on fraud, diversion of funds and criminal conspiracy to the tune of N1.1 billion. At the resumed trial, the prosecution witness, a Principal Procurement Officer in the office of the…

Justice E.A. Obile of the Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State has remanded Sunday Noble, a 25-year-old undergraduate of the University of Port Harcourt, at the Port Harcourt Correctional Centre for impersonation and obtaining money by false pretence. The defendant was arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission EFCC, Port Harcourt’s Zonal office, on March 10, 2020 on a four-count charge. One of the counts reads: “That you,  Sunday Deele Noble on or about the 13th day of February, 2019 within the Jurisdiction of this Honorable Court, did fraudulently obtained an iPhone 7 worth $319.84 USD with shipping cost of $14.69 USD…

The trial of Akinola Ogunlewe, who is being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, alongside Babajide  Soyode for offences bordering on money laundering, continued on March 10, 2020 with a counsel, S.M. Labaran, telling the Court that the Attorney General of the Federation, AGF, had shown interest to take over the matter. The defendants were first arraigned on January 21, 2020 before Justice A.R. Mohammed of a Federal High Court, Abuja, on a five-count charge bordering on money laundering to which they pleaded “not guilty”. Count three of the charges reads: “That you, Akinola Ogunlewe and Abolaji Ogunlewe (at large)…

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Maiduguri Zonal Office, on March 10, 2020 arraigned one Muhammed Yusuf before Justice Umaru Fadawu of the Borno State High Court, Maiduguri on a one-count charge for criminal misappropriation. His journey to the dock began after Hussaini Yusuf, petitioned the EFCC accusing Yusuf of defrauding him of N4.8million in a business deal they both agreed to. He alleged that he supplied Yusuf with a trailer load of Spaghetti (Dangote brand) worth N8,600,000 to enable the defendant execute a contract for the Bauchi State school feeding programme. Investigation conducted by the EFCC revealed that…

President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, has said the out-of-school children is a big challenge facing Nigeria as a nation. According to the Senate President, the problem constitutes not only social but security problems to the country as a whole. Lawan stated this in his concluding remarks on a motion on “The Need to Integrate Almajiri Education into Modern System of Education in Nigeria.” “We all know that the out-of-school-children are at the moment a big problem to us as a country. “They constitute not only social problems, but also security problems to some  extent. “Therefore, it is our responsibility…

The Senate on Tuesday, 10 March, 2020 passed the Corporate and Allied Matters Act amendment bill, 2020. The passage of the bill by the upper chamber was sequel to a clause-by-clause consideration of the bill in a committee of the whole. The piece of legislation was sponsored by the Senate Leader, Senator Yahaya Abdullahi (APC – Kebbi North). The bill, when signed into law by President Muhammadu Buhari, will address aspects aimed at boosting investment in Nigeria. According to the Senate Leader, the business landscape in Nigerian will be reorganized and liberated hitherto from the heavy constraints of several provisions…

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC Kaduna Zonal Office has re-arraigned three businessmen, Baba Alhaji Aliyu, Musa Shuaibu and Abubakar Ismaila on a seven-count amended charge bordering on conspiracy, forgery and criminal breach of trust before Justice A.B. Aliyu of the Federal High Court Minna, Niger State. Aliyu and Shuaibu were first arraigned on November 28, 2019 on nine counts bordering on N22.4million fraud. Ismaila at the time was at large. Their arrest and prosecution was consequent on a petition by the Managing Director of Tomgray Engineering Services Limited, Thomas Ogwu, who alleged that they deceived him into believing…

The Senate on Tuesday, 10 March, 2020, received an executive bill from President Muhammadu Buhari to amend the Finance Act 2019 recently passed by the National Assembly. The Act which was passed by the Senate on November 21, 2019, received Presidential assent on January 13, 2020. The executive bill, accompanied with a formal letter dated March 6, 2020, was read during plenary by the President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan. The President in his letter, explained that the request for amendment is aimed at clarifying the administrative date for the increase in Value Added Tax from 5 percent to 7.5…

The upcoming 5th Nigeria Energy Forum (NEF 2020) will focus on achieving the Sustainable Development Goal 7 and on how to facilitate investments in sustainable electrification, clean energy growth and efficient energy technologies. The former National Chairman of the Nigerian Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (NIEEE), Engr. Adekunle Makinde, confirmed that the USAID Power Africa Nigeria Power Sector Program will deliver a capacity building workshop on scaling up the off-grid sector in Nigeria. The Forum will be held from April 1 to April 2 at the Admiralty Centre, Naval Dockyards, Victoria Island, Lagos, Nigeria. Makinde said a high-level representative…

President Muhammadu Buhari Tuesday, 10 March, 2020 in Abuja said law enforcement agencies have recovered over N3.7billion as well as various assets worth billions of Naira from contractors and former directors of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC). The President disclosed this at the inauguration of NDDC Advisory Committee, comprising the nine Governors of the Niger Delta Region and the Ministers of Niger Delta Affairs and Environment. Specifically, President Buhari said: ‘‘To date, the EFCC and other agencies of Government have recovered over N3.7billion in cash as well as various assets worth billions of Naira from some contractors and former…

The Acting Executive Director Projects, Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, Dr. Cairo Ojougboh, says that the Commission deals with as much health challenges as it does roads and bridges in the Niger Delta region. Ojougboh, who spoke when a cross section of youth leaders from Rivers State, paid him a courtesy visit at the Commission’s headquarters in Port Harcourt, noted that NDDC devotes a good percentage of its budget to medical and social services. He said: “The NDDC has built health facilities across the nine Niger Delta States. Who is better positioned than a medical doctor to address the issues…

President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, on Tuesday, 10 March, 2020  announced the constitution of a Joint Committee to engage the Executive arm of government on measures to be taken to insulate the Nigerian economy against the impact of the sudden crash of crude oil price globally. The announcement came following a point of order raised by the Senate Leader, Yahaya Abdullahi, during plenary over rising concerns on the spread of the dreaded Coronavirus (COVID – 19) disease which has led to the crash of several markets across the world. Consequently, the Joint Committee duly constituted include: Senate Committees on…

The Senate on Tuesday, 10 March, 2020,  received a petition over the killing of a Journalist assigned to cover a protest in Abuja allegedly by men of the Nigeria Police Force. The petition, which was brought to the floor during the start of plenary by Senator Abba Moro (PDP – Benue South), was referred by the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, to the Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions. The lawmaker, who came under a point of order, said the Journalist, Alex Ogbu, on Tuesday, January 21, 2020, was shot on the head by a police personnel during a demonstration…

Justice Mahmood Abdulgafar of a Kwara State High Court sitting in Ilorin on March 10, 2020 ordered the interim forfeiture of a four-bedroom bungalow belonging to a self-acclaimed herbalist, Jamiu Isiaka, who defrauded a South Korean, Keun Sig Kim, of about N30million in an oil and gas contract scam. The property, located at Oke Foma in Ilorin Local Government Area, according to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, is believed to be part of the proceeds of Isiaka’s fraudulent activities. The EFCC Ilorin Zonal Office had on June 10, 2019 arraigned him for impersonating the then Group Managing…

Justice Rilwan Aikawa of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, has adjourned until March 23, 2020 further hearing in the alleged N1.4bn fraud trial involving the President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Paul Usoro, SAN. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC first arraigned Usoro before Justice Muslim Hassan of the same court on December 18, 2018. He was later re-arraigned on March 1, 2019 before Justice Aikawa on a 10-count charge. One of the counts reads: “That you, Paul Usoro, SAN, Emmanuel Udom (currently constitutionally immune against criminal prosecution), Uwemedimo Thomas Nwoko (still at large), Nsikan Linus…

President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan on Monday, 9 March, 2020 advocated for a contitutional role for traditional rulers in the fight against insurgency and other security challenges. Lawan made the call when a delegation of traditional and political leaders from Taraba state paid him a visit in his office. The delegation was at the National Assembly to participate in a public hearing on a bill to establish Federal College of Education, Mutum Biyu Taraba state. The Senate President said, “there is no way we can succeed in the fight against insurgency or any insecurity without the support and cooperation…