EFCC Withdraws Appeal, Uncertainty Lingers Over Yahaya Bello’s Arrest
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has backed down from its attempt to challenge a court order that protected Yahaya Bello, the former governor of Kogi State, from arrest, interrogation, and prosecution. The EFCC admitted that its appeal was filed outside the legal time limit, raising questions about the reason for the delay and why its operatives attempted to raid Bello’s residence despite being aware of the existing court order.
With the appeal now withdrawn and the Kogi High Court’s judgment from April 17, 2024, still in force, it remains to be seen whether the EFCC can legally detain Yahaya Bello without violating the law. The commission’s next move is being closely watched, as this development has added a new layer of complexity to the ongoing saga.
Sheikh Musa Lukwa, a Sokoto-based cleric, on Tuesday, led his followers to observe eid prayer.
The Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) under the leadership of Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, had declared Wednesday as the first of Shawwal and Eid day, commemorating the completion of the 2024 Ramadan fast.
The council said the crescent moon was not sighted on Monday, the same view earlier espoused by Saudi Arabia authorities.
But Lukwa, who has over the years disobeyed the Sultan’s directive on moon sighting, led prayers at his Juma’at mosque around 8:30am.
Justifying the action, Lukwa said the moon of Shawwal was sighted in neighbouring Niger Republic on Monday
“There were reports of sightings on the new crescent in many places, including here in Nigeria, but the one that we were sure of is that of Niger Republic.”
Miyetti Allah head denies linking Nasarawa governor to crime Makinde vows prosecution of immigration personnel who assaulted traffic officers “We have a verified video clip of their council of Ulamah authenticating the report after which the country declared Tuesday as Sallah day. So it is now binding on us to observe Eid on Tuesday because this is what the teachings of the Holy Prophet says.
“If we can accept that of Saudi Arabia, why can’t we agree with that of Niger Republic which is nearer to us.
“I am not saying all Nigerian Muslims must observe their Eid prayer on Tuesday but we have no moral justification not to observe our prayer on Tuesday because the new moon was sighted by our neighbors. And remember there is no fasting on Sallah day, it is prohibited,” he said. Lukwa has been defying Sultan directives, accusing the monarch of forcing Muslims to accept the moon sighting of Saudi Arabia which he believes is against the tradition of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). The cleric however, challenged any scholar with a contrary view to a public debate.
Odioama Sea Encroachment: Gov. Diri takes immediate step to tackle erosion
… assures people of the State’s govt intervention
… approves renovation of Pry Health Centre, offers to complete community pavillion
His Excellency, Senator Douye Diri, Governor of Bayelsa State visited the ancient community of Odioama in Brass Local Government Area of the State to empathise with them on the environmental disaster of sea encroachment that has befallen the community.
After he was conducted round some affected places, Governor told the people that the State Government is making immediate intervention to prevent further damage to infrastructure.
The Governor who noted that though the scope of the work is beyond the State Government, “we must take our destinies into our hands.”
“There is hope for our people. The sea encroachment which is the perennial problem of Odioama will now begin to have a solution from your State Government. Be rest assured that your Government will be shoulder to shoulder with you to tackle this encroachment that is hitting our land and our houses.”
So we call all our developmental partners to join the State Government to keep Odioama safe not only Odioama, we have the same instances in Koluama, Sangana. So we have so much to do which is beyond the scope of the State Government.”
Governor Diri who also described his visit as apolitical said, he is committed to the development of the State, stating that Bayelsa is beyond APC or PDP but good governance.
“And as Governor, I am committed to developing Bayelsa State that is why I am here today. I am not here to campaign, I am not here to talk about PDP or APC.
In my politics, I don’t look at PDP or APC, I look at friendship, I look at brotherliness. And if you watch Bayelsa now, Bayelsa is no more just APC, PDP. Bayelsa is talking about good governance, a governance that can make the people come together, a governance that can unite our people, and a governance that can bring peace and secur
The Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission, Dr Samuel Ogbuku, says the commission is focused on deepening partnerships and promoting investments to secure the future of Niger Delta people in the years beyond the oil-driven economy.
The NDDC boss said this during a three-day “Develop Ondo 2.0 Investment Summit” in Akure, Ondo State.
The NDDC Corporate Affairs Director, Dr. Ibitoye Abosede, disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday.
The statement quoted Ogbuku as saying the partnership with the private sector and development partners would boost funding for accelerated development in the region.
He said, “Thinking beyond oil is not only a pathway to sustain development in the Niger Delta region, but it is also becoming inevitable as the reality of energy transition and the global climate crisis continue to stare us in the face.
“We need the meaningful engagement of stakeholders to form relevant and sustainable partnerships.
“That is why in the NDDC, we take time to listen to our stakeholders to know their priorities and ensure that our interventions adequately reflect them.”
The acting Governor of Ondo State, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, said the state was targeting $2bn through investments that would transform the state into an industrial hub.
He stated, “The response from potential investors thus far has been highly encouraging, with growing interest in exploring the investment opportunities that Ondo State offers.
“Our previous summit has borne witness to remarkable success stories, illustrating the effectiveness of this platform in attracting investments, fostering economic growth in our state, and providing enormous value to our partners and investors.”
A 30-year-old pregnant woman, Eucheria Ndigwe, is currently in the custody of the Lagos State Police Command for allegedly stabbing her teenage maid, Chinaze Aneme, in Lagos for failing to wash her bag.
Policemen arrested the suspect following a video on the plight of the maid recorded by one of her neighbours which went viral over the weekend.
The state Police Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed the arrest in a message he posted on his Twitter handle, @BenHundeyin, on Sunday.
Hundeyin disclosed that because of her condition, the suspect had been moved to the command’s gender unit where she would get adequate medical attention while the investigation continues.
He said the victim was also receiving medical attention at the police hospital.
He wrote, “The suspect, Eucheria Ndigwe, aged 30 was arrested yesterday. Due to the fact that she is heavily pregnant, she has been moved to our recently-upgraded gender unit, where in conjunction with @Lagosdsva, she will get adequate medical attention while the investigation progresses.
Full list of winners at the 9th AMVCA 2023 Bimbo Ademoye, Tobi Bakre and Osas Ighodaro were among the Nollywood stars who stole the limelight at the AMVCA 2023 held on Saturday.
The award night which was graced by seasoned and legendary celebrities had different categories with different winners from the industry scooping the gongs up for grabs.
Here is a full list of the winners:
BEST ACTOR IN A MOVIE Tobi Baker – Brotherhood
BEST ACTRESS IN A DRAMA -(MOVIE/TV SERIES) Osas Ighodaro – Man of God
BEST DOCUMENTARY Nora Awolowo – Baby Blues WINNER
BEST MOVIE EAST AFRICA Click Click Bang – Philip Karanja Njenga WINNER
BEST MOVIE WEST AFRICA Brotherhood – Jade Osiberu WINNER
BEST MOVIE SOUTHERN AFRICA Elvis Chucks – Jewel WINNER
Best Short Film Adeoye Adetunji – Pa Aromire
Best Online Social Content Creator Elozonam , Kie Kie – Back From The Future
Best Indigenous Language, Swahili (Movie/TV Series) Philip Karanja Njenga – Click Click Bang
Best Indigenous Language, Yoruba (Movie/TV Series) Anikulapo – Kunle Afolayan
Celebrity chef and restaurateur Hilda Effiong Bassey, also known as Hilda Baci, recently completed her attempt to break the Guinness World Record for the individual with the longest cooking time.
Originally aiming to cook for 96 hours to surpass Lata Tandon’s record of 87 hours and 45 minutes set in 2019, Hilda Baci decided to extend her attempt to 100 hours and 40 minutes as the 96th hour approached, surpassing the previous record by more than 13 hours.
Hilda’s cooking marathon began on May 11, 2023, and concluded late on May 15. Throughout the event, she skillfully prepared over 200 meals, serving them to an impressive crowd of over 4,000 people.
Expressing gratitude for the overwhelming love and support she received, she thanked Nigerians for their incessant cheers.
She further noted that her toughest moments were the first 6 hours and she had to pray to God for strength.
Speaking with Pulse Nigeria, she said:
” I am so amazed at the outpouring of love from Nigerians towards achieving this record. The first six hours were the toughest for me, I had to pray to God for strength. . “I appreciate everyone who took time out to support and encourage me by visiting the venue to cheer me on or driving the conversation on social platforms. . “Your unwavering passion to see me succeed through this attempt is heartfelt. I am grateful to my family, the various teams that worked with me on this project, and fans from all over the world who kept the passion going.’’
A Nigerian chef has been cooking up a storm in her kitchen in the hopes of landing a world record.
Hilda Bassey, known on social media as Hilda Baci, has been dominating headlines around the world ever since she launched her cooking marathon.
She’s hoping to snap up the record title for longest cooking marathon (individual) which currently belongs to Lata Tondon (India) with a time of 87 hr 45 min.
Hilda began cooking on Thursday and continued through to Monday, reportedly whipping up 55 recipes and more than 100 meals in a whopping 100-hour stint.
Officials on our records team look forward to reviewing the evidence and hope to be able to verify Hilda’s efforts as a new record very soon.
A Guinness World Records spokesperson said: “We are aware of the record attempt and are looking forward to receiving the evidence for our Records Management Team to review, before we can confirm the record is official.”
Hilda explained she was taking on the challenge to highlight Nigerian cuisine.
She told CNN: “Nigerian cuisine is the best out there. The more recipes are propagated, the more people will be willing to try it. Nigerian food is such comfort food.”
Charles III on Saturday was officially crowned king in the first coronation in Britain since 1953.
At 12:02 pm, the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby placed the solid gold St Edward’s Crown on Charles’s head as a sacred and ancient symbol of the monarch’s authority.
Cries of “God Save the King” rang out from the 2,300-strong congregation at Westminster Abbey and trumpet fanfares sounded at the climax of the solemn religious confirmation of his accession.
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Two former Presidents, Olusegun Obasanjo, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former Anambra State Governor, Peter Obi, State Governors, serving and former members of the National Assembly, other top government functionaries and captains of industry, today graced the Commendation Service in honour of late Pa Abraham Joseph Michael Diri, father of Bayelsa State Governor, Douye Diri.
At the service held at St. Peter’s Anglican Church, Sampou, Governor Diri, described their late father as a pillar and great man of impact.
“We are humbled, my family and I, we are humbled as a State at the arrays of personalities here today to lay my very humbled father to rest.
Not even in the wildest of my imagination did any of us expect the timber and caliber of Nigerians here present. Whatever anybody does for you, you can only say thank you.
From the bottom of my heart, my family is a thankful State. I lack words, we are indeed overwhelmed.
For us, our father who today has departed and by the grace of God we lay him to rest today has impacted positively on all of us, his children and I think all of us his children have those positive deposits on us,” Governor Diri stated.
He appreciated all those who attended the ceremony.
Former President Jonathan attended with his wife, Patience just as the Vice President Osinbajo attended with wife, Dolapo.
Governors in attendance include: Gov. Ifeanyi Arthur Okowa of Delta State, Gov. Darius Ishiaku of Taraba State, Gov. Godwin Obaseki of Edo State along with his wife, Gov. Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, Gov. Ademola Adeleke of Osun State, Gov. Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom State.
Former State Governors in attendance were that of Bayelsa State, Senator Henry Seriake Dickson, and Liyel Imoke of Cross Rivers State.
Some Governors-elect were also in attendance.
The Managing Director of the NDDC, Dr. Samuel Ogbuku, Country Chair of Shell Petroleum Development Company, Mr. Osagie Okunbor and other captains of industry graced the event.
Pa AJM Diri, a retired Primary School Headmaster died at the age of 88.
A 60-year-old man, Aminu Danmaliki, accused of marrying an 11-year-old girl in Kano State, has spoken out about the rumour.
The wedding video recently went viral on social media, with people claiming he married an 11-year-old girl, which they condemned, claiming that underage girls should be protected rather than married off to old men.
Danmaliki, via his Facebook page on Wednesday, claimed that his wife is 21 years old and not 11 years as people claimed on social media.
He wrote, “My recent marriage with Sakina has generated a lot of tension and unfounded allegations that I married an underage girl some suggesting she is 11 years old and that she was forced to marry me. That is untrue.
“The wedding video went viral. We decided to keep mute but were advised to state the true facts. Here it is: My beloved wife is 21 years old she made her own choice of me as her husband, and I loved her too.
“I hope the blackmailers and doubting Thomas’s will see the reality in this picture and leave us alone to enjoy our honeymoon.”
Civil society organisations demanding the sacking of the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Abdulrasheed Bawa, over his disregard for court orders, resumed the call on Tuesday.
The activists during a joint press conference in Lagos, on Tuesday, stated that their demand was also connected to Bawa’s alleged politicisation of the EFCC and infringement on human rights of Nigerians.
The ‘Bawa Must Go’ protests are being led by the Chairman, Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership, Debo Adeniran; Executive Director, Zero Graft Centre, Kolawole Sanchez-Jude; Chairman, Coalition Against Corruption and Bad Governance, Toyin Raheem; Executive Director, Centre for Public Accountability, Olufemi Lawson; spokesperson for the Transparency and Accountability Group, Ayodeji Ologun; Director, Activists for Good Governance, Declan Ihehaire; and Ahmed Balogun of Media Rights Concern, among other.
The CSO were joined by lawyers, led by Mogbojuri Kayode of the Citizens Rights Advocacy Group.The protest against the EFCC chair began in February.
“It must also be noted clearly, that we are not opposed to the commission’s mandate to fight corruption, but we are opposed to the seeming politicisation of the agency under Mr. Bawa, its clear fixation on certain individuals in society, needless media trial, corruption within the agency, and the manner in which EFCC officials act above the law by corrupting our judicial processes with impunity.
“There is no greater corruption than trampling on the institutions that mediate among citizens and between them and the state. In the desperation to launder a rapidly diminishing image of Bawa, it is laughable that, recently, the commission’s spokesman signed a press release informing Nigerians that an unknown civil society organisation passed a vote of confidence on its chairman after our protests. Isn’t it the job of the media to see that and independently report?” the CSOs said in a statement.
But in a swift reaction, the Director, Media and Publicity, EFCC, Wilson Uwujaren, in a statement on Tuesday, said, “The allegations are unfounded. These claims are being made by the same set of people whom the agency responded to during our last press briefing earlier this year in February.
“Those making the claims are aggrieved people who are being prosecuted by the EFCC for corrupt practices.
“The groups, through press conferences and staged street protests, have been calling for the sack of the EFCC Chairman for alleged disobedience of court orders. They claim they are motivated by the need to strengthen the fight against corruption.
“Information available to the commission indicates that the group is sponsored by persons under investigation by the commission and have been mobilised and mandated by their paymaster to embarrass the person of the chairman through choreographed street protests across the country, until he is removed from office.”
Deposit Money Banks have begun to ration the disbursements of old N1,000 and N500 notes to their customers amid uncertainty over whether the Central Bank of Nigeria will release the old notes in its custody.
This came about 24 hours after the CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele, announced that old N1,000, N500 and N200 notes remained legal tender.
But despite the CBN’s statement on Monday night, the Nigeria Labour Congress on Tuesday insisted on the seven-day ultimatum it gave the Federal Government to end the cash crunch.
The apex bank’s position came on the heels of several weeks of confusion over the legal status of the old currencies amid a series of Supreme Court judgments in a suit between some state governments and the Federal Government.
The declaration by the CBN was expected to put an end to the scarcity of old and new naira notes that had inflicted pain on Nigerians but findings by The PUNCH on Tuesday revealed that the naira crisis might not be over soon.
Investigations by our correspondents revealed that banks were rationing old notes to their customers via over-the-counter payments with a few lenders loading their Automated Teller Machines.
But The PUNCH findings revealed that the majority of the lenders in Lagos, Abuja, Ogun, Kwara and other states were paying only N5,000 to each customer over the counters, while a few banks paid N10,000 only.
Further findings indicated that only a few banks loaded their ATMs and most of them were disbursing only N5,000.
The Nigeria Police Force has declared the member representing Bauchi Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Yakubu Shehu, wanted.
The police announced a N1m reward for anyone with useful information that could lead to his arrest.
According to the police, the 45-year-old lawmaker is wanted for criminal conspiracy, causing grievous hurt, disturbance of public peace and culpable homicide.
This was contained in the Special Police Gazette Bulletin with Reference Number: CB: 2685/Bsx/VOL.T/4s with the caption: “wanted”.
It was shared with journalists by the Police Public Relations Officer, Ahmed Wakil.
“Honourable Yakubu Abdullahi Shehu (Wakilin Birni), ‘m’ 45 years old. Last known address: Off Danjuma Goje Street, Makama New Extension, Jahun ward, Bauchi Local Government, Bauchi State.
“The above person is hereby declared wanted by the Nigeria Police on CRO Form 5, issued by the Inspector-General of Police.
“He is wanted in connection with a case of criminal conspiracy, causing grievous hurt, inciting disturbance of public peace and culpable homicide.
“Anyone with information that could assist in his arrest should please contact; 08151849417 or report at any nearest police station,” the bulletin read.
The Afegbua family announced her passing in a statement issued on Sunday.
Afegbua, 79, was a native of Okpella, a town in Etsako-east LGA of old Bendel state (now split into Edo and Delta states).
“The Afegbua family of Edo state has confirmed the demise of the first woman senator in Nigeria, Senator Franca Afegbua, whose sad event occurred this morning, Sunday, March 12, 2023. She combined beauty and brain during her service to Nigeria. Funeral details will be announced by the family soon,” the family said.
She was elected the senator representing Bendel-north in October 1983 under the National Party of Nigeria (NPN) in Nigeria’s second republic.
Her political journey was, however, cut short as the military coup of December 1983 toppled the civilian government less than three months after she assumed office.
Speaking on how she was able to clinch her senatorial seat at a time the Nigerian political space was largely dominated by men, Afegbua told PLAC in a 2022 interview that women are known to keep their promises.
“People know that women keep to their promises. That was a major factor, a major one. I intended to keep my promises to my people, and I made them understand that,” Afegbua said.
“I think there has been some improvement since my time. There was no woman in the senate before me then but there are women now. Then, I was the only woman but now, there is more than one. I believe the number will increase gradually.
“I remember the day I was sworn in. I felt fulfilled but that did not stop me from continuing to engage with the women and youths in my community. Agitations for affirmative action to enable more women get into the legislature to address the low representation of women is good for women. I am happy we started something, and it is good others have built on our effort.
“My advice is that they should be determined and not lose focus. If they remain serious about their ambition to help their people, they should go ahead and run, and they can be successful.”
Ahead of the 2023 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examinations for the admissions into the 2023/2024 academic session in tertiary institutions across the country, data obtained from the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board on Sunday by our correspondent revealed that 10 states presented less than 200,000 candidates for the examinations.
Based on the data from the board, the 10 states with the highest number of candidates are Borno with 16,793 candidates; Taraba (16,686); Bayelsa (16,494); Adamawa (15,504); Jigawa (13,983); Kebbi (13,482); Sokoto (13,042); while the three states at the bottom of the chain are Ebonyi with 11,172 candidates; Yobe (10,522), and Zamfara (4,988).
The board on its website noted that “at the end of the 2023 UTME registration exercise, the sum of N1,226,406,300 that would have been paid to JAMB-owned centres was paid to CBT centres as registration charges.”
Hailing the conduct of privately owned CBT centres, the Registrar of the board, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, said, “Based on the statistics obtained from the 2023 UTME registration data, it is crystal clear that privately-owned CBT centres performed better than their publicly-owned counterparts, which ironically have better facilities as they derived their funding from the public treasury.
“Based on the post-registration analysis conducted by the board, it was discovered that the below par performance of these publicly-owned centres is not on account of lack of facilities, competent personnel or needed resources, but for lack of sufficient commitment to drive the process.”
The 95th Academy Awards wrapped up in Hollywood on Sunday night.
Sci-fi comedy-drama Everything Everywhere All at Once was the big winner, taking home seven Oscars from 11 nominations. The film made history, with Michelle Yeoh becoming the first woman of Asian descent to take home the Best Actress award.
Jimmy Kimmel hosted the awards a year after actor Will Smith’s infamous slap on comedian Chris Rock.
The residence of Akenfa on Friday blocked the Melford Okilo road which leads is the major road in yenagoa to protest for the state government address the public concerning the usage of the old N500 and N1000 naira notes.
Since the Bayelsa state government have refused to say something like other states concerning the supreme court judgement on the old naira notes which they were interested party in the suit which they lost residence have taken their anger to the streets of Akenfa blocking the Melford Okilo road.
Concerning the supreme order for the old N500 and N1000 to remain valid and legal tender till December 31st 2023, marketers and tricycle users still rejects it in yenagoa Bayelsa State.
No fewer than 10 passengers were burnt to death on Oyo-Ogbomoso Road on Thursday. The passengers, involved in a head-on collision involving a Mazda and a Toyota Hiace passenger bus, … Continue reading 10 burnt to death on Oyo-Ogbomoso Road
Personnel from the Nigerian Army’s 9 Brigade recovered 1,671 Permanent Voter Cards from an apartment in the Olodi-Apapa area of Lagos State on Wednesday.
According to Eons Intelligence on Thursday, three people were arrested in the apartment, while the main suspect was said to be on the run.
The troops also recovered ballot papers, cutlasses, and Indian hemp from the apartment.
Beautiful photos, as Yentown man promises to be the best husband to his Bride to be, he says she brought order into his life. This was shared on his Facebook … Continue reading COMING SOON: The Mayor’s Wedding
BREAKING: INEC chairman, National Commissioners in closed-door meeting over gov election The Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, and his commissioners are currently in a meeting. This may … Continue reading
The presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, has decided to cancel his campaign trips and attend court proceedings with his lawyers.
Obi made the statement via his Twitter handle on Wednesday.
He said, “I am supposed to commence our whistle-stop campaign for our various Labour Party Governorship and State Assembly Candidates today.
“Initially, my trip was to take me to Nasarawa, Lagos, Enugu, Abia, Delta, Edo, Rivers, Plateau, Borno, etc.
“However, following INEC’s refusal to allow our party to inspect the materials (including BVAS) from the 25th February presidential elections, I am personally heading to the court today with our lawyers.
“As we pursue due process and defer to the rule of law, I urge all the OBIdients in the various states to continue campaigning for our candidates.”
Heavenly Treats Oh, how thy lips doth tempt my palate fair,With flavors sweet and delicate to bear,Each taste, a heavenly treat, my heart does ensnare,A blissful indulgence beyond compare. As we savor these delectable delights,Our desires soar to new, unimagined heights,For in each other’s arms we find true love,A sweet, divine gift from the heavens […]
Stories written every day,as people form history.Reflective fears on displayanguished eyes hide misery. Vast seas carry frantic tears,night tides bring dark shadows.Sleepwalk through a beach so clear,each foreseen step feels shallow. Navigate through anchored dreams,every goal left on the shore.Gamble through loud muted screams,winning always begs for more. Greedy and needy hungertakes big bites off […]
ICYMI: Mothers are life’s mouthpiece. They are timeless teachers in the classroom of life. Women, especially mothers, are the most influential educators.
A Lagos Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja, on Tuesday sentenced a businessman, Ernest Uduebor, who is into oil and gas, to one-year imprisonment for being in possession of a forged Fidelity Bank draft to the tune of N100m.
Justice Ramon Oshodi convicted and sentenced him after he pleaded guilty to one count of being in possession of a forged document.
Uduebor was first arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on January 27, 2023, alongside Oladepo Babatunde, Funmilayo Oladimeji and Maclean Surulere.
They were arraigned on a seven-count bordering on conspiracy, forgery and possession of fraudulent documents.
EFCC’s prosecuting counsel, Mr Samuel Daji, told the court that Uduebor committed the offence on January 28, 2022.
The commission said they conspired to forge several Fidelity Bank managers’ cheques purporting the same to be issued by the bank in favour of So Deep Energy and Logistics Limited.
The defendants pleaded not guilty to all the charges preferred against them.
In view of their plea, the prosecution counsel, Daji, asked the court for a trial date.
“We also urge the court to remand the defendants at the correctional facility,” he said.
The younger brother of a slain senatorial candidate in Nigeria’s election has been elected to replace his brother on the ballot.
Kelvin Chukwu is now the candidate of the Labour Party (LP) for the Enugu East District, Enugu State, south-east Nigeria, as a replacement for his brother, Oyibo Chukwu, who was assassinated along Amaechi-Agbani Road within Enugu metropolis at about 7:20 p.m. on 22 February, barely two days to the elections on 25 February.
The election had to be shifted to 11 March because of the assassination.
It is unclear for now if the police had arrested those behind the incident.
The new candidate, Mr Chukwu, scored 223 votes in the primary election to defeat his rivals, Uchenna Ogbodo, Chinedu Nneji and Christian Onyeni.
A Nigerian lady resorted to getting married in a wheelchair after she suffered a leg dislocation from a fall.
She stated that the devil was late and returned all the glory to God that the wedding was successful despite the setback. She shared a clip and some scenes from the church wedding, saying God did it.
Five Nigerian men and a Bhutanese woman have been arrested by Gautam Buddha Nagar police for allegedly defrauding hundreds of women after befriending them on different dating apps.
The police authority which disclosed the arrest on Sunday said the accused were arrested on Saturday, adding that they created fake profiles on dating apps like Tinder, Bumble, Ok Cupid, Badoo, and Hinge, and befriended women by claiming to be plastic surgeons and natives of India, a report by Express News Service said.
“They used to create a fake story of arrival in India to meet the women and being caught at the airport during Customs checking in the name of bringing foreign currency. After this, a gang member would pose as Customs officer and cheat the women by taking money as Customs duty for releasing the person,” said an official.
The police identified the accused as Okolie Stephen, 34, Okolie Prosper, 32, Okosindhi Michael, 23, Umadi Roland, 26 and Okolie Daniel – all from the Delta State of Nigeria, residing in Supertech Eco Village Golf Country of Dankaur police station.
The other accused, Kunjangmo, 36, hails from Trongsa state of Bhutan and had been operating in the city for the past three months.
The police said the accused persons came to India in 2021 on an education and medical visa for six months but stayed illegally even after their visas expired.
“The Sector-20 police station received information that a woman complained that someone cheated her through a dating app. She had a chat on the app with a person named Dr Malvik. The man had described himself as a Netherlands resident and said he was coming to meet the woman in India.
“Then he told the woman that Customs officials caught him in India and they were asking for money. The woman paid for this but then learned that she had been duped. The Sector-20 police station investigated the matter and arrested five people of Nigerian origin,” said Deputy Commissioner of Police (Noida) Harish Chander.
The woman member of the gang used to talk to the victims posing as a Customs officer. After receiving the money, the accused used to switch off their phones and disappear,” said Chander.
The DCP also said that the police were analysing the chats which showed that the gang had duped hundreds of women. The police said the accused befriended women from countries like Portugal, Sweden, Netherlands as well and cheated them. They said the accused had been doing this for the last eight years.
The police recovered three laptops, 17 mobile phones, one internet dongle, Rs 40,860 cash, three passports, and one scooter, and froze around Rs 1.25 lakh in the State Bank of India (SBI) account of the accused.
They registered a case under Indian Penal Code (IPC) Section 420 (cheating) and Information Technology Act Section 66D at the Sector-20 police station.
The Presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, Atiku Abubakar and his running mate, Ifeanyi Okowa are currently leading a protest today (Monday) to the national headquarters of the…1
Photo of a lady was seen trending online as she wore a Salvation Ministries Glory Reign polo to an Egbesu shrine.
Popular Bayelsa Base online personality AKA Ben Naija reacting to the photo calls out former Bayelsa State government new media aid, Comr. Bodmas P. Kemepadei as he says “una member don wear GLORY REIGN shirt enter Egbesu shrine oo’ with a laugh emoji
Winnell Shaw, a resident of Lawrenceville has been celebrated by her four generations Family for her 100-year milestone on earth. She was seen in a lovely family video streamed on 11Alive news in recognition of the successful years.
Winnell’s many years have been characterized by love and good deeds according to local news conversations. She is popularly known for her service to the community by way of helping deliver babies for expecting families in Lawrenceville where she was born before moving to Atlanta.
The ruling All Progressives Congress, APC as wwii as the President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu are stepping up preparations for the March 11 Governorship and House of Assembly poll in Lagos.
Recall that the APC and Tinubu recorded great upset in that February 25th Presidential election, where the Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party,LP, Peter Obi defeated Tinubu in Lagos.
Obi won in nine of the 20 local governments and polled 582,130 votes to beat Tinubu, who won 11 LGAs with 571, 575 votes.
Obviously unsettled by this development, the topmost echelon of the ruling APC have gone back to the drawing board to woo voters in a bid to avert reoccurring voter apathy in the Saturday poll.
I, Bishop Ken Esekhaigbe having a great time with Pastor Yemi Davids and Pastor Poju Oyemade, men I celebrate with all my heart. I sincerely cherish my relationship with these gospel icons and leaders at various capacities. Thank you for being a blessing to me and many others.
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, on Sunday, has said it is not the intention of God for Nigeria to be a poor country, saying the situation of the country should be blamed on its political leadership.
He said it was lamentable that Nigeria had not taken advantage of science and technology to attain self-sufficiency in food production.
The former president stated this at a lecture organised to mark his 86th birthday in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.
He said, “God has created Nigeria for a great purpose. At independence, the world did not refer to Nigeria as giant in Africa, no, they refered to Nigeria as giant in the sun; Nigeria was more than giant in Africa, it was giant in the sun. But not only have we not been giant in the sun, we have not even been giant in Africa. Some people called us giant with clay feet.
“That is not what God has created Nigeria to be; that is what we Nigerians have inadvertently or advertently made Nigeria to be. But will Nigeria continue to be so, I believe no. So, we must continue to hold ourselves together, pray and understand all the factors and the elements that are making us not to be the giant, but the dwarf of Africa and how we can get out of it and I believe and pray that we will get out of it.”
On food security, the ex-president said, “Until Ukraine war, I really did not realise how much we in Africa, almost all of us in Africa depend on the Russians and the Ukrainians for wheat. Wheat, which is used to make bread, is only carbohydrate. Are there no carbohydrate foodstuffs that can be produced in Africa that we can be self-sufficient in? I know some of our countries cannot produce wheat and this is the sort of thing that IITA has been doing.
“Science and technology has given us all that we need for food and nutrition security in Africa what is left is political will and political action.”
Earlier in his lecture, titled “The Complex Dynamics in Achieving Food and Nutrition Security in Africa,” a former Director-General of the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, Dr Nteranya Sanginga, lamented that African countries, despite being blessed with fertile land, still spend billions of dollars importing food.
Sanginga said by spending N11bn annually to import food, Nigeria was improving other countries’ Internally Generated Revenue to its own detriment.
He said for Africa to ensure food security, governments must show more political will and determination.
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