Crime Facts

[Updated] ASUU Strike: FG To Pay Additional N15bn Revitalisation Fund, Total Now N35bn

The Federal Government has agreed to pay an additional N15 billion as revitalisation fund demanded by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU). The Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige, disclosed this on Friday at a press briefing in Abuja, the nation’s capital. He noted that the money to be paid would make it a total of N35 billion committed as revitalisation fund by the government following the payment of N20 billion earlier. Ngige briefed reporters at the end of a meeting with members of the union led by the ASUU President, Professor Biodun Ogunyemi. He described the meeting as a fruitful one, noting that the government has decided to shift grounds on the lingering issues. The minister revealed that the government and ASUU have also reached an agreement on how to pay the withheld salaries of the lecturers. More to follow…

BREAKING: 9 missing police officers rescued

The Nigeria Police have rescued 9 Police Officers who earlier went missing on 8th November, 2020 between Kankara town and Sheme in Katsina State after the night commercial bus they were traveling in came under attack by heavily armed men, all dressed in Military Camouflage, but suspected to be bandits. Crimefacts.News reported that the officers, all Assistant Superintendents of Police (ASPs), were on their way to Gusau in Zamfara State from Maiduguri at the time of the incident. According to the force’s Spokesperson, DCP Frank Mba, “Two of the officers are currently receiving medical attention in a hospital, while the remaining seven are being debriefed. Disclosing further, he said that the Covert operation to locate and rescue the officers commenced immediately, noting they were discovered missing en-route to their destination. “Thus, the apparent delay in commenting on the unfortunate incident was a deliberate decision aimed at protecting the integrity and confidentiality of the rescue operation and the concomitant safety of the officers. ” It is also important to state that preliminary investigation has shown that the attack on the vehicle was an opportunistic crime as the officers were all traveling in mufti, unarmed and alongside other private citizens in the commercial vehicle. “The total number of officers involved in the incident is nine (9) and not twelve (12) as previously, wrongly reported in some sections of the media, he said. According to Mba, “Follow-up investigation into the incident is still ongoing. Meanwhile, the Inspector General of Police, IGP Muhammed Adamu, reassures Nigerians that the Force is working assiduously to ensure an improved safety and tactical presence of police personnel on our highways as the yuletide approaches.

If You Don’t Like Us, Change Us All In 2023 — Senate President To Nigerians

Senate President Ahmad Lawan has challenged Nigerians to vote out the members of the ninth National Assembly in 2023 “if you don’t like us”. Lawan stated this on Friday at a retreat for top management of the National Assembly Service Commission and National Assembly in Abuja. He urged Nigerians to engage in debate as to what the National Assembly means to them rather than dissipate energy on jumbo salaries and allowance of the federal lawmakers. He said: What does the legislature mean to Nigerians. Can we debate properly what the functions of members of the National Assembly and indeed the legislature should be rather than be talking about jumbo pay? “We should be looking for value for money. Without the National Assembly or the legislature across the country, we won’t have democracy anymore. “We need to understand what the National Assembly or the legislature means to Nigerians.” He said the N128 billion budgeted for National Assembly is one percent of N13.08 trillion 2021 national budget. Lawan said Nigerians should instead demand value for money rather than engage in discussion on jumbo pay or closure of the National Assembly. “Instead of trying to see how N128 billion will be utilized by the National Assembly, what will be the outputs and how useful they are to the Nigerian public, Nigerians only argue that the budget should be cut, it is too much. “I’m not defending the National Assembly, but I’m here to encourage debate on what the National Assembly or the legislature means to us as a country and as people. “If you don’t like the set of members of the ninth National Assembly, change all of us in 2023. Get better people but help support the system to function,” he said. The Senate President also lamented inadequacy of legislative aides. Daily Trust reports that each federal lawmaker, aside the presiding officers, is entitled to five legislative aides. “I’m not advocating for more than necessary but what we have today is inadequate. He said the inadequacy of legislative aides placed additional burden on the staff of National Assembly as lawmakers have to rely on them the kind of services they cannot get from their assistants. Meanwhile, Lawan disclosed that the 2021 budget proposal would be passed by the National Assembly in second week of December. He also said the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) will be passed in the second quarter of next year, while amendments to the constitution and the electoral Act will be passed before the end of next year. N/Assembly to introduce e-hansard in 2021 Q1 The Clerk to the National Assembly, Arc. Ojo Olatunde Amos, said the nation’s apex legislative body will introduce e-hansard in first quarter of next year. E-hansard is official records of debates in verbatim form. He said though he inherited an analogue system, where legislators do not have prompt access to hansards, the management would not relent in pursuing the provision of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) materials to digitize the National Assembly. “To reduce papers flying around in the National Assembly, we will introduce e-hansard in first quarter of next year. You will agree with me that e-hansard is the most veritable tool in parliamentary process and practice,” he added. The leadership of National Assembly, he said, was committed to build the capacity of relevant staff, so that its legislative business would be at par with what is obtainable in other part of the world. He expressed optimism that the retreat would impact positively on parliamentary democracy in Nigeria, which, he said, would be meaningless without adequate training and retraining of parliamentary staff. The Director-General, National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS), Prof Abubakar Sulaiman, said the retreat would provide fresh ideas on how to reposition the National Assembly to be more accountable and efficient in delivering its mandates.

Bank customers to now pay for failed direct debit transactions

Bank customers will now pay a charge for failed direct debit transactions. According to the Guide to Charges by Banks, other financial and non-financial institutions published by the Central Bank of Nigeria, the charge will only apply to transactions that fail due to the account being unfunded. Customers will be required to pay either one percent of the amount or N5,000 (whichever is higher) as the penal charge. Direct debit is an arrangement made with a bank that allows a third party to transfer money from a person’s account on agreed dates. Stanbic IBTC notified customers of the penal charge through email on Thursday. “In line with the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) Guide to Charges, a failed direct debit transaction resulting from an unfunded account is liable to a charge of 1% of the transaction amount or N5,000 – the higher amount is applicable,” the email read. “While this penal charge is only applicable if a customer’s account is insufficiently funded at the time of the transaction, the qualifying amount shall be debited to customers account once it is funded. “We, therefore, wish to advise that you ensure your account is adequately funded at all times to facilitate a successful transaction, especially if you activate any form of direct debit instruction on your account.” Some customers are already questioning the directive on social media. I still haven’t gotten an answer for this. @StanbicIBTC what do you mean by this mail? https://t.co/0q1gmxaJyG — Adiaha Edidem🧡💚 (@Lucile_Kris) November 20, 2020 The penal charge is ONLY APPLICABLE IF THE CUSTOMER’S ACCOUNT IS INSUFFICIENTLY FUNDED at the time of the transaction”. pic.twitter.com/c5tkjTorIc — Fola Folayan (@TheFavoredWoman) November 20, 2020

Police Deny Shooting Vendor In Abuja

The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command has denied reports that a policeman attached to Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila, fired the gun that killed a newspaper vendor on Thursday in Abuja. Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Yusuf Mariam, in a statement on Friday, said the security agent, who fired the shot was not a policeman, according to preliminary investigations. She said the Commissioner of Police FCT CP. Bala Ciroma has ordered a discreet investigation into the incident. It reads: “The FCT Police Command wishes to unequivocally refute the allegation making round sections of the media that a Police officer attached to the convoy of the Speaker of the House of Representatives shot at a newspaper vendor within the Three Arm Zone on Thursday 19th November,2020. “Contrary to the misleading information, preliminary investigation into the unfortunate incident reveals that the security aide who shot at the vendor is not a member of the Nigeria Police Force. “However, the Commissioner of Police FCT CP. Bala Ciroma has ordered a discreet investigation into the incident. “While commiserating with the family and friends of the deceased, the Commissioner of Police wishes to guarantee members of the public that the Command will be lucid in its investigation and ensure the findings are made public.”

INSIDER: Nigeria signs MoU to import fuel from Niger Republic

The Nigerian government, through the ministry of petroleum resources, has signed a memorandum of understanding with the government of Niger Republic for petroleum products importation. According to a statement released by the ministry, Soraz Refinery in Zinder, Niger Republic, has an installed refining capacity of 20,000 barrels per day compared to the nation’s 5,000bpd domestic requirement. This leaves a surplus of 15,000 barrels per day. Mele Kyari, group managing director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), signed the MoU on behalf of Nigeria while Alio Toune, director-general of Niger Republic’s National Oil Company, Societe Nigerienne De Petrole (SONIDEP), signed on behalf of his country. The signing was witnessed by the ministers of state for petroleum of the two countries, Timipre Sylva for Nigeria and Foumakoye Gado for Niger Republic. “This is a major step forward. The Niger Republic has some excess products which need to be evacuated. Nigeria has the market for these products. Therefore, this is going to be a win-win relationship for both countries,” Sylva said. “My hope is that this is going to be the beginning of deepening trade relations between Niger Republic and Nigeria.” In his remarks, Kyari said the two countries have had long engagements in the last four to five months with a view to restoring the importation of petroleum products (excess production) from Niger into Nigeria. “With this development, we hope to have a long-lasting and sustainable commercial framework to have a pipeline from the Soraz Refinery in Zinder (Niger) into the most proximate Nigerian city so that we can develop a depot. “We are happy that we have reached that conclusion and our two ministers have endorsed this framework. We are also working on a detailed MoU between our two companies so that we can continue the execution process immediately.” Nigeria currently imports refined petroleum products despite having four refineries. As a result, scarce forex is spent to ensure that there is no scarcity in the country. Government officials have expressed hopes that the 350,000 capacity Dangote refinery being constructed will end the era of petroleum products importation in Nigeria.

Newspaper Vendors Protest Killing Of Colleague By Gbajabiamila’s Aide

Newspaper vendors in Abuja have taken to streets to protest the killing of one of their colleagues, Ifeanyi Okereke Elechi. Elechi was hit by a stray bullet from a security aide to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Honourable Femi Gbajabiamila, on Thursday evening. The Speaker confirmed the incident in a statement released in the early hours of Friday. According to him, Elechi was shot by the stray bullet, which was only intended to disperse a crowd while he was exchanging pleasantries with the newspaper vendors on his was out of the National Assembly. “A horrible incident has taken place. This evening as I left the national assembly, I stopped, as usual, to exchange pleasantries with the newspaper vendors at the corner,” he explained. “Many of them have known me since I first moved to Abuja and it was a friendly exchange. Unfortunately, after the convoy set out in continuation of movement, unidentified men obstructed the convoy which got the attention of security men in the convoy who shot into the air to disperse them.” The lawmaker narrated that some hours after they got to their destination, he was informed that the victim, identified as Ifeanyi had been hit by a stray bullet. He said this was “contrary to an earlier report by men in the convoy that they applied their security discretion to shoot in the air. “In the meantime; the officer who fired the fatal shot has been suspended from the convoy pending the conclusion of the investigation.” While sending his condolences to the family of the deceased, the Speaker expressed distraught about the incident.

BREAKING: Buhari finally receives Salami panel report on Magu

President Muhammadu Buhari has received the report of the presidential panel probing Ibrahim Magu, suspended acting chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). The president received the report at the council chamber of the presidential villa in Abuja on Friday. The panel headed by Ayo Salami, former president of the court of appeal, was set up to probe the EFCC from May 2015 to May 2020, when Magu was in charge of the agency. Magu, a commissioner of police, was whisked before the panel on July 6 by men of the Department of State Services (DSS), after reportedly ignoring its summons. He was suspended from office four days after his arrest. More to follow…

Katsina eyes N68.5b loan to finance 2021 budget

The Katsina State Government has concluded plans on an N68.5 billion credit to finance its 2021 budget. Governor Aminu Masari had, on Wednesday, presented an N282.8 billion proposal to the House of Assembly for consideration. Addressing reporters on the fiscal document yesterday, the Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Farouk Jobe, said the state would raise N50 billion in Sukuk bonds, and another N18.5 billion from foreign sources. He said the current administration shunned commercial banks owing to the high interest the facility might attract. Jobe noted that part of the loans would go for completion of major infrastructure abandoned due to paucity of funds. His words: “Some of these projects include the expansion and rehabilitation of 22 general hospitals across the state, out of which eight have been completed. “We also hope to upgrade three others to general hospital status and construct key major road projects in the urban and rural areas of the state. “In addition, we plan to build more primary and secondary schools and have a school of nursing in Daura, as well as a school of midwifery in Mani council area.” The commissioner allayed fears that the government had borrowed too much over the years to affect the future of the state. According to him, earlier facilities had either been repaid or at the verge of being liquidated. He clarified: “The state government borrowed N5 billion during its first tenure to complete three road projects initiated by the previous administration. “These projects have since been completed, with the loan paid to the financing commercial bank. “Katsina’s loan portfolio stands at six per cent, and 34 other states are ahead of us in borrowing. We are among two with least loan portfolios in the country.”