Crime Facts

Projects All Over The Country Justify Buhari’s Borrowings – Fashola

  The Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, has said infrastructural projects all over the country justify the foreign debts by the present administration. According to the Minister, President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration met N18billion in 2015 appropriated for works, saying the government had to borrow to execute the projects.   According to the Minister, President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration met N18billion in 2015 appropriated for works, saying the government had to borrow to execute the projects. Fake news demoralising security agencies — Buhari Buhari warns MDA boards against interference, contract awards Fashola spoke on Thursday at the opening ceremony of the 28th National Council of Works meeting holding in Kano. He said, “Our first budget [in 2016] was over N250 billion up from the N18 billion we met in 2015, that was an increase of over a thousand percent, even though the price of crude oil was dropping, we did not raise taxes. “So, some of these monies had to be borrowed. So, when you hear those conversations about public debts, this is where the money went. Just remember that. And, every time, I ask people who say don’t borrow, I am not suggesting that we should not be concerned about borrowing, but I am also saying who does not need the projects? Let us see the state from any of the 36 states here, is there a project in your own state that you want us to stop, because we will reduce the debt by that number,” Fashola asked the states’ commissioners of works in attendance. He also said the Federal Government has been able to deliver more than 1,800 kilometers of roads across the six geopolitical zones so far, and is determined to complete all the ongoing projects before the expiration of their tenure in May next year. The Minister also said the best way to legitimately distribute money to the economy is through infrastructure, adding that their projects have revived over 320,000 jobs who were laid off by previous administrations for relegating works. Also speaking, Kano state Governor, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, said there is need for synergy between the federal highways and states and thanked the Buhari administration for initiating projects in Kano state. He, however, lamented that Nigeria could have benefited positively from the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war if previous administration had provided the needed infrastructure to transport Nigeria’s gas to other countries, especially through the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano gas pipeline and Kano-Katsina-Maradi rail line. Daily Trust reports that the five-day council meeting which started on Monday brought together different stakeholders.

China upholds death sentence for US citizen over murder

  A Chinese court on Thursday upheld the death penalty for a US citizen over the murder of his girlfriend, calling the conviction “accurate” and sentence “appropriate”. Shadeed Abdulmateen had been found guilty in April of stabbing the 21-year-old woman in the face and neck multiple times when they met to talk about disagreements in their relationship. He appealed against the death sentence handed to him at the time. But a higher court in eastern China on Thursday rebuffed Abdulmateen’s appeal, according to an official statement. The Zhejiang High People’s Court said Abdulmateen had threatened the woman after she told him multiple times that she wanted to break up. On the night of the murder in June 2021 they met near a bus stop in Ningbo, about 150 kilometres (90 miles) south of Shanghai. Abdulmateen turned up with a folding knife and “stabbed Chen’s neck and face multiple times, causing Chen to lose a large volume of blood and die on the spot”. The court on Thursday said the initial conviction was “accurate, the sentencing was appropriate, and the trial procedure was legal”. The US embassy in Beijing did not immediately reply to a request for comment. Human rights groups say China executes more prisoners every year than any other country, but executions of Westerners are rare. The most recent case involving a Westerner is believed to be that of Akmal Shaikh, a British citizen put to death in 2009 for heroin trafficking, according to state news agency Xinhua.

Oronsaye report: White paper committee submits report, recommends dialogue with NASS

  The white paper committee set up by the federal government to review the parastatals, agencies and commissions created since 2014 has submitted a draft report. Boss Mustapha, secretary to the government of the federation (SGF), inaugurated the committee on July 1 in Abuja. The committee was given a six-week time frame to submit its report. Ebele Okeke, former head of service, was appointed to chair the committee. Submitting the report at the office of the SGF on Thursday, Okeke said in carrying out the assignment, “the committee considered the current economic challenges and the requirement for government to utilize resources more efficiently in order to reduce cost of governance”. Other factors considered include “the need to develop diverse sources of revenue for government as well as encourage some agencies of government to be self-funding; the principle of building strong institutions to guarantee service delivery to the populace and the imperative to grow the economy, create employment and stay on the critical path to achieve development objectives”. Okeke said the committee also carried out a “content analysis of the legal framework setting up the PAS under review, analysis of the budgetary provisions of the PACs for the period under consideration”.   She said the committee “observed that the legal framework/enabling Act of some of the PACs did not clearly define structure, management and oversight,” adding that “most of the laws used agency, commission and board interchangeably”. “For instance, where the organization is defined as a commission, the provisions of the law did not support the structure of a commission. In this regard, where the committee recommended change in status/name, amendment of the Act/Law 1s also recommended, accordingly,” she added. Okeke said the committee also observed that most of the agencies created — especially under education and health — were through bills that emanated from the national assembly. She therefore recommended that “it is important to engage and dialogue with the NASS to generate an understanding to streamline the creation of new PACs”. The committee said some of the recommendations can be considered low-hanging fruits that can be implemented immediately after approval of the white paper.   Noting that the draft white paper is made up of three parts, the committee chairman said: “Part I has introduction and purpose; Part II shows the PACs, the recommendations and remarks of the review committee, comments and recommendations by this committee for consideration of the federal government and Part III is the implementation plan and key performance indicators.”

More than 180 killed in a month by Afghan floods

  More than 180 people have been killed and 3,000 homes destroyed by floods in Afghanistan over the past month, a government spokesman said Thursday. Zabihullah Mujahid said the scale of the damage had been worse because of the mismanagement of infrastructure by the previous government. However, the hardline Taliban regime that returned to power a year ago is also struggling to cope. “If the floods and the losses increase, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan does not have that many resources to respond to all of it,” Mujahid told a press conference in Kabul. Heavy rains have lashed several provinces, with the worst of the flooding in the east of the country. Dozens of Afghans die every year in torrential rains — especially in poor rural areas where badly constructed houses can easily collapse. Since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan the country has been plunged further into economic and humanitarian crises, worsened by the freezing of billions in assets held abroad and a slash in aid funding. The Taliban called on the international community, particularly Muslim countries, to help the government meet the needs of flood victims.

EXTRA: Malawi deports Nigerian

  Malawian authorities at the Department of Immigration and Citizenship Service in Lilongwe have deported a Nigerian man Kelly Kayode Adedokuni for trying to acquire a Malawi national identity card. According to Face of Malawi, the 44-year-old was arrested earlier this month when he tried to acquire a Malawi national identity card through the National Registration Bureau (NRB) office in the capital city. The Regional Immigration Office spokesperson, Inspector Pasqually Zulu said, “the deportee was charged with an offence of false declaration for obtaining a Malawi national ID and then attempting to acquire a Malawi passport. Being a foreign national, a deportation order was made on the 15th August, 2022 by the country’s Homeland Security Minister Jean Sendeza who gave Adedokuni three days ultimatum to leave Malawi.” Zulu disclosed to journalists on Wednesday that Adedokuni was deported by Immigration officials this week through the Kamuzu International Airport, in a development that is in line with Section 4 Subsection (1) of the Immigration act. Meanwhile, the Department of Immigration and Citizenship Services has appealed to all foreign nationals residing in Malawi to respect the rule of law saying they risk deportation if they fail to comply

NANS can’t resolve ASUU strike – Ashefon

  The President, National Association of Nigerian Students, Sunday Ashefon, on Thursday, described strike actions in the tertiary education sector in Nigeria as a challenge that administrations of the student body will not be able to resolve. Ashefon disclosed this during the 40th anniversary of NANS which was held at the National Universities Commission in Abuja. He said, “Perhaps the tertiary education sector in Nigeria is faced with one of the strongest tests in our history in the last few years. We have witnessed the total collapse of the sector as a result of the incessant strike. “This challenge alone is bigger than what any NANS administration could resolve. However, our nation’s education system is on the brink and the entire nation must rise to the rescue. Where we go from here as a nation is dependent on how we collectively gather the crackers of the collapsing education system and rebuild it together as a nation. Strike: No end in sight, state varsities insist “Nigeria does not belong here, our tertiary education system does not belong here and this is already taking its tore on the nation’s economy, security, and faith of the young people in the nation and its education system. We all must rise to the rescue. “As we celebrate today, let us remember that we are only gathered here because education is part of our story and life, we must therefore do all it takes to ensure this part of our national life does not become a story of the past”. The PUNCH reports that NANS is the umbrella body of all Nigerian students of tertiary institutions in Nigeria and the diaspora. The body has come under fire by stakeholders who have accused it of not pressuring the Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities to find lasting solutions to incessant strikes in Nigerian universities.

Nigeria’s revenue crossed N1trn for the second month in July

  The federation’s revenue from the oil and non-oil sector crossed N1 trillion for the second month in July. Details of the revenue report from the office of the accountant-general of the federation seen by TheCable showed that the country raked in N1.26 trillion for the month. The figure represents a N36.9 billion increase from the N1.22 trillion revenue recorded in June. According to the breakdown, Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) raked in N292.8 billion, while the Nigeria Customs made N190.26 billion for the month. On taxes, revenue from the oil sector to the Federal Inland Revenue Service amounted to N191.7 billion, while the non-oil sector contributed the highest for the month at N444.65 billion. For value-added tax (VAT), FIRS raked in N190.26 billion down from N208.15 billion recorded in June 2022. For the seventh consecutive month in 2022, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (Limited) failed to contribute revenue to the federation purse as subsidy payments eroded oil gains. In the first half of 2022, TheCable reported that petroleum subsidy claims surpassed oil and gas revenue from crude sales by N210 billion. Within the period, NNPC recorded N2.39 trillion as gross revenue from oil and gas sales receipts and N2.6 trillion as subsidy claims. It, however, deducted N1.59 trillion to cover part of the subsidy costs. Further analysis showed that out of the 1.26 trillion revenue for July, the federation account allocation committee (FAAC) shared N954.09 billion among the three tiers of government — after statutory deductions. The federal government received N406.610 billion, states received N281.342 billion, and the local governments received N210.617 billion. According to World Bank, Nigeria’s revenue-to-gross domestic product ratio is weak and one of the lowest in the world. Stakeholders have urged the federal government to block loopholes and increase revenue generation and collection. Last month, ‘Laoye Jaiyeola, chief executive officer of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG), said the government’s expenditure in the country had grown by 105 percent since 2015, while revenue increased by 15 percent. Source: TheCable

Terrorists kill one, abduct several others in Katsina

  Terrorists have blocked Katsina – Jibia highway, killed one passenger and abducted several others in an early evening attack on commuters Wednesday. Sources told PREMIUM TIMES that a corpse was recovered at the scene of the attack around Kadobe village. Katsina – Jibia highway links to Maradi in the Niger Republic and Zamfara State. It has over 18 security checkpoints. A military barracks and a correctional facility are also along the highway. Nasir Mustapha, whose siblings were abducted said the attackers blocked the road around 5 p.m. His brother Nasir Kacilu and sister, Fiddausi Mustapha were abducted on their way from Katsina to Jibia. “He (Mr Kacilu) was returning from Dutsi and he called Fiddausi who was in Katsina to join him so they could return home (Jibia) together. I was in Katsina too when they left. I called them around 4:17 p.m and they said they were going together. That was the last time I spoke with them,” he said. Mr Kacilu is an official of Dutsi Local Government Area of the state. Mr Mustapha said the bandits contacted the family around 10:00 p.m. and demanded a ransom before their relatives will be released. “My brother called Nasir’s line in the night and the bandits answered. They promised to get back to us to negotiate the ransom but also told us to keep praying,” he said TEXEM Advert Another source, who sought anonymity, said the attackers came on six motorcycles and started shooting sporadically, forcing the two vehicles to stop. “I was coming from the Jibia side and I saw them. I stopped my motorcycle and returned but they were six motorcycles with two bandits each.” The spokesperson of Katsina Police Command, Gambo Isa, did not respond to calls and SMS sent to him for comments. Terrorists, locally called bandits, have intensified attacks on motorists. Federal and local highways have been serially attacked with motorists being killed and others abducted. These terrorists have been abducting residents in the North-west and a part of North-central Nigeria leading to the death of hundreds of thousands of people and displacement of millions of others.

Nigerian Woman sells three-week-old baby for N600,000

  The Ogun State Police Command has arrested a 23-year-old woman, Mary Olatayo, for allegedly selling her three weeks old baby for N600,000. The command’s Police Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Oyeyemi, disclosed this in a statement on Thursday. Oyeyemi said the suspect was arrested following a complaint from the father of the baby. The PPRO said the father reported the matter at Mowe divisional headquarters, narrating that, he met Mary Olatayo sometime ago and they started dating each other. He said “The man stated further that, Mary got pregnant in the process and he rented an apartment for her where she lived till she was delivered of a baby boy. “He complained further that the lady suddenly disappeared with the baby from the apartment three weeks after delivery only for her to be found in a hotel where she has gone for a hookup with another man. “All efforts to know where the baby is proved futile. “On the strength of his complaint, the DPO Mowe division, SP Folake Afeniforo, detailed detectives to the scene where the suspect was arrested and brought to the station. “On interrogation, Mary Olatayo confessed to the police that she has sold the baby to someone in Anambra State at the rate of six hundred thousand naira. “She confessed that it was her friend Chioma Esther Ogbonna who led her to the buyer in Anambra and that they both shared the money equally. “Her confession led to the arrest of Chioma Esther Ogbonna who also corroborated Mary’s claims. “Further investigation revealed that Mary Olatayo a native of Omu-Aran in Kwara state is a call girl, who sees the baby as a disturbance to her business hence she decided to do away with the baby. “Fortunately for her, she has an accomplice in Chioma, a native of Imo state who quickly contacted the buyer in Anambra state.” The PPRO said the Commissioner of Police, Lanre Bankole, has ordered the transfer of the suspects to the anti-human trafficking and child labour unit of the state Criminal Investigation Departments for further investigation. He said, “The CP also directed that everything possible must be done to recover the baby.”

Nigeria’s Peter Okpaleke To Be Sworn-In As Catholic Cardinal

  The Bishop of Ekwulobia, Peter Okpaleke, is scheduled to be one of 20 new cardinals to be sworn in on Saturday by the Catholic church. Pope Francis had earlier named Okpaleke as one of the new cardinals – many of whom could one day choose his successor. It is the eighth consistory since the 85-year-old Pope was elected in 2013, but is being particularly closely watched for signs of the kind of Catholic Church he hopes to leave behind. The new cardinals include men known for their progressive views and their pastoral work, and they hail from around the world: from Brazil to Nigeria, India, Singapore and East Timor. After Saturday’s swearing-in at St Peter’s Basilica, they will join a two-day meeting of all cardinals starting Monday. The gathering was called earlier this year to discuss the pope’s new constitution for the governance of the church — but has only fuelled speculation he is on his way out. Francis, who has cancelled numerous events in recent months and been forced to use a wheelchair due to knee pain, said last month “the door is open” to stepping down. If he did follow his predecessor Benedict XVI and resign, a conclave involving all cardinals aged under 80 would be called to choose a successor. After this weekend, Francis will have chosen around 90 out of the 132 cardinals eligible to elect a new pope, around two-thirds of the total — precisely the percentage needed for any proposed name to pass. Global choices The naming of cardinals, normally an annual event, is always scrutinised as an indication of the future direction of the Catholic Church and its priorities for its 1.3 billion faithful. But Francis’s choices for cardinals do not automatically guarantee that the next pope would be someone reflecting his own priorities, Vatican specialist Bernard Lecomte told AFP. “We always have the impression there will be continuity, but in reality, history has shown the opposite,” said Lecomte, citing the “balancing” from one pope to the next throughout the 20th century. Francis’ papacy has been defined by efforts to make the Church more inclusive, transparent and focused on the most vulnerable members of society. This year the Argentine pontiff completed a major shake-up of the Vatican’s powerful governing body, the Roman Curia, which makes winning new converts a priority. He has named cardinals who have rejected Church hierarchy and status quo and helped to counter the centuries-long hegemony of Europeans. Virgilio Do Carmo Da Silva, the archbishop of Dili, will on Saturday become the first cardinal of tiny East Timor, an overwhelmingly Catholic nation in Southeast Asia. Another new appointment is Robert McElroy, the 68-year-old bishop of San Diego, California, who has supported gay Catholics and criticised moves to deny Communion to US politicians — like President Joe Biden — who support abortion. Two years ago, the pope made history by creating the first African-American cardinal — Wilton Gregory, the archbishop of Washington. And Saturday will also see the creation of the youngest cardinal in the world, 48-year-old Italian missionary Giorgio Marengo, who works in Mongolia. Curia insiders The group also includes Leonardo Ulrich Steiner, archbishop of Manaus, Brazil. Three future cardinals already hold positions in the Curia: Arthur Roche of Britain, Lazzaro You Heung-sik of South Korea, and Fernando Vergez Alzaga of Spain. Lucas Van Looy, the 80-year-old bishop emeritus of Ghent, was nominated as a cardinal but asked to be exempted following criticism of his handling of child sexual abuse by priests in Belgium. On Saturday, the future cardinals will kneel one by one at the feet of the pontiff, who will place on their heads the quadrangular scarlet cap, or biretta. The ceremony will be followed by the Vatican’s traditional “courtesy visit,” in which the new cardinals greet the general public.