Godwin Emefiele, governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), will return to Nigeria next week after the expiration of his leave, TheCable understands. Emefiele went on leave before Christmas with the knowledge of President Muhammadu Buhari, presidency insiders informed TheCable. He spent the first part of his leave in the US but TheCable confirmed on Thursday that he is currently in the UK. The leave ends on January 17 and he will be at his desk thereafter, TheCable was informed. When he went on leave, it emerged that the Department of State Services (DSS) had approached a federal high court in Abuja seeking a warrant to arrest him over allegations that he was involved in terrorism financing and economic crimes. In declining the motion ex parte — usually filed by an applicant in the absence of the respondent — Justice JT Tsoho, the chief judge, said the secret police did not provide any concrete evidence to substantiate its claims. There were suggestions that the bid to arrest Emefiele might be political given the impact the redesign of the naira and limit on cash withdrawals might have on vote-buying in the 2023 elections. A group of civil society organisations raised the alarm that there was a plot to frame Emefiele for terrorism and remove him from office. However, the DSS swiftly warned against being used to “undermine” its investigations, although it did not specifically name Emefiele. Peter Afunanya, DSS spokesperson, said the service would not be distracted by those seeking to use “propaganda” to undermine its lawful investigations. A federal capital territory (FCT) high court sitting in Maitama later issued an order restraining the DSS from arresting the CBN governor. The restraining order was issued by M.A. Hassan, the presiding judge.

  Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Sokoto, Matthew Hassan Kukah, has disclosed what the Special Adviser, Media and Publicity to President Muhammadu Buhari, Femi Adesina, told him when they met at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. Kukah spoke during an interview on Channels TV’s Politics Today. During his Christmas message, Kukah had accused Buhari’s administration of nepotism, saying the president had failed in fulfilling his campaign promises to Nigerians. Responding, Femi Adesina came hard on the bishop, saying he (Kukah) had failed failed as a moral authority. Kukah said, “I always tell people that frankly I don’t worry about criticism because I consider myself as an academic. I never take offense when somebody doesn’t agree with me. “Femi has got a job to do, he is actually being paid to do the job. I got my own job. But there is nothing personal about it. I read a lot of their criticisms; they don’t bother me because some of them are meant to move away from the things I had said. “I read his statement; I didn’t think there is any reason for me to respond to what they have to say. And I remember the last time I was in the Villa, Femi said to me rather jokingly ‘Bishop you are always criticizing my government; so you have come today. I told him I was criticizing government before you came and I will criticize government when you are gone.”

  The chief judge of the federal capital territory (FCT) high court has queried Emmanuel Iyanna, a chief magistrate, over a warrant of arrest he issued against Umo Eno, governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Akwa Ibom state. Eno, through his legal team led by Samuel Ikpo, had sent a petition against the senior magistrate over the “issuance of irregular and illegal warrant of arrest” against him. TheCable had reported that Iyanna issued the warrant on December 23 after convicting the governorship candidate on charges bordering on “cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property”. The complainant, in the suit marked CR/94/2022, is one Edet Godwin Etim. Eno’s campaign organisation denied knowledge of the suit. However, in a motion on notice filed before the court on Monday, the governorship candidate, through his team of lawyers, prayed the court to set aside the warrant of arrest. In the affidavit in support of the motion, Ikpo said the defendant applicant (Eno) found out about the suit and the warrant of arrest via social media. Eno said he has “never been invited by the police on any matter nor has he ever made any statement to the police in connection with this case”, adding that he has “never been served with any court process”. Ruling on the application on Wednesday, the chief magistrate granted the prayer of the applicant and vacated the warrant of arrest. He also set aside the entire proceedings and judgment. However, a letter dated January 10 and signed by Oluseyi Amose on behalf of the chief judge, notified the chief magistrate of the petition against him. The letter stated that the petitioners have “called for disciplinary action to be taken” against the chief magistrate. “His lordship, the honourable chief judge of the high court of the federal capital territory (FCT), Abuja is in receipt of the above petition from the law firm of Samuel Ikpo & Company (Zion Chambers) of No.26, Oron Road, Uyo, Akwa Ibom state and has directed me to forward a copy of the self-explanatory petition to your Worship for comments as soon as possible,” the letter reads.

  The Federal Government has said that Nigeria recovered £6.3m, €5.4, and $390,000 of its assets stowed by corrupt government officials in foreign nests. The Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami made this known on Thursday during a ministerial scorecard of the Justice Sector from 2015 till date. He said part of the recovered amount have been used on projects such as the reconstruction of Abuja–Kano Expressway, Lagos–Ibadan Expressway and the construction of the Second Niger Bridge in the South-East. “In compliance with presidential mandates and foreign judicial processes, the Ministry has recovered total sums of £6,324,627.66 (Six Million, Three Hundred & Twenty-Four Thousand, Six Hundred & Twenty Seven Pounds, Sixty-Six Pence); €5,494,743.71 (Five Million, Four Hundred and Ninety-Four thousand, Seven Hundred and Forty-Three Euro, Seventy-One Cents); and $390,000,000 (Three Hundred and Ninety Million dollars) from various jurisdictions. “Some of the recovered funds are being utilized in the financing of critical infrastructure including Abuja – Kano Expressway, Second Niger Bridge, and Lagos – Ibadan Expressway,” he said. The minister also said the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari realised a sum of N1.8bn locally from the sale of forfeited assets between 2015 till date. “A total sum of N1,823,788,146.86 (One Billion, Eight Hundred and Twenty Three Million, Seven Hundred & Eighty-Eight Thousand, One Hundred and Forty-Six Thousand naira, Eighty-Six kobo) has been generated so far by the Ministry, from the forfeited properties,” Malami said.

  The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has said it will remove the former Director-General of the Labour Party Presidential Campaign Council, Dr. Doyin Okupe, from its watchlist following his arrest by the Department of State Security Service at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos on Thursday. An impeccable source at the EFCC confirmed to our correspondent that Okupe had been on the EFCC watchlist for about six years since 2016. “Dr. Okupe is one of the individuals, groups, or organizations that required close surveillance, for legal reasons. In his case, he has been on our watchlist since 2016.” Confirming the report in an interview with our correspondent, while reacting to Okupe’s arrest by the DSS and his subsequent transfer to the EFFC, the anti-graft agency’s spokesperson, Wilson Uwujaren, said the EFCC would take immediate action to remove the former presidential aide from its watchlist. Uwujaren said, “Concerning the interception of Doyin Okupe; the DSS, today, January 12, informed the Commission of the interception of Dr. Okupe, former presidential adviser, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos. “The Service acted on a watchlist request issued on July 18, 2016, over six years before his recent conviction on money laundering charges by the Federal High Court, Abuja. “The Commission was in the process of formally lifting the watch list before his interception, and will expedite action in this regard.” The PUNCH reports that the DSS cited its cooperation with the EFCC as the reason for Okupe’s rearrest earlier today. Responding to an inquiry by our correspondent, DSS spokesperson, Dr. Peter Afunanya, said, “Okupe was intercepted by the DSS at Terminal 1 of Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos this morning at the instance of the EFCC. He has long been handed over to the Commisson which requested for the action. Okupe was billed to fly to London via Virgin Atlantic.” The PUNCH on December 19, 2022, reported that Okupe was sentenced to two and a half years imprisonment for breaching the Money Laundering Act. According to the EFCC that engineered the arrest, Okupe was charged to court for receiving N702 million in illegal payment from public funds meant to procure arms to fight insurgency in 2019. He was convicted of the offence by the Federal High Court. One of the charges read, “That you, Dr Doyin Okupe, being the Senior Special Assistant to President Goodluck Jonathan from July 2012 to May 2015 and being the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, and a signatory to the bank account of Abrahams Telecoms Limited, on or October 3, 2014, in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, directly took possession or control of the sum of N35million, transferred to the account of Abrahams Telecoms Ltd from the account of the Office of the National Security Adviser with the Central Bank of Nigeria, purporting to be for special services when you reasonably ought to have known that the said fund formed part of the proceeds of an unlawful activity.” Justice Ojukwu, in a judgment, held that Okupe, also the former Senior Special Assistant (SSA) on media to ex-president Goodluck Jonathan was found guilty of contravening Sections 16(1)&(2) of the Money Laundering Act, for accepting cash payments without going through a financial institution, in excess of the threshold allowed under the Act.

  The former Director-General (DG) of the Labour Party Presidential Campaign Council (PCC), Doyin Okupe, on Thursday said he has been released by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in Lagos. Recall Vanguard had earlier reported that Okupe was arrested by the Department of State Services (DSS) at the Muritala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos on Thursday morning. One of Okupe’s lawyers, Tolu Babaleye who spoke to Vanguard on the subject matter, on Thursday, said the DSS asked him to provide court processes where he paid the fine option following his money laundering conviction by the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja. Subsequently, he was handed over to the EFCC, with the Spokesman of the Service, Peter Afunanya, confirming Okupe “was intercepted at the instance of the EFCC”. The Ogun-born politician fumed at the development. According to him, EFCC officials later apologised for embarrassing him. I was arrested & detained @ the MM int airport, Lagos this morning 12th Jan on my way to UK for medicals yrs of my passport being withheld by the FHC Abuja.I hv just left the efcc office where snr officers in lagos& Abuja apologised to me for the error. OCCUPATIONAL HAZZARD abi? — Doyin (@doyinokupe) January 12, 2023 “I was arrested and detained @ the MM int airport, Lagos this morning 12th Jan on my way to UK for medicals yrs of my passport being withheld by the FHC Abuja. “I hv just left the efcc office where snr officers in lagos & Abuja appologised to me for the error. OCCUPATIONAL HAZZARD abi?” he wrote on his known Twitter handle.

  Nigerian singer, Peter Okoye of the P-Square group has urged Nigerians to oust failed politicians and retake the nation. The 41-year-old made this known on his Twitter page on Wednesday. He stated that the aforesaid politicians don’t have regard for Nigerians. He exhorted Nigerians to obtain their PVC to ensure that they are able to retire them and take back the country. ” He said, “Just look at the kind of people ruling our dear country Nigeria!. “This politicians and failed leaders don’t rate us at all shame. Please go and collect your PVC, let retire them and take back the country. “Enough is enough, vote.” He added, “The lies that some of this politicians and failed leaders lie can wake the dead. ” Na waitin na?!! Let’s retire them by voting.”

  The Church of England has apologised over its historical role in the transatlantic slave trade during the 18th century describing it as a “shameful and horrific sin.” Commissioners of the church, including the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, Wednesday, looked into their history and involvement in the slave trade and said its connection to it caused “great dismay.” The Mirror reports that Welby revealed this during the Sunday Choral Eucharist at Canterbury Cathedral, in south-east England yesterday. It said this was not the first time the church, headed by King Charles, has tendered apologies for its role, but the new expression of regret comes as the church has pledged £100 million in funding aimed at investing in research. It was revealed that this is to be rolled out until 2032 and hoped the funding will help to commence further research into the church’s slavery connections and be used to positively impact communities where slavery had a major effect. “I am deeply sorry for these links,” Welby said. “It is now time to take action to address our shameful past.” “Only by obeying the command in 1 John 1:6-7 and addressing our past transparently can we take the path that Jesus Christ calls us to walk and face our present and future with integrity. “It is hard to do this at a time when resources in many parishes are so stretched, but by acting rightly we open ourselves to the blessing of God.” In 2020, the church apologised along with the Bank of England and called the historic links a “source of shame.” In 1822, parliament voted to provide compensation to slave owners in a bid to restitute their loss of free labour. The church received around £8,823, equivalent to over £832,000 today, after labour was lost on its Codrington plant in Barbados. The Bishop of Manchester, the Right Reverend Dr David Walker and Deputy Chair of the Church Commissioners, said: “It is important for the Church Commissioners to understand and be transparent about our past so we can best support the mission and ministry of the Church of England, today and in the future.”

  The presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu is being widely criticised by the majority of Nigerians from the South East region over his statement that they will languish in longer marginalisation unless they vote massively for him to become the president. Tinubu said this in Enugu, on Wednesday, while he was there for the state presidential campaign rally at Michael Okpara Square. He said they have to work hard to support his presidential bid, if not, they will only get “soaked sliced bread” as a region. According to the APC National Leader, Igbos should “work hard, sweat for this party until they deliver victory for him.” “But nobody will give you any credit, you are working hard, you’re sweating now. We want you to sweat well now for this party until you deliver victory. “Until Bola Tinubu becomes the president of Nigeria, we will not give you but a soaked sliced bread. Tinubu was warmly received by two Igbo governors Dave Umahi and Hope Uzodinma of Ebonyi and Imo states respectively. Other APC bigwigs in attendance were Senator Andy Ubah, Chief Gbazuagu Nweke Gbazuagu, and the APC governorship candidates of the party in southeast states among other party members from the states. While he was speaking to APC members in Enugu and the region, Nigerians of Igbo extraction misconstrued the statement and criticised him for issuing a threat and insult. The former Lagos state governor has received backlash mostly on social media, and a few comments on Twitter are shown below. @VictorIsrael_ reacted on Twitter, “Omg! Ahmed Bola Tinubu has openly insulted the Igbo people and these sellouts are busy laughing. Can you imagine this? I’m so angry!” “#Igbo have suffered in #Nigeria politics. Tinubu says Igbos should sweat and make him the President then he will give them a slight clap or a soaked piece of bread. What an insult!” @ChinasaNwosu tweeted. “Tinubu took his time to insult the entire South East with ‘soaked bread’ in Enugu,” @firstladyship said. “He did that in the presence of Hope Uzodinma & Dave Umahi. Igbos allowed charlatans like Chimaroke Nnamani, to capture their whole essence. People denigrate you because you gave them that power.

  Gunmen in the early hours of today, stormed Ihiala local government headquarters in Anambra State and wreaked serious havoc in the process. JOURNALIST101 gathered that the assailants killed the security guards on duty and set 5 buildings in the premises ablaze using Improvised Explosive Device (IED). Confirming the ugly incident, DSP Ikenga Tochukwu, PPRO Anambra State Police Command said one of the attackers were killed by operatives that were mobilised to the scene and recovered several arms and ammunitions. “Following the Police/Military operations ongoing in Ihiala and its neighboring town, the Operatives responding to a distress call at about 2:55 am, today 12/1/2023 of an attack on Ihiala local government headquarters, neutralize one of the attackers, recovered two locally made IED luncher, seven undetonated IED, forty pieces of live cartridges, fifteen live 7.62MM Ak47 ammunition, knives, charms, and other dangerous weapons. “The attackers had already murdered three vigilante operatives on duty, beheaded one and set five buildings ablaze with IED and petrol bombs. The joint force operatives engaged the arsonist/attackers, and obstructed them from causing further damages, while some escaped with bullet wounds.   “The bodies of the victims were recovered and joint operations are still ongoing. Further development shall be communicated, please.”