Wednesday 24 May 2023 Amosun to blame Dangote relocated refinery to Lagos — Abiodun Scammer uses artificial intelligence, defrauds bizman $609,000 I have forgiven Buhari, says Ortom Buhari Chairs Valedictory Session Of FEC Meeting In Presidential Villa FULL LIST: CBN Revokes 132 Microfinance Banks’ Licences Kwara Governor Abdulrazaq Emerges New NGF Chairman Immigration: UK Clamps Down On ‘Unscrupulous Agents’ Using Education As Cover Tony Blair Visits Tinubu Ahead Of Swearing In I Deliberately Closed Borders, Nigerians Later Appreciated It – Buhari Lawan Denies Seeking Reelection As Senate President Seun Kuti Released On Bail Buhari Commissions Second Niger Bridge, Other Infrastructural Projects Policeman Killed In Shootout With Gunmen In Ebonyi Atiku’s lawyer: Tinubu’s inauguration won’t affect tribunal judgment Buhari to military: You must do more to end insecurity Sanwo-Olu Directs Commissioners, Others To Declare Assets, Quit Office Ministers Hand Over Ahead Of Cabinet Dissolution What We Expect From Tinubu Administration – NLC Visit a newspaper stand this morning, buy and read a copy for yourself…

  Afrobeat musician, Seun Kuti has been released on Tuesday night on bail, from the detention of the State Criminal Investigation Department, Panti, Lagos. The development was confirmed by his attorney, Adeyinka Olumide-Fusika, SAN, in a telephone interview with our correspondent on Tuesday night. “Yes, Ṣeun Kuti was released minutes ago,” he said. The PUNCH had earlier reported that the Afrobeat musician may be released today (Tuesday) following the expiration of the extension of his remand in police custody, court documents obtained by The PUNCH revealed that the Chief Magistrate, Adeola Olatunbosun, extended Kuti’s remand until Tuesday, May 23. The document shows that a Sabo-Yaba Chief Magistrates’ Court in Lagos State last week Thursday granted an application by the police for an extension of remand of Seun Kuti until Tuesday (today), to enable the police to conclude its investigation, and for the advice of the Lagos State Directorate of Public Prosecution. The police had told the court that the two days remand extension that was earlier granted was not enough for it to conclude its investigation. Responding to the police’ application, the magistrate said, “I will grant the extension. Matter adjourned to May 23, 2023, for DPP’s advice,” the document exclusively obtained by our correspondent on Monday revealed. Meanwhile, legal counsel to the musician, Adeyinka Olumide-Fusika, SAN, told The PUNCH that his client’s (Seun Kuti’s) bail conditions had been met last Thursday. However, our correspondent gathered that police lawyers went to court on Thursday to get a remand extension without notifying the musician’s legal counsel. “The police lawyers came to court on Thursday without informing Seun’s lawyers. When the matter was called for mention, a young lawyer who was in court, pleaded with the magistrate to stand down the matter for about five minutes for Seun Kuti’s legal counsel, Olumide-Fusika, SAN, who had rushed down from Ikeja, to arrive. “But the magistrate refused, and extended Seun’s detention till Monday,” a source privy to the development revealed to our correspondent on Thursday. Our correspondent gathered that the lead counsel to the police, Simon Lough, SAN, moved the application, noting that the extension was to allow further investigation into the case. The PUNCH reports that Kuti is charged with assaulting a police officer during an altercation on Saturday, May 13, on the Third Mainland Bridge, in Lagos. The police charged him with slapping an inspector after he drove dangerously on the bridge, and deliberately blocked a moving police vehicle. Kuti was arraigned last Tuesday, during which the Chief Magistrate earlier ordered his remand for 48 hours, and held that the defendant be admitted to bail in the sum of N1 million with two sureties in like sum, at the end of the 48-hour remand. However, following a second arraignment last Thursday, the magistrate adjourned the case until May 23 for mention and directed the prosecutor to duplicate the case file and forward a copy to the state director of public prosecutions for advice. Seun Kuti’s bail conditions met – Lawyer Reacting to the development during an interview with our correspondent, Adeyinka Olumide-Fusika, SAN, noted that the musician’s bail conditions had been met, while insinuating that the court’s decision for the four days remand extension would, however, be respected. Olumide-Fusika said, “There’s no comment on the four-day extension. It’s a court decision, we’ll wait and see. “However, Ṣeun Kuti’s bail conditions have been met from our side. But since there’s a court decision extending for four days, the presiding magistrate did not sign off until after then.”

  The federal government says the Second Niger Bridge has formally been named after President Muhammadu Buhari. On December 15, 2022, the federal government opened the Second Niger Bridge for use, in order to ease traffic in the south-east during the festive season. The bridge opened for one month during the yuletide and was later closed to traffic on January 15, 2023, for the completion of the Loko-Oweto Bridge and link roads between Benue and Nasarawa states. On May 15, the bridge was fully opened to motorists, while some finishing touches like lane markings were ongoing. In a statement on Monday, Femi Adesina, the president’s spokesperson, said Buhari is expected to commission seven legacy projects, including the Second Niger Bridge, on Tuesday. On his part, Bashir Ahmad, special assistant on digital communication to Buhari, on Tuesday, announced that the 1.6 km long bridge has been named after the president. “The name is now being officiated. Thank God for our brand new Muhammadu Buhari bridge. Thank you, President Muhammadu Buhari,” he wrote on Twitter. “The second Niger Bridge is to officially be called/known as Muhammadu Buhari Second Nigeri Bridge.”

  The Chief Magistrates’ Court sitting in the Yaba area of Lagos on Tuesday failed to sit in the case against Afrobeat musician Seun Kuti. No official reason was given for the absence of Magistrate Justice Adeola Olatubosun who has been hearing the case but a source told our correspondent that she was away attending a conference. Kuti was brought to the magistrates’ court but upon learning of the absence of the magistrate, he was immediately taken to the police station at Panti. One of his lawyers confirmed to Channels Television that the case had been adjourned till Wednesday, May 24. The lawyer also told our correspondent that the team of lawyers had followed the police to Panti to see how the release of their client could be arranged as the four additional days of remand granted by the court expired Tuesday (today). Meanwhile, outside the court premises, a group of people who called themselves members of the ‘Free Seun Kuti campaign’ staged a protest calling for the immediate release of the artist.

  The Presidential Election Petition Court on Tuesday gave the pre-hearing report on three different petitions seeking to nullify the outcome of the 2023 presidential election. The court also presented the trial schedule. The chairman of the five-man panel of the court, Justice Haruna Tsammani, read the pre-hearing report which included the declaration of the court’s decision to consolidate all the petitions to be heard as one. Following this, Tsammani announced that the hearing of the petition would commence on May 30, 2023. Tribunal: APM to call one witness to prove petition Tribunal dismisses application for live broadcast Furthermore, he said after the adoption of written addresses on August 5, 2023, the court shall thereafter prepare for judgement. This was made known when the petition of the Labour Party and its presidential candidate, Peter Obi was called. The court proceedings is still in progress. More details soon…

  The President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.) has commissioned the newly built Nigeria Customs Service Corporate Headquarters in Abuja today, May 23, 2023, PUNCH reports This commissioning comes after the President inaugurated the Dangote Refinery and Petrochemicals, established by the President of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, in Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos State, on Monday. The new smart Corporate Headquarters cost the NCS N19.6 billion, the Deputy Comptroller-General of Customs, Mr Adewale Adeniyi, said at a news conference in Abuja on Monday. Adeniyi, Chairman, Organising Committee for Commissioning of the edifice, said the building had a 12-floor tower with five floors on both wings of the tower and “bridges” linking the two wings. The chairman said construction of the building commenced in 2007 following the need to build a befitting edifice for the service, the News Agency of Nigeria said in a report. He further said that the need for more space in view of the capacity of the service also informed the construction of the building, Adeniyi said the building, having undergone redesigning and remodelling, was set for commissioning. The chairman said the building, sitting on approximately 25,000 square metres, was designed and constructed by indigenous firms. He said the height of the building above the ground was approximately 40 metres and one of the tallest buildings within the Business District of Maitama, Abuja. Adeniyi said the building would be serviced with modern and up-to-date mechanical and electrical services installations. The deputy comptroller-general of customs said the service was proud to state that “such an architectural masterpiece is cost efficient.” On the challenges encountered during the construction of the building, Adeniyi said there were challenges ranging from variations and adjustments in the model of the building. The Corporate Headquarters building referred to as “Customs House”, is located in Maitama, one of the high-brow areas of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja. The project was conceived in 2002 to provide a comfortable and conducive working environment for staff and authorised visitors to the building.

  The United Kingdom has put in place a new law that will see Nigerian students and others studying in the UK from bringing their family as dependents except “under specific circumstances.” This is as the UK government aims to bring immigration into the country that stands at around one million down, Sky News reports. Under the new rule, the UK will remove the permission for international students to switch out of the student route and into work routes before their studies have been completed to prevent misuse of the visa system. Sky News also added that “there will also be a review of the maintenance requirement for students and dependents and a crackdown on “unscrupulous” education agents “who make use of inappropriate applications to sell immigration, not education”. This change takes effect in January 2024 to allow students starting courses in the UK time to plan to adapt to the new In a written ministerial statement published on Tuesday and obtained by Sky News, Home Secretary Suella Braverman said recent immigration figures had shown an “unexpected rise” in the number of dependants coming to the UK alongside international students.

  The Presidential Election Petition Tribunal has ordered Peter Obi and the Labour Party to present their joint petition against Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s victory at the 2023 election within three weeks. The Tribunal also ordered the President-elect, Tinubu, to defend his victory along with the Independent National Electoral Commission within five days. The Chairman of the Tribunal, Justice Haruna Simon Tsammani, issued the order on Tuesday while presenting the pre-hearing session report of the Tribunal. Among others, Justice Tsammani ordered that Obi open his petition for hearing on May 30 and end same on June 23. Recall that Obi, through his counsel, Professor Awa Kalu, SAN, had requested a period of seven weeks to establish their allegations against Tinubu’s victory. The Tribunal said that it arrived at the decision because of the limited time within which the petition must be disposed of. Meanwhile, the Tribunal has ordered the consolidation of the petitions so as to ensure an expeditious hearing. However, the Tribunal rejected the objection of Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress to the consolidation. Details later.