A graduate of Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko (AAUA), Gbenga Moses, has been found dead inside his room in Ondo State. City & Crime gathered that Gbenga also known as “Pablo” was awaiting his call-up letter for his mobilisation for the one-year compulsory National Youths Service Corp (NYSC). The young chap, who graduated from the Department of Philosophy, was suspected to have died of food poisoning. It was learnt that the deceased and his girlfriend were earlier rushed to a hospital after eating a meal from an undisclosed restaurant in Akungba. According to a source, the young man and his girlfriend were treated at Aduloju Hospital in Iwaro and discharged but the young man died later. Another source said the deceased and his girlfriends were treated for typhoid but said Gbenga was found dead inside his room after neighbours broke into his room when he was not seen the next day. “The moment we noticed he was not responding to calls and knocks on his door, we barged into his room through his window around 11am and found him dead. He is a lovely and entertaining person. “On Sunday, we were made to understand that his girlfriend’s health was critical, but she has been discharged,” the source added. The source disclosed that Gbenga was not the first person to complain about food poisoning in the area, saying a few weeks ago, it took God’s intervention to save a student who allegedly ate poison in an undisclosed restaurant. Olusegun Akanbi, the Dean of Student Affairs at the University, who confirmed the incident, said his parents have been informed. “The Head of the Department of Philosophy called me and it was discovered that he passed on Sunday and his parents had already come,” Mr Akanbi added. The spokesman for the University, Victor Akinpelumi, said an investigative team had been set up by the institution to unravel the true situation of the tragedy.

  The leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in Abia State yesterday paralysed government activities, as it shut down offices at the state and local government levels, with the commencement of indefinite strike. Among the offices picketed was the Office of the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), State Accountant General Office, among others. The leadership of the union went round Umuahia, the capital and Aba, the commercial nerve centre, to ensure compliance with the union’s directives. NLC had in a statement signed by its state Chairman, Nweke Iheme and Secretary, Emma Alozie, directed affiliates to begin indefinite strike yesterday over unresolved issues surrounding unpaid salaries and benefits of workers and gratuities of pensioners. The statement, which disclosed that the decision of the NLC came at the end of council’s meeting in Umuahia, said the union frowned at the refusal of Abia State Government to implement the agreement signed with NLC leadership.

  The Imo State government has that Governor Hope Uzodimma administration will soon employ at least 10,000 primary school teachers and extend the same to post-primary schools. The state commissioner for education, Johncliff Nwadike, who dropped the hint, said that the state government would establish more technical schools and promote academic competition among male and female students. He added that principals had been directed to reintroduce inter-house sports competitions in their schools to promote athletic competitions among students. The commissioner also assured that Education is free in all government schools in the state. Nwadike, who disclosed this to newsmen in his office while speaking on the activities of his ministry said that the state government would equally establish more special schools for the physically challenged individuals, equip them with modern teaching and learning facilities and also establish more adult education centres.

  President Muhammadu Buhari has extended his London trip by a week over an appointment with his dentist. Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, announced this in a statement on Tuesday.   Buhari had travelled to the United Kingdom last week for the coronation of King Charles 111. The president, who joined world leaders for the historic occasion, had told the British monarch that the trip was his last official trip to the UK. He had thanked him and other leaders for the cooperation he enjoyed during the 8 years he spent with them. The president was supposed to return to the country this week. But in his statement, Adesina said Buhari was currently undergoing dental care. “President Muhammadu Buhari will be in London, United Kingdom, for an additional week, at the behest of his Dentist, who has started attending to him.” “The specialist requires to see the President in another five days for a procedure already commenced. “President Buhari had joined other world leaders to attend the coronation of King Charles III on May 6, 2023.”

  Seven people have been feared killed and several others hospitalised after drinking a tea suspected to have been made with a local leaf known as Zakami at a wedding ceremony in Kano. Zakami contains a psychoactive substance Eye witnesses’ accounts said it affected nearly 50 people and that some were still missing. The incident happened in Sheka area of Kumbotso Local Government of Kano metropolis. One of the witnesses, Sanusi Yahaya, who is also an elder brother of the bride, said the tea was suspected to be made with different types of drugs apart from the local leaf. He said it had become a norm for the young people in the area, especially drug addicts, to cook tea during ceremonies and that they hide under that to take drugs. “They cooked the tea and they themselves didn’t even know the number and types of drugs that were inside to the extent that some had to abandon it. But some of them insisted that they must drink from the tea, saying that their brains can take it. “After drinking the tea, two people died, some have recovered while others are hospitalised,” he said. Another witness, Abdullahi Muhammad, said as of Tuesday seven people had died. He said some of those hospitalised were not from the area but were just passing by and decided to drink from the tea. “We don’t know the exact number for now, but in the morning seven were confirmed dead. Some of them were not even invited to the wedding, they just came to disguise and take their drugs,” he said. The groom couldn’t be reached for comment about the incident as he was said to be on the run along with others. Efforts to get a reaction from the police spokesman in Kano, SP Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa, proved abortive as his number was not reachable. He had also yet to reply to a message sent to him as of the time of filing this report.

  Muhammadu Sanusi II, a former Emir of Kano, says the incoming administration must learn from the mistakes of the past governments by appointing competent individuals into positions where they will flourish. Speaking at a policy conversation and book launch in Abuja on Tuesday, organised by the Carnegie Africa Program in partnership with Agora Policy, Sanusi said he was looking forward to seeing the list of ministers that would be appointed by the next president. The theme of the event was “How Nigeria can build a post-oil economic future”. He also called on the next administration to protect institutions of government “from the excesses of politicians”. “For us to make progress in this country, we have to learn from the good and the bad. We have to see what we did right. We also have to look at where we went wrong in a very smart manner,” Sanusi said. “If we don’t understand where we went off-course, we are not likely to get back on course. “So, where are we today, we are going to have a government sworn in on May 29 and I think it’s time to start saying what do we expect of that government. “We have lost a lot of ground that we have gained before. And here I’m referring to public servants that you call unelected power. “Institutions that were set up to protect the system against the excesses of politicians which unfortunately have gotten co-opted into the political process. “You have the central bank that is supposed to have price stability and exchange rate stability as its mandate and it is given independence and autonomy so that it can say no to politicians. “You have the judiciary that is supposed to have justice and is given autonomy so that it can say no to politicians. You have the police, you have anti-corruption agencies. “These institutions have been built. Democracy is not just about voting, it’s about the rule of law. Now what happens if the police, the judiciary, the central bank, and the civil service, if they now see themselves as part of a political process, as an arm of the ruling party? Everything is wrong. “So, we need to go back to that situation where politicians respect the independence and integrity and autonomy of these institutions and when these institutions are held accountable by the laws setting them up to do what they want to do. “So, I hope that the next president will make a very clear statement that he is going to respect these constitutional arrangements, allow these institutions to do the work that they are supposed to do and understand that these are not just places for patronage. “You know, somebody has just contested for the house of representatives, he has failed (to win), you make him electricity commissioner. These institutions are not for that. “You must have transparency. People must know what they are doing and be able to assess them. “If we don’t take these decisions from May 29, in two years they will be preparing for the 2027 elections. And it would become more difficult. “So, difficult as it is, I really would like to see on May 29 or the next day, the list of ministers. I have seen a list of ministers in Nigeria, 36 ministers without a single economist and that cabinet ran for four years, not one economist. “We would like to see who is the finance minister, who is the governor of central bank, who is the planning minister, who is the trade and investment minister. “I wish this country the best. I think this term we need a lot of good luck and a lot of prayer and a lot of effort. But we have to make sure we put in everything to move forward.”

  Billionaire businessman, Femi Otedola, on Tuesday, said his offer to buy Nigerian conglomerate, Transnational Corporation Plc, for N250bn was rejected. Otedola made some allegations against the Chairman of Transcorp, Tony Elumelu, in a statement he issued to TheCable, weeks after he acquired stakes in Transcorp and sold the shares. Otedola revealed that he had bought the shares of the organisation because he believed in the potential of the Group to hit N2tn in valuation. Otedola said, “I offered to buy Transcorp Plc for N250bn, but unfortunately, my offer was rejected. My goal was to maximise the company’s potential as a Nigerian conglomerate with a market cap of at least N2tn instead of the current N40bn, but it seems some shareholders have a different vision. “As a businessman, I believe in healthy competition and market dynamics. Two captains cannot man a ship, and I respect the majority shareholder’s decision to buy me out. This is the nature of the game.” Going down memory lane, the majority shareholder in Geregu Power revealed some business deals between him and the Chairman of Transcorp, Tony Elumelu. He said, “In 2005, while Tony was the Managing Director of Standard Trust Bank, he approached me to get funds to acquire UBA. I enthusiastically gave him $20m, which was N2bn at that time to buy the necessary shares in UBA for the acquisition. “After a short period of time, the share price moved up and I decided it was a good moment to sell and get out of the bank. However, Tony appealed to me to hold on to the shares as he was convinced that there were future prospects – so I kept the shares.” He added that, “I became chairman of Transcorp Hotel in 2007 with a shareholding of five per cent and unknowingly, Tony gradually started buying shares quietly. “By the following year in 2008, I went bankrupt in Nigeria. Tony proceeded to take my shares in UBA to service the interest on my loans and he also took over my shares in Africa Finance Corporation, where I was the largest shareholder. “Shortly after, Albert Okumagba informed me that an American firm wanted to acquire my shares in Transcorp, which I then agreed to sell. However, this supposed American firm turned out to be Tony Elumelu. The revelation of this prompted me to resign as chairman of the hotel.” He continued that, “Years later in 2012, Tony said he wanted to see me so we met in my office where I had previously had a meeting with foreign investors who had not yet departed the premises. Curious to know, he asked what sort of meeting I had had and I disclosed that I wanted to go into the power business, specifically Ughelli Power Plant. Tony quietly went ahead to bid for Ughelli and he outbidded me by offering to buy the plant for $300m.” Otedola added that his offer to buy Transcorp was “made with the best intentions for Transcorp Plc and its shareholders. I saw an opportunity to unlock the company’s full potential and create value for everyone involved. “It’s important for investors to understand that free entry and free exit are crucial to healthy markets. The scramble for shares after my acquisition is a testament to the value that Transcorp Plc can offer, and I hope the company continues to thrive under new leadership.” However, efforts to get the Chairman, of Transcorp Group, Tony Elumelu, to comment on the development were not successful as of press time. Also, our correspondent did not get any press statement from the Transcorp Group on the issue on Tuesday.

  The jury seated in New York has found former President of the United States, Donald Trump, liable of sexual assault in a case involving writer, Jean E. Carroll. The former Elle magazine columnist filed a defamation and battery suit against Trump last year, after a law took effect in New York that gave victims of sexual assault a one-year window to sue their alleged abusers decades after attacks may have occurred. Testifying before the jury last week, Carroll described to jurors how an encounter with Trump in a Manhattan store quickly turned violent. She said that after Trump playfully asked her for advice on buying a women’s lingerie gift, he “shoved” her against the wall of the dressing room. “All his weight (was) against my chest. He pulled down my tights. I was pushing him back,” she said. Trump had vehemently denied the allegations via his social media platform, ‘Truth Social’, where he tagged Carroll’s claim, a “complete con job”, and the suit, “a made up scam”. The nine-person jury reached a decision on Tuesday, finding Trump liable of sexual assault but not rape. He was also found liable for defamation, for calling her claims a “hoax”. On the verdict sheet, the jury ticked – “no” regarding the question of if the plaintiff had proven “by a preponderance of the evidence” that “Mr. Trump raped Ms. Carroll,”. On the contrary, the jury ticked “yes”, when asked if she had proven “by a preponderance of the evidence” that Mr. Trump sexually abused her. The jury also awarded Carroll $5 million in damages.