Saturday 17 June 2023 Three years after, father, mother await return of five kidnapped sons I can nominate people for Tinubu’s appointments – Bode George N’Assembly: PDP, LP, NNPP, others jostle for remaining principal offices Oil Theft: Navy Counters Asari Dokubo, Asks Him To Mention Names NJC Probes Seven Judges, Dismisses Petitions Against Odili, 25 Others Court Sets Aside Judgment Sacking IGP Usman Baba Chike Olemgbe Emerges Imo Assembly Speaker NEC Sets Up Committee On N702.9bn Cost Of Living Allowance For Workers PSC Approves Appointment Of Frank Mba, Bala Ciroma As DIGs Asari Dokubo Asks Tinubu Not To Release Nnamdi Kanu Former Reps Member, Three Bank Officials Jailed For N212m Fraud Mixed Reactions Over Proposed Merger Of FIRS, Customs, NIMASA Cameroon, Niger, Benin Citizens Lament Fuel Subsidy Removal In Nigeria Obasanjo: Some Governors Also Wanted Third Term N200bn Spent In 8 Years For Census Preparation – NPC I Was Never Invited By EFCC – Jonathan IMF Backs CBN’s Exchange Rate Unification Policy Immigration to Nigerians: We’ll take decisive steps to curb passport booklets scarcity Canada confirms sale of aircraft leased to Arik Air, asks EFCC not to interfere Court orders DSS to immediately allow Emefiele have access to lawyers, family Akpabio, Abbas: Democracy defenders or rubber-stamp duo? 65-yr-old native doctor docked for taking over orphan’s N10m property Suspects confess to killing father, raping two daughters in Ibadan Visit a newspaper stand this morning, buy and read a copy for yourself…

  Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has again opened up on his controversial third term bid, saying some state governors also wanted tenure extension. Obasanjo had severally denied plans to seek extension of his stay in office beyond 2007, but blamed some governors as the brains behind the third term agenda. He said this during an interview with Chude Jideonwo, the media personality. The former President also opened up on his time in office and his government’s anti-corruption battle. “The governors, some of them, were doing it for themselves. Because if the president did a third term, they too would have had a chance for a third term,” Obasanjo said while responding to question on his failed third term bid. In 2006, a bill to amend the 1999 constitution and extend term limits by another four years, failed to pass at the National Assembly. Former Senate President, Ken Nnamani, had declared that lawmakers in the fifth National Assembly, “sacrificed” their legislative careers after seeing to the truncation of the controversial third term bid. Speaking on allegations of corruption against him, Obasanjo said his forte is raising money and not embezzlement. He noted that people who could not match his acumen should stop castigating him. The elder statesman also described the claim of him attempting to cripple Lagos state economy under Bola Tinubu as “utter nonsense”. “That is utter nonsense; if he doesn’t know that, he doesn’t know anything… Is that what makes him to own Alphabeta firm?” On being vindictive against former Governor of Delta state, James Ibori, Obasanjo said Ibori was investigated and found to have misappropriated over $200 million. The former President said Ibori tried to compromise the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission under the Chairmanship of Nuhu Ridabu with $15 million, but the money was deposited at CBN as exhibit. Ribadu is incumbent Security adviser to President Tinubu.

  Releasing Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), will be tantamount to rewarding criminality, Niger Delta leader, Asari Dokubo, has said. Kanu, who is standing trial for terrorism, has been in custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) since his re-arrest in 2021. A Federal High Court in Abuja had granted him bail in 2017 but he flouted the bail conditions and subsequently fled the country. President Muhammadu Buhari had resisted the pressure to release Kanu, but with the entry of a new government, fresh calls are being made for the IPOB leader’s release. Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State had discussed the issue of Kanu when he met with President Bola Tinubu. Speaking with reporters after meeting President Bola Tinubu, Dokubo who has also fought the Federal Government in the past, said Kalu should be made to face the law. “His release would fuel impunity; during EndSars, Nnamdi Kanu was walking free. What did he do? He poured petrol on the flames of EndSars. Now, he has been caught. What of the people who have died? This is a criminal. He should face the law. “Releasing Nnamdi Kanu is rewarding criminality and rewarding gruesome murder of innocent people. He should face the law for the actions and instigations he has carried out,” he said. JOURNALIST101 recalls that Dokubo and Kanu had a very bitter relationship before the later was arrested. Kanu had accused Asari Dokubo of defrauding him N20m, but the ex-militant fired back, saying that Kanu is a thief using the agitation for Biafra as a business.

  The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court sitting at Maitama Abuja has issued an order, directing the Director General of the Department of State Services (DSS) to immediately allow the suspended Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, unhindered access to his legal counsel and family members. DSS took Emefiele into custody on Saturday, shortly after President Bola Tinubu suspended him on Friday evening. Justice Hamza Muazu presided over the court proceedings and granted the order upon the application made by Emefiele’s legal representative, J.B. Daudu SA. Daudu had informed the court that he had previously written to the DSS, specifically on June 14, seeking further instructions, but the agency had disregarded the request. In response, counsel representing the second and third respondents, I. Awo, assured the court that the DSS typically did not deny such requests, deeming their refusal inappropriate. Awo expressed confidence that the security service would comply with the court order and allow Emefiele’s listed lawyers and family members to visit him. The counsel representing the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation did not oppose the application. Meanwhile, the counsel representing the DSS, as well as the Office of the AGF, requested an extension of time to file their respective responses to the originating motion. The court granted their request, adjourning the hearing of the substantive suit to Tuesday, June 19.

  40- year- old Chike Olemgbe had been elected as the new Speaker of the Imo State House of Assembly. Olemgbe, a first time lawmaker representing Ihitte/ Uboma Local Government Area was elected unopposed on Friday during the inauguration of the 10th State House of Assembly in Owerri, the state capital. Olemgbe is the immediate past Transition Committee Chairman of the Ihitte/ Uboma LGA. The motion for the nomination of Olemgbe as the new Speaker was moved by the member- elect for the Ideato South, Vitalis Azodo, seconded by Ugochukwu Obodo, member elect for Owerri Municipal Council. The clerk of the House, Chinelo Emeghara, thereafter called for the swearing in of Olemgbe after no further nomination was made. The immediate past deputy speaker of the Assembly, Amara Iwuanyanwu, was returned as the new Deputy Speaker unopposed. He was immediately sworn-in as the number second lawmaker in the state. In his speech, the new Speaker promised to work in synergy with the executive arm to deliver the dividends of democracy to the people of the state.

  Police in Osun State have arrested 28-year-old Kehinde Adesogba Adekusibe for violating the hate speech policy on social media. The arrest follows a tweet posted by the suspect on May 18, 2023, where he made inflammatory statements against the Igbo ethnic group. The tweet read, “Let’s kill all the Igbos. Let’s flush them out of Yoruba lands. I hate these people with passion. They are violent people. They are the worst. They hate us. Let’s hate them without holding back.” A statement from the Osun Police said upon receiving the report, they initiated an investigation which led the suspect’s arrest in Ilesa, where he had been hiding. During interrogation, Kehinde Adekusibe confessed to the crime, and will now be further investigated by the police before being charged to court.

  Gudaji Kazaure, a former member of the house of representatives, has called on President Bola Tinubu to investigate 12 persons in order to “recover Nigeria’s stolen money”. Speaking on Brekete Family program on Thursday, the former lawmaker said the payment of fuel subsidy was a “fraud”, adding that most of the money was diverted by individuals. He called on Tinubu to shut his eyes and deal with any person found guilty. “Instead of paying N7 trillion to subsidy which is fraud, even N1 trillion is not spent because they are going into a private account…pocket. Whoever said they are spending that money is lying,” Kazaure said. “And that is why I’m calling the attention of Mr President as he showed that he is serious, there are people in his government and there are people that assisted him that are among this mess. “So, he should close his eyes and deal with them. No matter who is close to him, no matter who is in the government, if he’s found in this issue, he should return the government’s money. “There are twelve people the president should investigate. The first person, if we want to bring back the economy of this country, we have to arrest and investigate CBN governor who is now under investigation. “Secondly, the EFCC chairman. And when we are investigating the EFCC chairman, we have to invite Magu, the former chairman, to bring some things that he left in the office, to explain. “Thirdly, the GMD of the NNPC. Number four, the former minister of justice, Malami. Number five, Sabiu Tunde, who was the personal private secretary to former President Buhari. “Number six, the chairman of FIRS. Then there is Jamoh, the NIMASA DG. Then there is Koko from the NPA, and Hadiza Bala, the former NPA chairman. “All present CBN deputy governors that are working with Emefiele should come and open their eyes and mouths and tell what they know, if we are serious and want to restore the economy. “Then number ten, we have to arrest and investigate Sadiya Umar Farouk, former minister of humanitarian affairs, because when you invite her, many of her colleagues will come into the investigation. “Then the entire leaders of National Inter-bank Settlement System (NIBSS). The entire leaders and the ICT officers are supposed to be investigated because they are the ones who will tell you where all the bank charges and the stamp duty went. Because it’s from there the money goes to CBN.” Kazaure also said the way corruption is fought in the country has become known to individuals who embezzle money. “First of all, they are aware that if you take money in Nigeria, when they carry you to EFCC, from EFCC to court, you will hire lawyers who will get you bail and you will go and enter air conditioner and continue eating chicken,” he said. “Your private jet is there, your dollars are there, everything is there, you are spending. With that we cannot fight corruption in this country.”

  The Parish Priest of Saint Margaret’s Catholic Church, Ajegbe Awume in Ohimini Local Government Area, LGA, of Benue state, Rev. Fr. Anthony Adikwu has been kidnapped by unknown armed men. It was gathered that the Priest in the Diocese of Otukpo was reportedly abducted Thursday night at about 10pm by the armed men. The source disclosed that the abductors who stormed the Parish house “shooting sporadically broke into the residence and whisked him away to unknown destination. “As we speak the kidnappers have not opened any channel of discussion with the church or his family members.” The kidnap of the Priest came about six months after another Priest and Chaplain of Saint Mary’s Hospital, Okpoga in the same Otukpo Diocese, Rev. Fr. Mark Ojotu was abducted by armed men along Okpoga-Ojapo road, Okpokwu LGA. When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer, Superintendent, SP, Catherine Anene, confirmed the incident. The PPRO said “the information got to us this morning, (Friday) and we are already working on it.” Gunmen suspected to be kidnappers have abducted a Catholic priest of Otukpo Diocese in Benue state, Rev. Father Mark Ojotu. Ojotu is said to be the Chaplain of St. Mary’s Hospital, Okpoga, in Okpokwu Local Government Area of Benue state under Otukpo diocese. The victim was abducted along Okpoga-Ojapo road on Thursday around. He is the Chaplain of St. Mary’s Hospital, Okpoga.

  A Federal High Court in Gusau, Zamfara State has ordered the police and six others to produce properties seized from the state’s former governor, Bello Mohammed Matawalle. Daily Trust had reported how security agencies raided Matawalle’s residences on June 9 and seized property including many cars. Ruling on a motion ex parte on Thursday, Justice Aminu Bappa Aliyu further directed the officers of the security agencies involved in the raid of Matawalle’s residences in Gusau and Maradun to within 48 hours produce a comprehensive inventory of all vehicles and personal property of the former governor and his family members taken away. Matawalle brought the motion against the police, the Inspector General of Police, the Commissioner of Police, Zamfara State; State Security Service (SSS), Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), and Attorney General of the Federation. The court ordered them to produce and domicile the property within the premises of the court, “and under the control of the Deputy Chief Registrar, Federal High Court, Gusau Judicial Division, pending determination of the applicant’s substantive originating motion in this matter.” The case was adjourned to June 28 for hearing.