Tuesday 22 August 2023 Abuja land: FG may revoke land allocations, demolish 6,000 buildings, slums I want to reunite with B’ Haram husband – Chibok girl Navy arrests 10 oil thieves with over 100 jerry cans How soldiers killed my aide — Senator Adeola EFCC re-arrests Abuja businessman over N500m fraud Obi’s camp denies planned merger with Atiku, Kwankwaso British Nurse Lucy Letby Jailed For Killing Seven Newborns Kaduna Govt Reduces Tuition Fees For State-Owned Tertiary Institutions Tinubu Swears In New Ministers Niger: ECOWAS Denies Influence Of ‘Foreign Power’, Insists On Independence Kaduna To Recruit 7,000 Youths In Fight Against Insecurity, Says Gov. Sani ‘We Cannot Allow Cows’: Wike Vows To End Open Grazing In Abuja Tinubu to ministers: Serve Nigeria, not regions or states N77trn debt may stall Tinubu’s economic plan — MAN Fuel price rise 9.5% above official price in some states — NBS Gunmen abduct 8 NYSC members while going to camp in Sokoto Nigeria’s net FX reserves likely fell to $3.7bn at end of 2022, says JP Morgan We Won’t Tell Lies To Defend Govt – Information Minister Operators unsettled over Tinubu’s ‘hold’ on Petroleum Ministry IPOB accuses S’Court of using adjournments to subvert justice in Kanu’s case Visit a newspaper stand this morning, buy and read a copy for yourself…

  The lawmaker representing Ogun West, Senator Solomon Adeola, has alleged that soldiers of the Nigerian Army were responsible for the death of his aide, Adeniyi Sanni. The senator made this known in a statement on Monday, signed by his media aide, Kayode Odunaro. It had been reported that the lawmaker lost his aide, Sanni, in the early hours of Saturday, August 5, 2023. Senator Adeola had earlier stated that information available to him on the circumstances indicated that Sanni was stopped at a checkpoint around the Ojodu-Berger Area of Lagos on his way to his home at Isheri by “security agents.” The deceased was asked to provide the documents of the car he was driving, which he did through a call to his wife, who sent all the documents to his phone through a WhatsApp message. Subsequently, the wife called a while later, and the late Sanni told him soldiers were still checking the vehicle’s documents. That was the last she heard from her husband, and the remains of Sanni, ridden with bullets, were later discovered at the Toyota Bus Stop area of Oshodi, close to a military barrack. Senator Adeola, however, clarified on Monday that his aide was killed by men of the Nigerian military. He said, “I am of the firm belief, based on available facts at the disposal of the Police, that his aide was killed by a syndicate of soldiers operating under the newly deployed Commander of 9 Brigade, Ikeja Cantonment of the Nigeria Army, Brigadier General Nsikan Edet, through the mounting of checkpoints and robbing of lone occupants of cars. Top police sources familiar with the investigation informed me that a similar brutal killing and armed robbery occurred around the same Ojodu-Berger late Thursday night of August 17, 2023, resulting in the killing of another Nigerian whose body was discovered around Iyana-Ipaja after he was taken away by soldiers from the checkpoint. “Unknown to the soldiers, the occupant of the car they killed and took away his car was the second car in a convoy of two heading towards the same destination. “The first car passed the soldier’s checkpoint, but the second car was stopped to check his vehicle’s papers.” The lawmaker further stated, “On noticing the absence of the second car after a while, the occupant of the first car (name withheld) placed a call to his colleague in the second car, who informed him that he was being taken to Iyana Ipaja by the soldiers at the checkpoint. “That was the last he heard from him, and his dead body was later discovered dumped on the road, just like Mr Sanni. The survivor in the first car reported the case to the Police, and a pattern of armed robbery and killing in the area involving men in Army uniforms was established.” The lawmaker, therefore, called on the Chief of Army Staff, Maj. Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja, to direct the fishing out of the killers of his aide for further investigation, prosecution, and justice for the deceased. He said such a pattern of killings and armed robbery had been established against soldiers mounting late-night checkpoints around Ikeja, with similar unreported incidents in recent times around Ikeja. “To date, the black Toyota Camry of Mr Sanni, his phones, and other valuables are yet to be recovered,” he lamented.

  A Magistrates’ Court sitting in Abeokuta, Ogun State, has remanded a 37-year-old man, Taiwo Ishola, for killing his younger brother’s two children. The defendant, with no fixed address, is facing a one-count charge of murder. The prosecutor, F.A. Oyewole, told the court that Ishola committed the offence on August 5 at about 5:30 pm at Mile 6 area of Obafe road in Abeokuta. He alleged that the defendant killed one Promise Ishola, 9, and Testimony Ishola, 7, the sons of his younger brother, Idowu Ishola. Oyewole also alleged that the defendant used a machete to cut the children’s heads and other parts of their bodies, leading to their death. He explained that the defendant went to the younger brother’s house and picked them up with a motorcycle when their parents were not around. The prosecutor added that when the parents of the deceased came back from work and noticed their children were not at home, they went searching for them. He said the offences contravened Sections 316 and 319 of the Criminal Code Laws of Ogun 2006. The prosecutor asked for the defendant’s remand for 60 days in the first instance at the Oba Correctional Centre pending advice from the state Director of Public Prosecution (DPP). In his ruling, the Chief Magistrate, Mrs Esther Idowu, ordered that the defendant be remanded at the Oba Correctional Centre, pending legal advice from state DPP. She adjourned the case until October 16 for further mention.

  Men of the Nigerian Navy have arrested 10 suspected pipeline vandals while attempting to steal crude from the sea in Lagos. The suspects were arrested in the early hours of Sunday at the Single Point Mooring buoy, a Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited’s facility where tankers unload products, which are eventually transferred into tank farms for distribution. They were arrested in three speedboats with over 100 pieces of 50-litre jerry cans with hoses connected to drain the product from the vessel. The Commander, NNS BEECROFT, Kolawale Oguntuga, paraded the suspects at the NNS Beecroft Naval Base parade ground, Apapa Lagos on Monday before handing them over to the Area Commander of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Musa Jubril. Oguntuga said, “In the early hours of Sunday, the technology electronically detected intruders on board the SBM operated by the NNPCL. Immediately a patrol team was activated and on getting there, 10 suspected vandals and oil thieves were found onboard this facility with divers equipment; pumping machines and hoses to steal crude products, and they were apprehended. “We are here today to hand over these oil thieves to the public security agency to carry out their due diligence. “They were arrested around 2am on board the facility with over 100 pieces of 50-litre jerry cans. Some were already inside while others were on the boat controlling and channelling the hoses into the cans.” Jubril of the NSCDC appreciated the Navy for the good work they had been doing, stressing that the agency will unravel the sponsors of the thieves.

  Another Chibok girl, Mary Nkeki, 27, has been rescued by troops of Operation Hadin Kai Theatre Command. Nkeki, who was rescued on Monday last week, said she was married to a repentant Boko Haram terrorist she identified as Adam, The Chibok girl was rescued by troops of the 81 Task Force Battalion at Dikwa during an operation into the terrorists’ enclave. The Theater Commander, Operation Hadin Kai, Maj. Gen. Gold Chibuisi, told newsmen, Monday that Nkeki “is number 55 on the list of the abducted Chibok girls. While in captivity she was forcefully married to one Adam, a Boko Haram terrorist. “Since her rescue, she has undergone thorough medical examination in our medical facility. Equally, she has been adequately resuscitated and will be handed over to Borno state,” he said Nkeki, in an interview with journalists, after she was handed over to the Borno State Ministry for Women Affairs officials, said that she gave birth to two female children for Adam, who later died. When she was asked if she would get married, she said, ‘’I already have a husband. I am married to Adam. We fled from captivity together.’’ She said she and her husband, Adam, repented from insurgency and fled the terrorists enclave at the Dikwa axis, and reached a point where the troops rescued both of them. However, since their rescue, she was separated from Adam, who, The PUNCH gathered, was taken to the repentant insurgents’ camp. Mary is the 16th girl rescued by troops in recent months.

  The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, on Monday, said it had re-arrested an Abuja-based businessman, Stephen Akpa, for alleged N500m fraud. The commission disclosed this in a statement by its Media and Publicity arm which was posted on its website. According to the commission, Akpa was initially arrested on December 2, 2022, at his office located in the Idu area of Abuja following a petition accusing him of obtaining N500m under false pretences. It added that the suspect jumped the administrative bail granted him ahead of his planned arraignment on five counts. The commission said the suspect had since then been on the run as all efforts to arrest him proved abortive. The statement read, “Akpa was first arrested by the commission on December 2, 2022, at his office in the Idu axis of Abuja, following a petition alleging that he obtained the sum of N 500, 000, 000 under false pretence. “He was to be arraigned on a five-count charge when he jumped the administrative bail offered by the commission. All efforts to apprehend proved futile until August 9, 2023, when he was re-arrested. “He will soon be arraigned in court.”

  The Nigerian Army says its troopers of the 81 task force battalion of operation Hadin Kai have rescued one of the Chibok schoolgirls abducted by insurgents in 2014. On April 14, 2014, 276 schoolgirls were abducted by Boko Haram terrorists from Government Girls Secondary School in Chibok town, Borno. Many of the girls have since been rescued while some remain in captivity. The rescued girl, identified as Mary Nkeki — with serial number 55 on the list of the abducted Chibok girls — was said to have been found on August 14 in Dikwa LGA of the state While speaking on Monday during the handover of the girl to the Borno state ministry of women affairs, Gold Chibuisi, the theatre commander, said the 27-year-old Nkeki was forcefully married to a Boko Haram fighter after she was abducted alongside others. “While in captivity, she was forcefully married to one Adam, a Boko Haram terrorist fighter. Since her rescue, she has undergone thorough medical examination in our medical facility,” NAN quoted Chibuisi as saying. “Equally, she has been adequately resuscitated and would be handed over to Borno State Government for further administration.” Chibuisi said the Nigerian military is committed to containing security challenges in the north east and restore lasting peace in the region. Speaking to journalists about her experience since the abduction in 2014, Nkeki said being in the den of the terrorists was full of suffering. Nkeki said that she escaped with her husband in the night and was picked up by a military patrol team, adding that she left two other Chibok girls behind. Earlier in August, the army announced that it troops rescued Rebecca Kabu, one of the Chibok girls, in Cameroon on July 17. Kabu, who was 13 at the time of her abduction, is now 23 years old.