The Management of the Federal University, Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE), on Thursday, announced the death of one of its students, Modupe Atanda. The Registrar of the University, Mr Mufutau Ibrahim, disclosed this in a statement issued in Oye-Ekiti. “It will be recalled that earlier today, the management had made public the disturbing development of the missing deceased and assured that an investigation was ongoing to unravel the whereabouts of the students. “But current information reaching the security outfit of the university has disclosed that the said student is dead. “While the university management condoles with the family of the deceased and the generality of the university community, particularly our dear students, the investigation is ongoing with the security agencies with a view to getting to the root of the sad development and arresting the perpetrators. “We therefore, appeal to students and all other stakeholders to remain calm,” he said. Ibrahim assured parents of the deceased that every person connected to the death of their daughter would be arrested and be made to face the wrath of the law. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) gathered that Modupe Atanda, was a 200 level student in the Nursing Department of the university. Body of the deceased was found in a shallow grave behind the Faculty of Pharmacy Building within the premises of the university. Some students of the university who spoke with NAN but pleaded anonymity said the last time they saw her was on Monday when she was heading to her faculty to read.

  Gabon’s former president Ali Bongo, who was ousted in a putsch, is free to leave the country and travel abroad the leader of the coup that toppled him said on Wednesday. He has freedom of movement… and can travel abroad if he wishes,” general Brice Oligui Nguema said in a statement read on state television. Bongo, in power for 14 years, had been under house arrest since the military coup of August 30, carried out without bloodshed less than an hour after his party proclaimed his re-election in a vote described as fraudulent by the putschists. “Given his state of health, the former President of the Republic Ali Bongo Ondimba has freedom of movement. He can travel abroad if he wishes to carry out his medical checks,” Colonel Ulrich Manfoumbi Manfoumbi said, reading a press release signed by Oligui took his oath as transitional president on Monday. Bongo suffered a serious stroke in October 2018 which left him physically impaired, with particular difficulty moving his right leg and arm. AFP

  A female undergraduate student (name withheld) has accused a lecturer at the University of Lagos, Akoka, simply identified as Dr Kadiri, of rape. The undergraduate said the incident occurred when she visited the lecturer in the office to sort out issues about her results. A non-governmental organisation, Inclusive Social Welfare and Empowerment Foundation, where the victim reported the case, said rather than the lecturer attending to the undergraduate’s result issues, he allegedly raped her on August 16, 2023. PUNCH Metro gathered that InclusiveSWEF reported the case to the Gender Unit of the state police command and through the OC Gender, the state CP, Idowu Owohunwa, issued a warrant of arrest for the lecturer through the state High Court and involved the Vice Chancellor of the university. The state Police Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed the incident, saying, “He is to appear in court in the coming days.” Reacting, the spokesperson for UNILAG, Adejoke Alaga-Ibraheem, said that the university was aware of an investigation involving an employee of the university. She said, “UNILAG Management, on August 28, received a letter from the Nigeria Police Force, inviting an employee of the university for questioning. The employee was immediately informed of the development and advised to comply On August 29, the employee complied. While we are not yet privy to the full details of the incident that led to the arrest of the employee, we are fully aware that the investigation is ongoing and we are cooperating with security agencies to ensure that the matter is resolved in the interest of justice.”

  PUNCH Metro gathered that on September 3, 2023, the suspect was said to have broken into the house in the wee hours of the night while the couple were asleep in the apartment. A source in the area, who did not want to be mentioned because he was not authorised to speak for the family, told our correspondent that it took a joint effort of other residents to free the parents from the apartment after their son fled the scene with the stolen items. After the victims reported the incident to the Ogijo Divisional Police Station, a Superintendent of Police, Awode Olatunde, led his men in hot pursuit of the suspect, leading to his arrest in Lagos while he (Ayomiposi) was looking for buyers for the stolen items. The source said, “The boy had successfully sold one generator set he stole. The father is preventing the police from prosecuting the son after his arrest. The police wanted the boy to be prosecuted for his action, but the parents said they wanted him to be released along with the stolen items.” Speaking on the matter, the state Public Relations Officer, Omolola Odutola, who confirmed the incident to our correspondent on Wednesday, said the force intended to prosecute the boy but could not do so since the parents had opposed it. Odutola said, “The course of the investigation was truncated by the complainant, who was equally the biological father of the suspect, as he vehemently declined prosecution of his son, one Ayomiposi Esan. He wanted his son and the recovered stolen goods, including the car, released. “In the spirit of community policing and taking into consideration the image of the force so that police will not be seen as being too harsh on him and his family, the teenage son was consequently released with his property on bond. “However, the son was counselled, cautioned, and advised to turn a new leaf and shun further indulgence in all forms of delinquency to avoid future occurrences.”

  The Federal Government, on Wednesday, announced an increase in the prices of single-phase and three-phase pre-paid electricity meters, and declared that the hike takes effect from September 6, 2023. It announced this in an order released by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission with number, NERC/2023/020, and jointly signed by the commission’s Chairman, Sanusi Garba, and its Commissioner, Legal, Licencing and Compliance, Dafe Akpeneye. In the order, the government stated that a single-phase meter would now cost N81,975.16k from the previous price of N58,661.69k, while the price of a three-phase meter was raised to N143,836.10k from N109,684.36k. This was, however, kicked against by power consumers, who wondered why the Federal Government had continued to hike the cost of various commodities in Nigeria’s energy sector. But explaining why it hiked the costs of the meters, the NERC said it was to ensure a fair and reasonable pricing of meters to both Meter Asset Providers and end-use customers. It said the hike would ensure MAP’s ability to recover reasonable costs associated with meter procurement and maintenance, while ensuring that their pricing structure allowed for a viable return on investment. Evaluate the affordability of meter services for consumers, aiming to prevent excessive pricing that could burden end-users. Ensure that MAPs are able to provide meters to end-use customers in the prevailing economic realities,” the commission stated. It said the closure of the metering gap for end-use customers was fundamental to the financial sustainability of the Nigeria Electricity Supply Industry as end-use meters provide revenue assurance to both the utility and their end-use customers. “The Meter Asset Provider scheme is one of the four frameworks in the regulations for the provision of meters to end-use customers in NESI. “Section 8(1)(c) of the regulations provides that the costs of single-phase and three-phase meters issued by MAPs, inclusive of all other associated costs of installation and warranties shall be at the regulated rates approved by the commission. “The commission notes that significant changes in macroeconomic indicators, such as inflation and changes in the foreign exchange rates have necessitated a review of the regulated rates for MAP meters,” the NERC stated. It said the commission also considered relevant data on the significant changes in macroeconomic indicators from the Central Bank of Nigeria and the National Bureau of Statistics as benchmarks for the meter price review. Meanwhile the commission stated that the costs of single-phase and three-phase meters for MAPs, inclusive of all other associated costs of installation and warranties, shall remain at the regulated rates approved by the NERC. It said the approved meter prices were exclusive of Value Added Tax, but noted that they were inclusive of the revised Nigerian Electricity Management Services Agency sealing cost. It stated that the sealing cost for a single-phase meter was N842.80 per unit, while that of a three-phase meter was N1,100.80 per unit. “All MAPs shall adjust their prices to reflect the approved rates. All MAPs shall supply meters previously paid for by end-use customers prior to the commencement of this order at the prevailing rate when payment was made by the customers without additional increase in cost. “All Discos and MAPs are to develop/implement customer enlightenment campaigns on the price review along with a schedule on the implementation of their meter rollout plans. All MAPs shall continue to file monthly sales and meter installation returns with the commission,” the industry regulator stated.

  The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited Exploration and Production (NEPL) has opposed the divestment of the Nigerian Agip Oil Company’s (NAOC) participating interest in its joint venture (JV) partnership, over non-conformity to regulatory processes, TheCable understands. Oando had announced that it reached an agreement with Eni, on the acquisition of a 100 percent stake in NAOC Limited. The energy firm said the transaction translated to the acquisition of 20 percent participating interests in oil mining leases (OMLs) 60, 61, 62, and 63 — operated by NAOC. Prior to the deal, which is subject to regulatory approvals and ministerial consent, NAOC held a 20 percent participating interest in its JV partnership with non-operators NNPC E&P (60 percent) and Oando (20 percent). It also held a 5 percent participating interest in the Shell Production Development Company (SPDC) — which Eni said is not included in the transaction and will be retained in its portfolio. Others also involved in the SPDC JV include — Shell (30 percent), TotalEnergies (10 percent), and NNPC (55 percent). If the deal is successfully completed, Oando’s current participating interests in oil mining leases (OMLs) 60, 61, 62, and 63, will increase from 20 percent to 40 percent. NNPC sources familiar with the development told TheCable that the NAOC did not pre-inform NEPL about the proposed assignment of its interest to Oando. The source also said Agip Nigeria “failed to obtain the requisite pre-divestment written consent” in line with their joint operating agreement (JOA). It was further learnt that the transaction was at risk of being nullified by NEPL since a formal agreement was not obtained from the NNPC subsidiary. TheCable was told that the NEPL wrote to NAOC, seeking clarity on the deal, and noting that the divestment of NAOC’s participating interest translates to non-compliance with the terms of the JOA. Citing provisions in the JOA, the source said Oando and NEPL were obligated to appoint one of the non-operators as a successor operator.

  The Labour Party (LP) has rejected the judgement of the presidential election petition tribunal that dismissed the petitions of Peter Obi, its candidate, against the victory of President Bola Tinubu in the February 25 polls. On Wednesday, the tribunal struck out the various charges filed by Obi and the LP challenging Tinubu’s victory. Obiora Ifoh, national publicity secretary of the LP, in a statement, said that justice was not served in the judgement, adding that it did not reflect the law and desires of the people. Ifoh said, “The Labour Party watched with dismay and trepidation the dismissal of petitions by the five-man panel of the Presidential Election Petition Court led by Justice Haruna Tsammani today and we reject the outcome of the judgment in its entirety because justice was not served and it did not reflect the law and the desire of the people. “Nigerians were witnesses to the electoral robbery that took place on February 25, 2023, which was globally condemned but the Tribunal in its wisdom refused to accept the obvious. “What is at stake is democracy and we will not relent until the people will prevail. We salute the doggedness of our team of lawyers who fearlessly exposed the wrath in our system. “We can only weep for democracy in Nigeria but we refuse to give up on Nigeria. “Details of the party’s position will be presented after consultation with our lawyers after the Certified True Copy of the judgement.

  The National Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Asaba, Delta State, Wednesday, declared the February 25, 2023 National Assembly election held in Delta South Senatorial district inconclusive. It also ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to conduct supplementary re-run election in the contentious Warri South Local Government Area of the State. Candidate of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, Micheal Diden had brought a petition before the tribunal challenging the declaration of the candidate of the All Progressive Congress, APC, Joel Onowakpo-Thomas as winner of the election by INEC. Diden who challenged the cancellation of election results in Warri South INEC had prayed the tribunal to declare him winner of the polls or alternatively, declare the election inconclusive and order a supplementary rerun election in the council area. While the the second respondent (Onowakpor-Thomas) alleged diversion of BVAS machines and irregularities in the said local government area, the petitioner said elections were held peacefully in the council area but we’re unlawfully cancelled. The petitioner also argued that the result of the presidential and Hose of Representatives elections which held simultaneously with that of the Senate, were not cancelled, adding that it was the same process of accreditation and voting that applied for the three elections. Delivering it’s judgement, the three-member tribunal headed by Justice Cathrine Ogunsola granted the petitioner’s alternate relief. Ogunsola said the second respondent could not prove that there were irregularities that warranted the cancellation of the election results. She said: “The tribunal declares that the second respondent was not duly elected or returned by majority of lawful votes in Delta South Senatorial district on 25th February, 2023 “The tribunal declares that elections held in Delta South were inconclusive and a supplementary re-run election be held in Warri South Local Government Area. “The tribunal hereby set aside the Certificate of Returns issued to the second respondent by the first respondent in respect in respect of the February 23rd election into the Senate for Delta South senatorial district having not been duly elected.” The tribunal also ordered the first respondent “to not later than 90 days from today, conduct a supplementary re-run election in Warri South Local Government Area and declare whoever wins and issue such a person with Certificate of Returns

  Thursday 07 September 2023 Consumers protest as FG hikes electricity meters price by 40% 17-year-old boy locks in parents, steals car, others Police to arraign UNILAG lecturer for alleged rape PEPT: Shettima extends olive branch to Atiku, Obi⁣ Poverty eradication will reduce insecurity by 50% – Govt Tinubu Welcomes Tribunal’s Verdict, Urges Atiku, Obi To Support Govt Subsidy Removal: NLC Ends Warning Strike, Says Significant Stride Achieved Gabon’s Ousted President Bongo Freed Tinubu in India, secures $3bn steel investment for Nigeria Police arrest 10 suspected cyber criminals in Abuja 5 escape death in Ureje River as flood ravages Ekiti Reps panel summons Wale Edun, accountant-general over failed mass transit schemes UNICEF Warns Of $100bn Economic Loss Over Conflict In Northeast Nigeria NNPC, Agip, Oando in fresh battle over assets divestment Imo APC refutes alleged salary scam, infighting Visit a newspaper stand this morning, buy and read a copy for yourself…

  The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has ended its two-day warning strike, directing its members to resume work on Thursday, September 7. The congress described the participation of its affiliate unions in the just concluded two-day warning strike as a “show of undaunted and resilient commitment to defend Nigerian workers and citizens against man-made economic hardship.” While praising all the affiliate unions for massively participating in the strike action, NLC charged the unions to stand by for the indefinite industrial action should the Federal Government refuse to take effective action to ameliorate the sufferings of workers occasioned by the removal of fuel subsidy. A press statement signed by its president, Comrade Joe Ajaero, reads: “We write to extend our heartfelt gratitude to all our dedicated Affiliates, State Councils, and esteemed members for their unwavering support and active participation in the recent two-day nationwide warning strike. This collective effort was undertaken to emphasize our strong conviction that the government should prioritize the welfare of our citizens and adhere to our established statutes. “We are pleased to report that, thanks to your resolute commitment, we have made significant strides in achieving the goals set during our National Executive Council (NEC) meeting, which prompted the initiation of this warning strike. It is abundantly clear that our united message has resonated loudly with the government, and it would take a truly inattentive ear not to hear it. “As we mark the end of the two-day nationwide warning strike today, at the stroke of midnight, we earnestly call upon you all to gracefully conclude the strike and return to work tomorrow, in accordance with our initial agreement. “We would like to take this moment to express our profound appreciation for your unwavering determination and dedication, which played a pivotal role in the resounding success of this action. Your contributions during this warning strike exemplify your unwavering commitment to our shared cause. “In the event that the government fails to provide the appropriate responses to our demands, we encourage you to maintain your steadfast resolve. The same passion and determination that fueled this warning strike will be crucial if we find ourselves compelled to embark on an indefinite nationwide strike. “Congress is not unmindful of the actions of detractors and fifth columnists but in the face of them all, we remain undaunted and more committed to the defence of Nigerian workers and people at any given time. Our nation deserves better.”