Gunmen suspected to be bandits on Sunday evening reportedly killed nine traders along Jibia/Batsari Road on Katsina State. Residents reported that the traders were returning to their community from a local market in Jibia when they ran into the gunmen around 6pm. It was learnt that the traders were being conveyed in two vehicles which the gunmen also burnt. A resident who spoke on condition of anonymity said, “The traders left the market early enough after their trading on Sunday only for them to run into the gunmen between 5pm and 6pm along Jibia/ Batsari Road.” Residents said the gunmen shot into the two vehicles conveying the traders, killing one of the drivers and the traders on the spot. The gunmen also reportedly burnt down the two vehicles the traders were travelling in. Residents further disclosed that sympathisers later deposited the corpses of the victims at the Jibia General Hospital, where their relatives picked them up on Monday morning. The numbers of traders wounded in the accident and those abducted could not be ascertained as of Monday afternoon. The state Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Nasiru Muazu, is yet to react to the incident. The spokesman for the state police command, ASP Abubakar Aliyu, was also said to be at a meeting and he had yet to respond to the SMS sent to him on the incident. Meanwhile, Governor Dikko Radda, however, maintained that there was relative peace in the state, attributing it to the efforts of the Nigerian Army and other security agencies in the state. He made the remarks at the annual West African Social Activities organised by the 17 Brigade of the Nigerian Army, Katsina. The governor, who was the special guest of honour at the occasion, was represented by the Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs. He declared, “Your efforts are highly commendable. I urge you to maintain the laudable standard. The historical role of ‘WASA’ serves as an avenue that fosters good relationship between the Nigerian Army personnel and host communities which has been serving its purpose in the state over the years.”

  The Enugu Electricity Distribution Company PLC (EEDC) has explained that the poor power supply currently experienced by its customers across the South East is beyond the organisation. The company attributed the situation to low energy generation, which has resulted in a drop in power supply availability. The Head, Corporate Communications, EEDC, Mr Emeka Ezeh, who made this known on Monday, appealed to customers to bear with them. According to him the development has resulted in low generation, leading to a reduction in the quantum of daily megawatt hour (MWH) of energy allocated to distribution companies nationwide, thereby impacting the quality of service to its customers. “We understand the inconveniences this situation has caused our esteemed customers and appeal for their understanding as it is beyond us,” Ezeh appealed. “We can only distribute what is allocated to us” “Effort is being made by the various stakeholders in the power sector to address this issue, and we hope this yields positive result so that normal distribution would return. “EEDC remains committed to providing improved services to her esteemed customers.

  The President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Joe Ajaero, has stated that if the ongoing inflation continues unabated, organised labour might push for a new minimum wage of up to N1 Million for Nigerian workers. Ajaero said the demand from organised labour would be influenced by the cost of living which has been increasing since President Bola Tinubu assumed office, notably due to the removal of fuel subsidy and other policies.   THE ROUND TABLE: RISING COST OF LIVING AND IMPACTS ON NIGERIANS0.00 / 0.00 The NLC president said this during an interview with Arise News, on Sunday evening. He said, “This N1 million may be relevant if the value of the Nigerian (naira) continues to depreciate; if the inflation continues unchecked because the demand of labour is equally dependent on what is happening in the society. “You will remember that by the time we were contemplating N200,000 (as minimum wage), the exchange rate was about N800/N900 (to a dollar). As we talk today, the exchange rate is about N1,400 or even more. “Those are the issues that determine the demand and it is equally affecting the cost of living. And we have always said that our demand will be based on the cost of living index. You will agree with me today that even a bag of rice is going for about N60,000/N70,000 or more.     “A bag of locally produced corn is about N56,000 or more. Foodstuff is getting out of reach, now are we going to get a minimum wage that will not be enough for transportation even for one week? “You have to factor in these issues and that will determine the Federal Government’s commitment to this negotiation. It is not just that they want to give us a minimum wage. “The old minimum wage will be expiring by April and ordinarily, the Federal Government ought to have set up a committee six months before that time so that negotiation would have commenced but the Federal Government didn’t do that until (recently when) they inaugurated a committee and the committee has not sat. “It appears we are going to work within one month or two to agree on a figure and I doubt how those ones are going to… especially when you look at the people that the Federal Government assembled as members of the committee. “They looked at some of the governors that are not paying even the existing minimum wage and even they have a minister of budget who didn’t implement his minimum wage as a governor.   “If you have these people in the government team on the issue of minimum wage, some of us have not seen a bright future in the work of this new minimum wage committee.”   Both the NLC and the Trade Union Congress last week Thursday issued a 14-day strike notice to the Federal Government, expressing frustration over its failure to implement a 16-point agreement signed in October 2023.   This agreement aimed to alleviate the suffering caused by the rise in petrol price and the devaluation of the naira, policies that have increased hardships and inflation. The unions demanded the government fulfill its obligations within the stipulated 14-day period starting from Friday, February 9, 2024

  Trial of the former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Mr. Godwin Emefiele resumed before a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, on Monday, with the lead witness, Mr. Onyeka Ogbu, narrating how the defendant approved the release of the sum of $6, 230, 000 to international election observers. Ogbu, who is the first witness, PW-1, in the amended 20-count charge the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, preferred against Emefiele, told the court that he is a Deputy Director at the CBN, in charge of branch operations. Led in evidence by EFCC’s lawyer, Mr. Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, the witness, identified some documents he said were in relation to the disbursement of the approved funds, to the foreign election observers. He told the court that his attention was brought to the approval by one of the departments at the apex bank, adding that his own responsibility was to process the release of the requested fund in accordance with the due process. “On January 8, 2023, the request for payment of $6, 230, 000 was brought to my attention by the Banking Services Department. “Ours is to make payment. We do not have the power to approve. “So, having gone through the documents and satisfied, I minuted on it and sent for processing and disbursement which was complied with,” the witness added. Meanwhile, while the witness was identifying the documents, it was discovered that two of them were missing. Consequently, the prosecution counsel requested for the trial to be stood down to enable him to get the missing documents. However, Emefiele’s lawyer, Mr. Matthew Burkaa, SAN, argued that instead of a stand down, the matter should be adjourned till another date to enable the prosecution to put its house in order and for the witness to be cross examined. Justice Hamza Muazu accordingly adjourned the matter till Tuesday for continuation of hearing. It will be recalled that the anti-graft agency had on January 20, re-arraigned the former CBN boss on an amended charge that bordered on criminal conspiracy, forgery, breach of trust and the allegation that he conferred undue advantage on himself. The EFCC had initially entered a six-count charge against the defendant over his alleged complicity in a N1.2billion procurement fraud. In the amended charge, the agency accused the defendant of obtaining about $6.2million through false pretence, alleging that he falsely represented the Secretary to the Government of the Federation. He was accused of committing an offence that was in contravention of Section 1(1) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006, and punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act. According to the amended charge, marked: CR/577/2023, Emefiele, on February 8, 2023, connived with one Odoh Ocheme, who is now on the run, to obtain $6.2m from the CBN, claiming that it was requested by the SGF “vide a letter dated 26th January 2023 with Ref No. SGF.43/L.01/201.” EFCC alleged that the defendant, in January 2023, forged the document titled: “RE: PRESIDENTIAL DIRECTIVE ON FOREIGN ELECTION OBSERVER MISSIONS.” It further alleged that contract for the renovation of the CBN Governor’s lodge, located at No. 2 Glover Road, Ikoyi, Lagos, was awarded to a company named Messrs Architekon Nigeria Limited, wherein Emefiele’s wife and brother in-law, were directors and majority shareholders. Offences the defendant committed, according to the EFCC, contravened sections 17, 19 of the corrupt practices and other related offences Act, 2000, as well as sections 315, 363 and 364 of the penal code. The court had on November 22, 2023, granted Emefiele bail to the tune of N300m with two sureties in the like sum. The court stressed that the sureties must be resident within the FCT Abuja and owners of landed properties within the Maitama District. Besides, the court seized the travelling documents of the defendant. One of the counts in the amended charge, read: “That you, Godwin Ifeanyi Emefiele, male, adult, sometime in March 2020 within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, did use your position as governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria to confer a corrupt advantage on your wife, Omoile Margret, and brother-in-law Omoile Macombo, by awarding a contract for the external renovation of the CBN Governor’s residence lying, being and situate at No. 2 Glover Road, Ikoyi, Lagos, in the sum of N99.826m to Messrs Architekon Nigeria Limited, a company wherein the duo are directors and majority shareholders and you thereby committed an offence.”

  During a meeting with Kaduna Governor Senator Uba Sani at the Sir Kashim Ibrahim Government House in the state capital on Sunday, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor Enoch Adeboye, emphasised the necessity of spiritual solutions to address Nigeria’s security and socio-economic challenges. Adeboye acknowledged the efforts made by Nigeria’s political authorities in seeking solutions to the nation’s issues. However, he stressed the urgent need for divine intervention to effectively tackle these challenges. He said, “I am delighted to be here again. I was here about two years ago with the former governor. “At that time, I came to pray for some of my members who were kidnapped and miraculously rescued. I came to encourage their families to let them know that all will be well. “I have come again this time around because it has become clearer to us that the problems our nation is facing are more than political. Our problems will require quite a bit of spiritual solution. “We, as a country, are blessed. We are blessed with people with great intelligence. We are blessed with all manner of resources, yet we have so many problems. “It is not as if people in authority are not trying their best. They are doing as much as humanly possible, and then we found out that when you have problems that are beyond human ability to solve them, you call on the Almighty. The reason we call Him the Almighty is because He has the power to solve all problems. “So, we have been going around in our own little ways to support the efforts of all the various governments and parastatals to call on the Almighty to come to our aid because we need help. We need help, and we need it urgently.”

  Four persons were reportedly killed by suspected herdsmen in what looks like renewed attacks on two villages of Miango district of Bassa Local Government Area of Plateau State. According to the national publicity secretary of Irigwe Development Association, Davidson Malison, the assailants launched an attack on Nkienzha community in Miango district of Rigwe Chiefdom in the early hours of Monday where three persons were killed and one severely injured with machete cuts and receiving treatment at a medical facility. The fourth death was recorded in another attack on Teegbe village on Saturday night while a car ambush occurred on Friday where the vehicle was burnt and one person sustained injuries. The leadership of Rigwe nation through the traditional council and development association described the resurgence of attacks and killings as callous and barbaric. The paramount ruler of Rigwe Chiefdom Reverend Ronku Aka and Irigwe Development Association President, Robert Ashi are calling on security agencies to ensure that perpetrators of the heinous crime are apprehended and prosecute accordingly. Plateau State has been badly hit by blood-thirsty marauders of late with over 200 killed during Christmas Eve attacks in the Bokkos and the Barkin Ladi local government areas. Many houses and farmlands were also burnt in the overnight attacks and scores were injured. The attack continued in the new year with the killing of over 30 persons and burning of many houses by assailants in Kwahaslalek village, a community in the Mangu Local Government Area in January. The attack had prompted Governor Caleb Mutfwang to impose a curfew on the Local Government Area which was later lifted.