The eight rescued kidnap victims who have been receiving medical attention at Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital, Ado Ekiti, were on Sunday discharged after a week in the facility. The victims including five school children and three staff of The Apostolic Faith Group of Schools, Emure Ekiti, who were kidnapped along the Emure-Eporo Road, on their way home from school, spent six days in the kidnappers’ den before they were released last Sunday. The state Commissioner for Health, Dr Oyebanji Filani, said it was a moment of joy, having the people rescued from the kidnappers and treated by government. Filani, who spoke at EKSUTH while discharging them, said, “As a government having had them including the children released and having had them properly treated by various teams from management here in the teaching hospital, we would be returning them to their community.” The Chief Medical Director, EKSUTH , Prof. Kayode Olabanji, had assured the government while the eight persons were brought in last Sunday, that they would be given necessary medical attention before they would be discharged. Olabanji had said, “They were in various conditions when they were brought in, some of them were so dehydrated, we don’t know when last they had taken water or even food. Many of the pupils were in a panic state, you could see that they were very terrified. However, immediately we brought them in, they had been attended to by the doctors, nurses and the various specialties. “We brought in clinical psychologists who could work on them to allay their fears. They were given the initial resuscitations including rehydration, they were given fluids, some who needed oxygen were given oxygen. “After they had stabilised a bit, they were even given food too, now, they are much better, we will still carry out few investigations to fully appraise their situation.” The grandmother of three of the school children, Mrs Dorcas Ojo, said it would not have been possible for her to remain alive if the kidnappers had not released her three grandchildren. The woman, who said the eight abducted persons were saved by God through the prayers of the people of Emure Ekiti and Eporo Ekiti, said, “The abductors made the children undergo what their parents had never experienced. “They (children) were traumatised by the kidnappers as they were forced to trek long distance in the bush, not staying in one location and also not given food to eat for the days they were in captivity.”

  One of the phone numbers linked to Cross River State Governor, Bassey Otu, has been compromised, and the perpetrators are trying to extort money from unsuspecting individuals. The governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Emmanuel Ogbeche, disclosed this in a statement shared on Facebook on Sunday. Ogbeche urged members of the public to disregard any unsolicited messages seeking financial assistance, purportedly from the governor. He wrote, “There have been apprehension in many quarters over unsolicited messages allegedly from Governor Bassey Otu seeking financial assistance. “The public is please advised to disregard any such messages purportedly from the governor. “One of the governor’s mobile numbers was breached by hi-tech criminals in the early hours of Sunday, February 11, 2024. “The hackers have gone on to utilise the breached number to advance their nefarious activities to try to scam unsuspecting individuals. Please, do not fall to such devious attempt. “The hacked number has been secured, while relevant security agencies are working to apprehend those behind this obnoxious act.”

  Access Holdings says it will soon announce the appointment of an acting group chief executive officer after the passing of Herbert Wigwe. Wigwe, wife, son and Abimbola Ogunbanjo, the former group chairman of the Nigerian Exchange Group Plc (NGX Group), died in a helicopter crash in the US. The Eurocopter EC130 helicopter conveying them crashed around 10pm on Friday in California — 7am on Saturday in Nigeria — near the Nevada border. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) in the United States, during a media briefing held at 6pm Pacific time on Saturday (3am on Sunday in Nigeria), said an investigation into the crash pointed to rainy and wintry weather as reasons for the accident. With Wigwe’s death leaving the GCEO position vacant, Access Holdings said it will appoint a temporary replacement as stipulated by the company’s policy. “In line with the Company’s policy, the Board will soon announce the appointment of an Acting Group Chief Executive Officer even as we remain confident that the Access Group will build further on Dr. Wigwe’s legacy of growth and operational excellence,” Access Holdings said. Before his passage, Wigwe occupied the Group CEO position for two years after his appointment on March 28, 2022. Prior to his appointment, he had occupied various positions within Access Bank, from being the deputy managing director at Access Bank from 2012 to 2014, when he became the group managing director and CEO. He served as the chairman of Access Bank (Ghana), Access Investment & Securities Limited, Central Securities and Clearing System (CSCS) and presently as chairman of Access Bank (UK) Limited and Unified Payments Services Limited.

  The Kano State Hisbah Board has confiscated no fewer than 8,600 bottles of beer loaded in a van that came from Kaduna to the state. The board’s officer in charge of intoxicants, Idris Ibrahim, disclosed this to journalists on Saturday, Ibrahim said the alcoholic drinks were seized last Thursday at Kwanar Dangora village along Kano-Kaduna Expressway. He added that operatives of the command had been tracking the vehicle from Kaduna until it came into Kano territory. THE ROUND TABLE: RISING COST OF LIVING AND IMPACTS ON NIGERIANS0.00 / 0.00 “We stopped the vehicle at Kwanar Dangora village and the driver attempted to escape but our operatives apprehended him. “You know it is illegal to sell and drink beer in Kano State. So, we are going to take the driver to court after taking his statement,” Ibrahim said. He added that the Hisbah team in charge of intoxicants at the board are waiting for further instructions from the Hisbah management. Meanwhile, the board’s command also arrested 15 young women during operations in different parts of Kano City. It was learnt that the arrest of the women who were accused of engaging in prostitution, took place in Hotoro Tishama, Bakin River Verd Sabon Gari, Miyangu Road, Hadejia Road and old Zoo Road motor parks. The board’s Deputy Commander-General, Dr. Mujahid Aminuddeen, who confirmed the arrest, said some of the suspected prostitutes had been arrested several times and charged to court, but still engaged in the illegal business. “It is unfortunate that some of these women leave their states and countries and come to Kano where they engage in prostitution and other objectionable behaviour. “They roam the streets of Kano and do all sorts of things. We are calling on members of the public to continue to report such activities so that we can sanitise the state “However, some of these girls also need prayers because when you talk with them, you understand that they find themselves in this situation because of hardship,” Aminuddeen said. According to him, a lot of the girls have engaged in drug abuse which has changed their appearance and affected their mental stability. “We have to call on parents to pray for their children to be protected from the evils of drug abuse, which leads to other social vices,” he concluded..

  The Nigerian Navy says it arrested Motor Tanker SAISNIL II with about 720,000 Liters of Crude Oil Sludge allegedly stolen from an oil facility in the Niger Delta region. The St. Vincent & Grenadines flag vessel was arrested along with it’s 11 crew men onboard The ship which was allegedly arrested around 199 nautical miles off Lagos coast was later brought to Lagos where the captain, the Chief Engineer and others are being interrogated. It was learnt that the Captain of the ship had deliberately turned off the Automatic Identification System (AIS), which is a grievous infraction within the nation’s maritime domain. The ship had sailed from Lagos Anchorage on November 23, 2023 to Taraba Jetty in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, to evacuate about 720,000 Liters of Crude Oil Sludge. A naval source at the base said the Authorities in charge of the Nigerian Navy Ship, NNS BEECROFT, became suspicious of the activities of the vessel minutes after the AIS was turned off. Confirming the arrest, the Commander of NNS BEECROFT, Commodore Kolawole Oguntuga, confirmed that the ship was a St. Vincent & Grenadines flag vessel and that it had 11 crew men onboard as at the time of arrest. Commodore Oguntuga, who also doubles as the Commander of the Maritime Component Commander Operation AWATSE , explained that the activities of a vessel cannot be determined when the AIS systems is turned off and it is during such occasions that illegalities are perpetrated.   Oguntuga explained that such singular act, necessitated the deployment of the Nigerian Navy Ship SOKOTO, adding that the navy gunboat had to sail 199 nautical miles to intercept and returned the vessel to Lagos Anchorage. “MT SAISNIL II initially sailed from Lagos Anchorage on November 23, 2023 to Taraba Jetty in Port Harcourt, Rivers State to evacuate about 720,000 Liters of Crude Oil Sludge but the manipulation of it AIS around ABO Field for over 48 hours gave rise to a reasonable suspicion of illegalities. “Samples of the product onboard has been taken for analysis at the appropriate laboratory and the outcome of the analysis will determine the next line of action. The vessel is opened to any agency that wants to get samples onboard for analysis to confirm the product onboard. This became necessary as the Nigerian Navy remains resolute in ensuring transparency towards ensuring holistic maritime security. “The successful detection leveraging technology and arrest of MT SAISNIL II despite the distance from the coast aligns with key priorities of the Strategic Directives of Vice Admiral EI Ogalla, Chief of the Naval Staff, emphasizing the Navy’s unweaving commitment to eradicating crude oil theft within the nations maritime environment for economic prosperity of our dear nation,” he added.

  The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), has intercepted 7,345.209 kilograms of illicit drugs and substances worth N125.71 million in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). The NDLEA Commander in the territory, Mr Kabir Tsakuwa, said in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Abuja that the illicit drugs were intercepted in 2023. Tsakuwa named the various drugs intercepted as Marijuana, Cocaine, Diazepam, Methamphetamine, Rohypnol, Tramadol, Pentazocine, Heroin, Megadon, and Ecstasy among others. Giving breakdown of the seizures, the commander said a total of 7, 138.72kg of marijuana was intercepted by operatives of the agency within the period under review. He said other drugs seized in 2023 included 0.5kg of Cocaine; Diazepam, 29.629kg; Methamphetamine, 4.587kg; Rohyphol, 5.934kg, and 133.753kg of Tramadol. Tsakuwa added that the rest of the illicit drugs intercepted were Pentazocine weighing 21.727kg; Heroin, 0.002kg; Megadon, 0.263kg, and Ecstasy, 0.134kg. “All the illicit drugs and substances intercepted were with the street value of N125, 714, 620 million,” he said. The NDLEA commander said 640 suspects comprising 614 males and 26 females were arrested within the period under review. Tsakuwa said out of the number, 295 of the suspects were charged to court and 201 of them were convicted while 264 cases are pending in the Federal High Court, Abuja. On rehabilitation, he said that within the year under review, 175 drug users were counseled and helped back into the society out of which, 172 were males and three were females.

  In a recent attack launched on the Umogidi community in Entekpa Ward of the Adoka District, Otukpo Local Government Area of Benue State, suspected gunmen have reportedly killed two individuals and others sustained different degrees of injuries. Saturday New Telegraph reports that the fresh attack occurred a few days after a similar attack in the neighbourhood which claimed the lives of ten people. Joseph Adakole, a source who is privy to the development said that the robbers attacked the town on Thursday night and started shooting at the victims. He claimed that the deceased were his uncle and cousin. “The herdsmen attacked Umogidi again in the evening of Thursday and killed some persons and left others injured. The two that were confirmed dead so far were my relatives. One was my uncle, and the other was a cousin,” he said. In response, Otukpo’s Caretaker Chairman, Alfred Omakwu, stated that in addition to murdering the two victims, the marauders also attacked the security and military forces stationed nearby. He added that although the attackers had retreated and threatened to make a surprise attack, the community had now been peaceful. “From Friday, there has been calm, and the military presence has increased. But we are still receiving threats from them. Two of our youths were killed on Thursday. At the point of their entry into the community, they engaged those ones and the military too,” he said. Superintendent SP Catherine Anene, the Police Public Relations Officer, stated that she was unaware of the development.

  Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has filed a lawsuit against the Senate President, Mr Godswill Akpabio and Speaker of House of Representatives, Mr Tajudeen Abbas over “the failure to disclose, clarify and explain the details National Assembly budget of N344.85 billion, and the rationale for several budget items, such as the N6 billion budgeted for two car parks.” Mr Akpabio and Mr Abbas are sued for themselves and on behalf of all members of the National Assembly. In the suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/178/2024 filed last Friday at the Federal High Court, Abuja, SERAP is seeking: “an order of mandamus to direct and compel Mr Akpabio and Mr Abbas to disclose, clarify and explain details of the N344.85 billion National Assembly budget in the Appropriation Act 2024.”   SERAP is seeking: “an order of mandamus to direct and compel Mr Akpabio and Mr Abbas to disclose, clarify and explain the details of the N8.5 billion budgeted for ‘National Assembly liabilities’ in the Appropriation Act 2024 and the nature of any such liabilities and how and why they have been incurred.” SERAP is also seeking: “an order of mandamus to direct and compel Mr Akpabio and Mr Abbas to disclose, clarify and explain details of the proposed spending of the N3 billion for the ‘Senate Car Park’ and N3 billion for the House of Representatives Car Park in the Appropriation Act 2024.” In the suit, SERAP is arguing that: “Details of spending of public funds by the National Assembly have been mostly shrouded in secrecy. Nigerians have the right to know the details of the budget by the lawmakers, and the rationale for the budget.” SERAP is also arguing that, “Disclosing, clarifying and explaining the details of the proposed spending of the National Assembly budget would allow Nigerians to scrutinise it, and to monitor the spending of the budget to ensure that the money is not mismanaged, diverted or stolen.” According to SERAP, “Opacity in the spending of the N344.85 billion National Assembly budget would have negative impacts on the fundamental interests of the citizens and the public interest.” SERAP is also arguing that, “The National Assembly ought to be more responsible to the public interest and more responsive to it. The National Assembly has a constitutional responsibility to combat waste and abuse in its own spending if it is to effectively exercise its oversight functions and hold the government to account.” SERAP said, “Transparency and accountability in public administration is an essential element of democracy. Transparency in the spending of the National Assembly budget would give the public a tool to hold the lawmakers accountable. It would protect Nigerians from any potential abuses of governmental or legislative power that may exist.” The suit filed on behalf of SERAP by its lawyers, Kolawole Oluwadare and Andrew Nwankwo, read in part: “It is in the public interest and the interest of justice to grant this application. Nigerians are entitled to their constitutionally and internationally recognized human right to information.” “The public interest in obtaining the information sought outweighs any other interests. The oversight afforded by public access to such details would serve as an important check on the activities of the lawmakers, and help to prevent abuses of the public trust.” “Disclosing, clarifying and explaining details of the spending of the National Assembly budget would improve public trust, and allow Nigerians to track and monitor the spending, and to assess if the items on the budget are justified, as well as to hold lawmakers to account in cases of mismanagement and corruption.” “Disclosing, clarifying and explaining the details of the proposed spending of the N344.85 billion National Assembly budget would also ensure that lawmakers are answerable to the people for the performance of their duties.” “The effective operation of representative democracy depends on the people being able to scrutinise, discuss and contribute to government decision making, including on the spending of the National Assembly budget.” “The Nigerian Constitution, 1999 [as amended], Freedom of Information Act, and the country’s anti-corruption and human rights obligations rest on the principle that citizens should have access to information regarding their lawmakers’ activities and spending.” “By the combined reading of the provisions of the Nigerian Constitution, the Freedom of Information Act, and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, there are transparency obligations imposed on the National Assembly to disclose, explain and clarify the rationale for several items in the budget.” “Nigerians have a right to scrutinize how their lawmakers spend their tax money and commonwealth, especially given the precarious economic realities in the country and the impact of the removal of fuel subsidy on vulnerable Nigerians.” “The National Assembly increased its own allocation in the 2024 budget to N344.48bn. The new budgetary allocation to the National Assembly is over 70 percent of the N197bn proposed by President Bola Tinubu for the lawmakers in the budget proposal submitted to the National Assembly.” “The N344.48bn National Assembly budget, which is an increase of about N147bn, is reportedly the highest-ever budgetary allocation to the National Assembly.” “The items contained in the N344.48bn National Assembly budget include: National Assembly Office – Senate – N49.1bn; House of Representatives – N78.6bn; National Assembly Service Commission – N12.3bn; Legislative Aides – N20.3bn; NILDS – N9.09bn; Service-wide votes – N15.1bn; Senate Appropriation Committee– N200m.” “Other budget items include: House Appropriation Committee – N200 million; Public Account committees of Senate and House – N280.7 million National Assembly Library Take Off Grant – N12.1 billion; National Assembly building (ongoing) – N4.2 billion; and National Assembly Liabilities – N8.5 billion.” “Other items include: National Assembly E-Library – N225 million; Constitution Review – N1 billion; and Completion of NILDS HQ – N4.5 billion; Construction of NASC Building – N10 billion; Office of Clerks and Permanent Secretaries – N1.2 billion; and Alternative Power System – N4 billion.” “Other items in the National Assembly budget include: National Assembly Zonal Offices – N3bn; Senate Car Park – N3 billion; House of Representatives Car Park -N3 billion; and Furnishing of

  Following the tragic attacks resulting in the loss of over 200 lives across three local government areas in Plateau state – Bokkos, Mangu, and Barkin Ladi, President Bola Tinubu has approved the immediate establishment of a Military Barracks. The Barracks will be located in Miller Farm (Gada Biyu) Mbar District of Bokkos local government area. President Tinubu directed General Christopher Musa, the Chief of Defense Staff, to coordinate the implementation of this initiative to address the security challenges facing the region. Former governor of Plateau state, Joshua Dariye had made efforts to facilitate the establishment of the Barracks to halt the continuous attacks that have resulted in loss of life, widespread looting, and destruction of property Once operational, the Barracks will swiftly intervene to address the relentless attacks and killings in Bokkos, Mangu, Riyom, Barkin Ladi, and neighbouring Nasarawa state. This initiative is especially crucial following the simultaneous sacking of certain communities, widespread looting, and loss of life on Christmas Eve of 2023 in Bokkos, Mangu, and Barkin Ladi local government areas