Thursday 21 March 2024 N’Assembly passes student loan bill, proposes jail for defaulters Tinubu places three-month ban on foreign trips for ministers, others Lagos transporters accuse OP MESA officers of extortion, harassment N109bn fraud: EFCC denies asking ex-accountant general to indict minister Impeachment: Shaibu to paste court papers on Obaseki’s office Delta bloodbath: Senate meets service chiefs as troops comb creeks Slain Soldiers Will Receive National Honours, Befitting Burial – Tinubu LP Crisis: ‘Show Of Rascality,’ Abure Faults Picketing Of Party’s HQ CBN Clears ‘Valid’ FX Transactions To Eliminate Legacy Backlog Reps Pass Bill Seeking Salary Increase For Judicial Officers Court Dismisses Suit To Stop Conduct Of Elections, Examinations On Saturdays Catholic Bishops Call On Tinubu To Release Nnamdi Kanu NLC Pickets Labour Party HQ, Demands Abure’s Removal NNPCL Mulls Gas As Triggers For Nigeria’s Industrialisation, Economic Devt Gunmen Invade Ogun Community, Abduct Poultry Manager Senate Passes NYSC Trust Fund Bill Varsity Unions’ Strike: Exams Stalled In BUK, Lectures Disrupted In Others 157 soldiers set for deployment on peacekeeping in Sudan Visit a newspaper stand this morning, buy and read a copy for yourself…

  Controversial Islamic scholar, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, has rubbished claim that some individuals of interest are sponsoring terrorism in Nigeria. According to him, “These terrorists (bandits) don’t need any financial support from outside since they collect billions from kidnapping”. This comes on the heels of the release of 15 entities, including nine individuals and six Bureau De Change operators and firms, allegedly involved in terrorism financing by the federal government of Nigeria.       Reacting, Sheikh Gumi who was featured on Daily Trust X Space on Wednesday, said it’s only the Court of law that has the right to declare anyone terrorism financier. His words; “I think it’s high time the government took the bull by the horns, come together to see how to redirect these people (bandits)… “Now they are looking for N1 billion for these children (kidnap victims) to be released. They financed themselves by kidnapping. I think it’s rubbish to just frame your political opponents as financing terrorism.   “No Nigerian will put his money in terrorism, we’re beyond that. These people are financing themselves by taking our children for ransom. “So, how can we say some people are financing terrorism because there is a misunderstanding between them”.

  President Bola Tinubu has banned ministers, heads of agencies, and other government officials from embarking on public funded foreign trips. The ban will last for three months in the first instance and will take effect on April 1, 2024. This was contained in a letter dated March 12, 2024, and signed by the Chief of Staff to the president, Femi Gbajabiamila; and addressed to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume. In January, Tinubu issued an order to reduce the number of people accompanying him on both local and foreign trips, noting that his delegation members should not exceed 25 for local travels and 20 for international trip I Pay My Fees, Send Money Home From Tricycle Driving – Female University Student | Punch0:00 / 0:00 He also mandated that security agents at his destination should provide his protection instead of being accompanied by many security personnel from Abuja. This came following the backlash he faced during and after the last twenty-eighth Conference of Parties (COP28) in the United Arab Emirates, which about 590 Nigerian officials attended. Responding to the public outburst, the government said it provided funding for only 422 out of the 590 individuals in the delegation. The letter indicating the ban read in part, “Mr President has concerns about the rising cost of travel expenses borne by Ministries, Department and Agencies of Government as well as the growing need for cabinet members and heads of MDAs to focus on their respective mandates for effective service delivery. “Considering the current economic challenges and the need for responsible fiscal management, I am writing to communicate Mr Presideni’s directive to place a temporary ban on all public funded international trips for all Federal Government officials at all levels, for an initial period of three months from Ist April 2024.” The ban, according to the letter, was aimed at reducing costs in governance. It added, “This temporary measure is aimed at cost reduction in governance and intended as a cost-saving measure without compromising government functions.” Tinubu added that government officials who intend to go on any public funded foreign trip must seek and get presidential approval at least two weeks before embarking on any such trip, which must be ‘deemed absolutely necessary’. It added, “All government officials who intend to go on any public funded international trips must seek and obtain Presidential approval at least two weeks prior to embarking on any such trip, which must be deemed absolutely necessary.”

  The Federal Government has reportedly listed Kaduna-based publisher, Tukur Mamu, and 14 others as terrorism financiers. The Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit reportedly listed the identity of the 15 entities, including nine individuals and six Bureau De Change (BDC) operators and firms, according to The PUNCH. The newspaper said NFIU documents showed that the Nigeria Sanctions Committee met on March 18, 2024, and specific individuals and entities were recommended for sanction following their involvement in terrorism financing. “The Honourable Attorney General of the Federation, with the approval of the President, has thereupon designated the following individuals and entities to be listed on the Nigeria Sanctions List,” the document read in part. Among the individuals named in the document was Tukur, who is currently being tried by the Federal Government for allegedly aiding the terrorists who attacked the Abuja-Kaduna train in March 2022. According to the document, Mamu “participated in the financing of terrorism by receiving and delivering ransome payments over the sum of $200,000 US in support of ISWAP terrorists for the release of hostages of the Abuja-Kaduna train attack.” The document said one of the individuals is “the suspected attacker of the St. Francis Catholic Church Owo, Ondo State on June 5, 2022 and the Kuje Correctional Center, Abuja on July 5, 2022.” Another was described as “a member of the terrorist group Ansarul Muslimina Fi Biladissudam, the group is associated with Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb. Another was identified as “a senior commander of the Islamic State of West Africa Province Okene.” The agency said the individual “came into limelight in 2012 as North Central wing of Boko Haram. “The group is suspected of the attacks carried out around Federal Capital Territory and the South West Geographical Zone, including the June 5, 2022 attack on St. Francis Catholic Church, Owo, Ondo State.” Another was described as “a financial courier to ISWAP Okene. She is responsible for the disbursement of funds to the widows/wives of the terrorist fighters of the group.” The document further revealed that, in accordance with Section 54 of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, institutions and individuals are required to: (a) immediately, identify and freeze, without prior notice, all funds, assets, and any other economic resources belonging to the designated persons and entities in your possession and report same to the Sanctions Committee; “(b) report to the Sanctions Committee any assets frozen or actions taken in compliance with the prohibition requirements. “(c) immediately file a Suspicious Transactions Report to the NFIU for further analysis on the financial activities of such an individual or entity; and “(d) report as a Suspicious Transactions Report to the NFIU, all cases of name matching in financial transactions prior to or after receipt of this List. ” It said the “The freezing obligation required above shall extend to “(a) all funds or other assets that are owned or controlled by the designated persons and entities, and not only those that are tied to a particular act, plot, or threat of terrorism or terrorism financing; “(b) those funds or other assets that are wholly or jointly owned or controlled, directly or indirectly, by designated persons or entities; “(c) the funds or other assets derived or generated from funds or other assets owned or controlled directly or indirectly by designated persons or entities; and “(d) funds or other assets of persons and entities acting on behalf of, or at the direction of designated persons or entities.”

  Goods worth millions of Naira were destroyed on Wednesday when an early morning fire razed some shops in the Nnamdi Azikiwe and Docemo section of the Idumota Market in Lagos State. The fire affected three buildings, including two two-storey structures and one three-storey building in the market popularly for clothes, bags and shoes. The Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service and other emergency service providers have arrived at the scene and firefighting efforts have commenced. “The Fire stations at Ebute Elefun, Ilupeju and Alausa have deployed resources to mitigate the situation effectively as firefighting operations is ongoing,” said Fire Service boss, Margaret Adeseye. “The cause of the Fire is yet to be determined, and investigations are ongoing. Casualties have not been confirmed at this time.” Adeseye urged residents to cooperate with emergency personnel and avoid the area for their safety.

  Funds earmarked to nine oil-producing states as the 13 per cent derivative from oil and gas revenue, rose to about N85bn in February 2024, according to data sourced from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). According to the Bureau, NBS the N85bn 13 per cent oil derivative in February increased from about N58bn shared in January 2024. Nigeria’s revenue-sharing formula requires that the nine oil-producing states, including Abia, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bayelsa, Delta, Imo, Edo, Ondo, and Rivers, receive 13 per cent as oil revenue derivative. The development comes following data from NBS, where it said the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC), disbursed the sum of N2.07trn to the three tiers of government in February 2024 from the total revenue generated in January 2024. The amount disbursed comprised of N1.15trn recorded from the Statutory Account, N479bn from Exchange Gain, N16.59m from Electronic Money Transfer Levy, and N420.73bn from Value Added Tax.   According to NBS, the federal government got a total of N407.27bn, states got a total of N379.41bn, and local governments got a total of N278.04bn in February 2024.