The US House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved a bill on Wednesday that would force TikTok to divest from its Chinese owner or get banned from the United States. The lawmakers voted 352 in favor of the proposed law and 65 against, in a rare moment of bipartisan unity in politically divided Washington. AFP More to follow….
An apprentice with a big time trader has committed suicide few hours that his master accused him of stealing the sum of N100,000 from his shop,at Elemoro area of Lagos. The boy, 17, got angry, bought a bottle of poisonous substance,sniper,drank it and died . His body has been recovered and deposited in a public Mortuary by the police. A police source told our correspondent that a lady, Cynthia, reported at Elemoro police Division, that her younger brother, Chibueze , 17, came home from work the previous day , at about 8 pm, took some money and left without taking to her. According to the senior police officer, the lady said that few minutes that his brother left the house, his master called and reported that her younger brother stole the sum of N100 from his shop,” the lady said that few hours that her brother left the house , a neighbour called her and reported that she saw her brother lying dead at Abijo Bus Stop. The lady said that she rushed down to the scene, where she met his lifeless body and a plastic bottle of Sniper bedsides him. The lady said she presumed that his brother drank the sniper as he was forming through the mouth and nostril . “On the strength of the report, detectives from the division ,moved to the scene and met the lifeless body of the boy with foam gushing out of his mouth and nostril . The can of the sniper has been recovered as exhibit and his body was deposited at Epe General Hospital Hospital mortuary for autopsy and preservation” Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) SP Benjamin Hundyin, who confirmed the death, said the police have commenced investigation into the matter.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Wednesday, urged the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja to dismiss an application the immediate past Governor of Anambra State, Willie Obiano, filed to quash the nine-count money laundering charge it preferred against him. In a counter-affidavit it filed before the court, the anti-graft agency maintained that it has gathered sufficient evidence to secure the conviction of the erstwhile governor. EFCC, in the affidavit that was deposed to by one Habu Fari, said the proof of evidence it adduced before the court established a prima facie case that would warrant the defendant to face his trial. “Contrary to the depositions contained in paragraphs 5 (v) and (vi) of the defendant’s affidavit, the charge and the proof of evidence disclosed a prima facie case and linked the defendant with the allegations constituted in the charge,” the Commission stated. Besides, it asked the court to dismiss Obiano’s contention that his trial ought to be stopped since the Anambra state government had categorically stated that its funds were not missing. Obiano had informed the trial court that the Anambra state government has already taken the matter before the Court of Appeal. While countering the claim, the EFCC, in its affidavit, argued that since Anambra state government was not listed as a defendant in Obiano’s case, it lacked the legal right to challenge the proceedings before the trial court. “That the deposition contained in paragraph 5 (xi) of the affidavit in support of the motion, Anambra state government is not a defendant in the instant proceedings and the defendant is not Anambra state. “The appeal alluded to, have no bearing or relationship with the instant charge,” EFCC added. The agency further argued that contrary to Obiano’s claim, the charge against him was not borne out of malice or aimed to witch-hunt him. “Contrary to the deposition in paragraphs, 5(xii), (xii), (xiv), (xv), (v) (xvii) and (xviii), the instant charge is brought bonafide, initiated through due legal process, devoid of witch-hunting, precise, unassailable and borne out of the process of a serious investigation as a call to duty to fight economic and financial crimes. “That the counts constituted in the charge all border on money laundering which this honorable court has exclusive jurisdiction to try,” EFCC averred. When the matter was called up on Wednesday, Obiano’s counsel, Dr. Onyechi Ikpeazu, SAN, adopted his process and prayed the court to grant his client’s request. On his part, the prosecution counsel, Mr. Sylvanus Tahir, SAN, urged the court to dismiss the application. Tahir, SAN, stressed that the main issue in the charge was the diversion of funds that were earmarked as Security Votes, by the former governor. He submitted that Security Votes could be probed when misappropriated. “I urge your lordship to dismiss the application of the defendant. This court has jurisdiction to hear the matter. “Security votes are like any other funds and when misappropriated it can be accounted for,” he argued. After he had listened to both parties, trial Justice Inyang Ekwo adjourned the matter till April 18 for ruling. It will be recalled that Obiano, who piloted the affairs of Anmabra State from March 2014 to March 2022, was first arrested at the Murtala Muhammad International Airport, Lagos, on March 17, 2022, as he was preparing to board a flight to Houston, the United States of America. The arrest took place few hours after he left office as governor. The EFCC alleged that he looted over N4billion from the Anambra State treasury. The agency alleged that the funds were siphoned from Anambra State’s Security Vote Account, converted into dollars and handed to Obiano in cash. For instance, the prosecuting agency told the court that from March 2014 to March 2022 when Obiano was in office as governor, between February 16, 2018 and March 9, 2018, in Abuja, made cash transaction through a non-financial institution by instructing one Uzuegbuna Okagbue, his then Chief Protocol Officer/Deputy Chief of Staff, to transfer over 223million from the Anambra State Government Security Vote Account, into Connought International Services Limited, which was converted to the equivalent of $600,000.00 and collected same in cash from one Ayuba Tanko. He was said to had between October 30, 2018 and November 13, 2018, made cash transaction through a non-financial institution by instructing Okagbue to transfer the sum of N95m from Anambra State Government Security Vote, into the account of S. Y. Panda, which was converted to $260 and handed to him in cash. However, upon his arraignment on January 24, the former governor pleaded not guilty to the charge, even as he was released on bail. As part of his bail conditions, the court seized his international passport. EFCC told the court that it has lined up 15 witnesses to testify in the matter. Meanwhile, before the EFCC could open the case by calling its witnesses, the former governor filed a had motion wherein he contended that the court in Abuja was bereft of the requisite jurisdiction to try him over offences that were allegedly committed in Anambra State. He prayed the court to dismiss the charge against him for want of territorial jurisdiction. One of the counts in the charge against him, marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/15/2024, read: “That you, Chief Willie Maduabuchi Obiano, whilst being the executive governor of Anambra State of Nigeria between March 2014 – March 2022, sometime between 7th February, 2018 to 18th February, 2019 in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, indirectly transferred through Mr Willie Nwokoye, your then principal private secretary, the sum of N156,800.00 only from the Anambra State Government Security Vote Account No: 5030050875 domiciled in Fidelity Bank Pic into the Fidelity Bank Ple Account No: 6060018819 belonging to C.I. Patty Ventures Nigeria Limited (an entity that had no business relationship with the Anambra State Government), which funds were dissipated for purposes unrelated / unconnected with the security affairs of Anambra State, which you reasonably ought to have known that such funds formed part of
Former Governor of Anambra State, Mr Peter Obi is of the opinion that the Nigerian Senate still owes the people some explanations as regarding the budget padding scandal rocking the Upper Chambers at the moment. Obi said the claims and counter-claims over the alleged N3trillion which was padded into the 2024 budget, requires proper explanation as to what Nigerians must need to know regarding management of the nation’s. The Senate under the leadership of Senate President Godswill Akpabio had on Tuesday suspended Senator Abdul Ningi over allegations of N3.7trn padding of the 2024 Budget. Ningi, of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from Bauchi Central Senatorial District, was suspended for three months after a long stormy session in the red chamber. In an interview, Ningi had claimed that the Federal Government is operating two versions of the 2024 budget and that the N28.7 trillion Budget passed and signed into law by President Bola Tinubu was skewed against the North Many Senators and the Presidency had pounced on Ningi, describing his claims as “far-fetched and unbecoming of a leader of his status”. Ningi would later deny saying that the country is operating two budgets but insisted that only N25trn of the budget was tied to projects while N3.7trn had no project tied to it. Trying to clarify the claims made by Ningi, the presidency came out to say that the National Assembly padded the budget with N1.27tn, adding that it does “not see where the N3tn is coming from.” Addressing both the Senate and the Presidency in a communique shared via X, Mr Obi asserted that it is sacrosanct for every penny of Nigeria’s public fund to be used for public good, adding that the alleged N3 trillion is more than the national budget of the two most critical components of the human development index, health and education, combined. He stressed that even if there is no N3trillion as claimed, then, the N1.2 trillion which the executive branch admitted to have been padded, if channeled into any of the critical areas of development, could have positively impacted the nation and uplifted the people. Below is the Labour Party’s Presidential Candidate’s full statement. The fuss over the alleged N3 trillion padded into the 2024 budget raised by a Senator still rages as the Senate’s reaction of suspending the whistle-blower has not addressed vital issues emanating from the allegation. The Senator is insisting on his allegation and the Executive agreed that there was only N1.2trillion padded not N3trillion as alleged by the Senator. Fresh allegations have also cropped up over indiscriminate and unbalanced allocation of constituency projects by the Senate leadership. A civic society group, Budgit, through their official, have also added their voice to agree with the Senator. They allege that there was no detailed project allocations for about N3.7trn in the 2024 Appropriation Act. As the Senate suspension of the senator involved has not addressed the issue, they still owe the Nigerian public a clear clarification over the various claims and counterclaims, including that of the executive arm, to be able to know exactly what is happening, and also disclose to the public, the exact amounts allocated for constituency projects for appropriate monitoring of implementation by the public. I had particularly elucidated in my earlier comment on what we can use the N3 trillion to achieve, by showing that it is more than the national budget of the two most critical components of the human development index, health and education, combined. Now that the executive arm has accepted that the padded amount is only N1.2 trillion, it is still a very significant amount, when you consider that it is almost 5 times the N251.47 billion proposed for Universal Basic Education, which is the foundation of education, in the Country. Today in Nigeria, the greatest challenge to human resource development is education, which has been identified as most critical at the basic level. Nigeria has about 20 million out-of-school children today because of the poor investment in education. These are resources that would have been utilised to ensure that our children are taken off the streets and returned to schools. The N1.2 trillion which the executive branch admitted to have been padded, if channeled into any of the critical areas of development, could have positively impacted the nation and uplifted the people. And if indeed the report from Budgit is true, that there is about N3.7 trillion without any detailed project allocations, I strongly urge the Senate to do more detailed work of channeling these funds into the critical areas of development – education, health and pulling people out of poverty, which will in turn, minimise the criminality we are facing today. We must, as a matter of urgency, put a stop to all the wastage of our scarce resources, amid the excruciating hardship in the country. Let every penny of our public fund be used for public good. That is the only way to achieve the New Nigeria we are working towards.
President Bola Tinubu has directed the opening of Nigeria’s land and air borders with the Republic of Niger. He also directed the lifting of other sanctions against the country with immediate effect. “President Tinubu has also approved the lifting of financial and economic sanctions against the Republic of Guinea,” read a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale. The statement is titled ‘Nigeria opens land and air borders with Republic of Niger, lifts other sanctions.’ Tinubu’s directive comes just days after the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government lifted economic and travel sanctions on Niger, Mali, and Guinea at its extraordinary summit on February 24, 2024, in Abuja. ECOWAS leaders had agreed to lift economic sanctions against the Republic of Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Guinea. Consequently, the President has directed that the following sanctions imposed on the Republic of Niger be lifted immediately: “Closure of land and air borders between Nigeria and Niger Republic, as well as ECOWAS no-fly zone on all commercial flights to and from Niger Republic. “Suspension of all commercial and financial transactions between Nigeria and Niger, as well as a freeze of all service transactions, including utility services and electricity to the Niger Republic. “Freeze of assets of the Republic of Niger in ECOWAS Central Banks and freeze of assets of the Republic of Niger, state enterprises, and parastatals in commercial banks. “Suspension of Niger from all financial assistance and transactions with all financial institutions, particularly EBID and BOAD. “Travel bans on government officials and their family members,” the statement read. Details shortly…
The Rivers State Police Command said it has recovered the skull of the late former Divisional Police Officer of Ahoada Police Division, Bako Angbashim, allegedly murdered by a cult gang led by Gift Okpara, aka 2Baba in September 2023. Members of the Iceland cult gang had ambushed Angbashim, captured and decapitated his body in Odiemude community in Ahoada East Local Government Area of the state and fled with his remains on September 8, 2023. After the murder, the suspects filmed the DPO’s decapitated remains and posted it on the social media. The spokesperson for the state police command, Grace Iringe-Koko, disclosed the recovery of the late DPO’s skull in a statement issued in Port Harcourt on Wednesday. Iringe-Koko further said the recovery was made during a joint operation by tactical squads from the xommand and personnel from the Force Intelligence Bureau on the camp of the killed cult kingpin. While noting that efforts were on to recover the remaining parts of the late Angbashim’s body, she said the “unwavering commitment to resolving this heinous crime and ensuring justice has yielded fruitful results.” The statement read, “On Sunday, March 10, 2024, a coordinated joint operation was carried out by tactical squads from the Rivers State Police Command and personnel from the Force Intelligence Bureau. “This operation targeted the camp of the deceased cult leader, Gift Okpara, famously known as 2Baba, situated within the forest region of Odiemude Community in Ahoada East Local Government Area. “During the operation, diligent search efforts led to the discovery of a burial site within the gang’s shrine, where the remains of the slain police officer, SP Bako Angbashim, were located and subsequently exhumed. “Notably, the exhumed remains include the skull of the deceased. These recovered remains have been taken to the mortuary where they will undergo scientific examination and genetic testing. “These tests aim to establish the identity of the remains through a meticulous comparison with samples obtained from the late officer’s relatives. “Furthermore, ongoing efforts are underway to locate and retrieve the remaining dismembered parts of SP Bako Angbashim’s body, suspected to have been buried at various undisclosed locations within the forest.” 2Baba, the leader of the gang responsible for this crime was killed on February 17, 2024, during an assault executed by the Rivers State Police Command in Ebrass in Ahoada West LGA. Days after, the police recovered the decomposing remains of the dreaded cult leader from a shallow grave in the Ebrass forest. The state Commissioner of Police, Olatunji Disu, on behalf of the Rivers State Police Command, commended the unwavering dedication and resolute commitment demonstrated by all the officers involved in this operation. The PPRO added, “The command extends its gratitude to the community members for their invaluable support throughout the investigation process. “The police will continue to prioritise the safety and security of all citizens, and they remain determined to apprehend the remaining members of the gang. “The Rivers State Police Command remains steadfast in its mission to uphold peace, security, and justice within the state. Regular updates on the progress of this investigation will be provided as developments unfold.”
The Central Bank of Nigeria, on Wednesday, handed over N100bn worth of fertilisers to the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security to boost food production across the country. CBN Governor, Olayemi Cardoso, handed over the 2.15 million bags of fertilisers to the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari, at the headquarters of the FMAFS in Abuja. In his address at the handing over ceremony, Cardoso said one of the primary mandates of CBN was to maintain price stability, stressing that the cost of food was a crucial component of inflation. This, according to the CBN boss, is because a substantial portion of household expenditure in Nigeria is allocated towards food and non-alcoholic beverages. “This reinforces the critical need to address food inflation as a pivotal aspect of managing overall headline inflation rates,” Cardoso stated. He explained that while the CBN had been implementing several measures to curb inflation in the short term, the inflationary pressures had remained predominantly driven by escalating food prices. He, however, pointed out that while transient inflationary pressures might persist, the government anticipates substantial alleviation by the third quarter of 2024. “This is precisely why we convene today to strengthen our collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture with a shared objective of mitigating the surge in food prices. “In alignment with our strategic shift towards focusing on our fundamental mandate, the CBN has veered away from direct quasi-fiscal interventions, and transitioned towards leveraging conventional monetary policy tools for executing monetary policies. “In this light, we aim to extend our support and foster closer ties with ministries, departments and agencies that bear the mandate and expertise to undertake these critical initiatives,” Cardoso stated. He further noted that “consequently, we aim to enhance our partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture, thereby bolstering your endeavours to enhance food productivity and security, and ultimately, curbing food inflation and fortifying our pursuit of price stability. “In pursuit of these goals, we are delighted to announce the allocation of 2.15 million bags of fertiliser valued at over N100bn, which we are humbly handing over to the Ministry of Agriculture.” Before Cardoso took over as CBN governor in 2023, the apex bank intervenes in the fertiliser market in Nigeria primarily by facilitating access to credit through programmes like the Agricultural Credit Guarantee Scheme and the Commercial Agricultural Credit Scheme. Through these programmes, the CBN encourages banks to lend to farmers at concessionary rates. This helps farmers to purchase fertilisers and other inputs. The apex bank also supports farmers through indirect subsidy by making credit more affordable, as its interventions can lead to effectively lower fertiliser prices for farmers. On his part, Kyari described the cost of fertiliser as the major input in any agricultural production, and lauded the apex bank for providing the commodity. Details to come…
A United States (US) district court has ordered the founder and former CEO of Binance, Changpeng Zhao to surrender all his passports to a third party and keep authorities updated on his travel plans. The order was contained in a legal filing tendered on Tuesday, modifying Zhao’s bond conditions for release. This development emerged following the US application to modify his bond requirements on March 5. Bond conditions are court-enforced demands that a defendant on pretrial release must follow until his case is resolved under law. As part of the bond, Richard Jones, a US district judge, ordered Zhao to remain in the US and notify court authorities of any travel arrangements. “Defendant must remain in the continental United States through the imposition of sentence,” the judge said. “Defendant must notify Pretrial Services before any travel within the continental United States. “Defendant must surrender his current Canadian passport to a third-party custodian employed and supervised by his counsel of record. The third-party custodian must retain control over that Canadian passport and must accompany Defendant on any travel that requires identification documents. “Defendant must surrender all other current and expired passports and travel documents to his counsel of record, who may return those documents to defendant only with authorisation from Pretrial Services or the Court. Defendant may not apply for or obtain a new passport or travel document from any country without the Court’s permission.” In November 2023, the US SEC accused Zhao of money laundering, unlicensed money transmitting and violations in Seattle. Binance was also accused of facilitating the trading of several crypto tokens the SEC deemed as securities. On November 1, 2023, Zhao pleaded guilty to the charges, with Binance also agreeing to pay more than $4 billion in fines and other penalties. Zhao, who stepped down as Binance’s CEO in November last year, is scheduled to be sentenced on April 30, 2024. In response to the bond modification, the crypto expert had argued that the restrictions were unnecessary as his travel “has not been an issue to date”.
No fewer than 15 persons, including women and children, are said to be missing after armed men suspected to be vigilante personnel attacked an 18-seater bus conveying passengers from Zaki/Biam in Benue State to Maihura in Bali Local Government Area of Taraba State on Tuesday. It was gathered that the incident happened at Gankwe village along the Donga- Mararaban-Baissa road in the Donga Local Government Area of the state. Narrating the incident to journalists on the phone, the driver of the bus, Mr. Mpuuga Mbaave, who escaped death by the whiskers with machete cut wounds, said the armed men in vigilante uniform attacked his bus. “I loaded 18 passengers from Zaki/Biam in Benue State to Maihura in Taraba state, and on our way close to Mararaba, I saw many people in Vigilante uniform. I suspected something was wrong, so I parked the vehicle. “One of the villagers who was passing by told me that I should proceed. According to him, two members of the Vigilante personnel were killed by kidnappers, and the vigilante came to carry their corpses. “As I moved closer, some of the Vigilante personnel started shouting, ‘kill all of them,’ kill all of them,’ it’s their people (Tiv) that killed our members, and they started attacking the passengers and cutting them with machetes, “They ordered the passengers out of the bus, forced them to lie facedown. I refused to come down, but when I discovered that it was getting out of hand, I decided to jump out of the bus and ran away. My conductor too followed me. They came after us cutting us with a machete, but we ran for our dear lives,” he narrated. Confirming the development, the Chairman of Doonga Local Government Council, Hon. Ezra Voka, said he was already in the nearby forest searching for the missing persons. “Please my friend, I am already in the bush in search of the missing people. We cannot talk much now till when I get more information from here,” he said.
Following the suspension of Senator Abdul Ningi, the Senate Minority Leader, Abba Moro, on Wednesday said the upper chamber is having some credibility problems. Ningi had in an interview with BBC Hausa alleged that the Senate padded the 2024 budget to the tune of N3.7 trillion. He also claimed that the Federal Government is operating two versions of the 2024 budget and that the N28.7 trillion Budget passed and signed into law by President Bola Tinubu was skewed against the North. The situation forced the Red Chamber under the leadership of Senate President Godswill Akpabio on Tuesday to suspend Senator Abdul Ningi. A day after the incident, Senator Moro who represents Benue South in the National Assembly, said the situation has made the upper chamber face an integrity test. The budget in question was passed by the senators. Senator Ningi is a senator, he was a member of the Appropriation Committee. I am from the north and he purported to speak for the north,” he said. “Why I was angry is that Senator Kawu Sumaila who is the spokesperson of the Northern Senators Forum came before me and said that he was going to address the press on this same matter while the debate was going on. “I said, ‘You don’t do that. You raised issues, we are tackling the issues and here you are, you want to address the press, go ahead and address the press.’ That was why I raised my hands because as a minority leader, Senator Kawu Sumaila is a member of the NNPP, he is within me and signed for me to be a minority leader. “So why would he not accept my advice? As people have commented now, the Senate is already having some level of credibility problems. Why would an individual arrogate to himself the power to know it all, say it all.” Moro also defended the action of the Senate leadership, saying it did the right thing in Ningi’s matter. ‘I think the Senate did the appropriate thing, I was there. Budget padding may not be mentioned here now in the 10th Senate because previous budgets have been criticised based on budget padding. “But this is the first time a participant senator who was honestly engaged in the whole process is coming out to say that what I did was wrong and rubbing it on all of us. I think it is not correct.” He faulted Ningi’s action, recalling how the Northern Senators Forum had an audience with the Senate President in which Kawu and Ningi were in attendance. BAUCHI GOV’s SUPPORT Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State has declared that the state government is behind Senator Abdul Ningi, the lawmaker who was handed a three-month suspension after his comment on N3.7 trillion not being traceable in the 2024 budget. Speaking during the State Executive Council meeting at the Government House, Bauchi, on Wednesday, Mohammed said, “yesterday I was very sad the Senate suspended one of our best from Bauchi for saying the truth, for standing up to be the beacon of the truth.” Mohammed, who is also the chairman PDP Governors’ Forum, said, “Equally I don’t know what we will do but we will discuss privately to see what we can do to support him because I support whatever he is doing and that is our best position especially if what he saying is the truth,”
