April 2024 – Page 39

Post Date : April 12, 2024

Many civilians feared killed in Zamfara airstrikes

Scores of people have been feared killed in Kukawa village of Maradun Local Government Area of Zamfara State during airstrikes by the troops of the Nigerian Army under Operation Hadarin Daji. This was as the army denied the killing of any civilian in the state saying “the military was fighting bandits and not the innocent people of the state.” An indigene of the village, Musa Abubakar who narrowly escaped told The PUNCH on Friday that his community was performing the Eid El Fitr prayer last Wednesday when the Nigerian Air Force bombarded the area. Abubakar said the bombardment led to the death of no fewer than 40 people. He said, “We were performing the Eid El Fitr prayer when we saw a plane approaching the area. “Immediately the plane approached the Eid praying ground, we heard a terrifying sound and everybody took to their heels “I was one of the lucky ones who escaped unhurt but several people were killed and many others sustained various degrees of injuries. “I lost 13 people who are my blood relations while two others.” However, another person from the village who sought anonymity said the bombardment of the village was a result of gunshots from the suspected bandits who targeted the military aircraft. He said, “The aircraft was passing over the village and suddenly the bandits started shooting toward its direction “This forced the military to drop several bombs in the village during the Eid El Fitr prayer and many people lost their lives.” Speaking to PUNCH Online on the phone, the spokesperson of Operation Hadarin Daji, Lieutenant Suleiman Omale, said the military was fighting bandits and not the innocent people of the state. He added that he was not aware of any civilians killed during the bombardment. “We are fighting bandits, not the innocent Nigerians. I am not aware of any civilian that was killed during the operation.” Recall that The PUNCH reported on Sunday that airstrikes by the air components of Operation Hadin Kai and Hadrin Daji killed terrorists planning to attack soft targets. The strikes were conducted at various terrorist hideouts in Katsina and Borno states. In Katsina, a terrorist enclave located Northwest of Yartsamiya Village in Danmusa Local Government Area was bombed

Post Date : April 12, 2024

Naira strengthens against dollar in parallel market, trades at N1,150/$

The naira, on Friday, appreciated to N1,150 per dollar at the parallel section of the foreign exchange (FX) market. Currency traders in Lagos, also known as bureau de change (BDCs) operators, quoted the buying rate of the greenback at N1,110 and the selling price at N1,150 — leaving a profit margin of N40. The naira appreciated by 0.86 percent from the N1,160 recorded on April 11. “The dollar is falling and it is not my fault. It is how the FX market is now,” Lawal, a BDC operator, said. Also, FMDQ Exchange, a platform that oversees official foreign exchange (FX) trading in Nigeria, said the naira rose by 7.16 percent or N88.23 to N1,142.38/$ on Friday — from N1,230.61/$ on Monday. The appreciation of the naira is coming a few days after the CBN opened the third tranche of sales to BDC operations. The apex bank began the sale of foreign exchange to BDC operators at the rate of N1,101/$ on April 8. Also, on the same day, the CBN directed all banks to stop the use of foreign currency-denominated collaterals for naira loans. The financial regulator is intensifying its efforts to boost liquidity and strengthen the naira. Meanwhile, earlier today, Goldman Sachs Group Inc. said the naira could extend gains to trade below N1,000 to the dollar.

Post Date : April 12, 2024

Nigeria First Country To Roll Out New Meningitis Vaccine – WHO

Nigeria has become the first country in the world to roll out a new meningitis vaccine (called Men5CV) recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) in a historic move. According to WHO, this is especially important for countries like Nigeria where multiple serogroups are prevalent. The new vaccine uses the same technology as the meningitis A conjugate vaccine (MenAfriVac®), which wiped out meningococcal A epidemics in Nigeria. The vaccine and emergency vaccination activities are funded by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, which funds the global meningitis vaccine stockpile and supports lower-income countries with routine vaccination against meningitis. WHO stated that the revolutionary new vaccine offers a powerful shield against the five major strains of the meningococcal bacteria (A, C, W, Y and X) in a single shot. All five strains cause meningitis and blood poisoning. This, it noted, provides broader protection than the current vaccine used in much of Africa, which is only effective against the A strain. The new vaccine is said to have the potential to significantly reduce meningitis cases and advance progress in defeating meningitis. “Meningitis is an old and deadly foe, but this new vaccine holds the potential to change the trajectory of the disease, preventing future outbreaks and saving many lives,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “Nigeria’s rollout brings us one step closer to our goal to eliminate meningitis by 2030.” “Northern Nigeria, particularly the states of Jigawa, Bauchi and Yobe were badly hit by the deadly outbreak of meningitis, and this vaccine provides health workers with a new tool to both stop this outbreak but also put the country on a path to elimination,” said Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate of the Nigerian Ministry of Health and Social Welfare. We’ve done a lot of work preparing health workers and the health system for the rollout of this new vaccine. We got invaluable support from our populations despite this fasting period and from our community leaders especially the Emir of Gumel in Jigawa state who personally launched the vaccination campaign in the state. We’ll be monitoring progress closely and hopefully expanding the immunization in the coming months and years to accelerate progress.” This new multivalent conjugate vaccine was 13 years in the making and was based on a partnership between PATH and the Serum Institute of India. Financing from the UK government’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office was critical to its development. Nigeria is one of the 26 meningitis hyper-endemic countries of Africa, situated in the area known as the African Meningitis Belt. Last year, there was a 50% jump in annual meningitis cases reported across Africa. In Nigeria, an outbreak of Neisseria meningitidis (meningococcus) serogroup C outbreak led to 1742 suspected meningitis cases, including 101 confirmed cases and 153 deaths in seven of 36 Nigerian states (Adamawa, Bauchi, Gombe, Jigawa, Katsina, Yobe, Zamfara) between 1 October 2023 and 11 March 2024. To quell the deadly outbreak, a vaccination campaign has been undertaken on 25–28 March 2024 to initially reach more than one million people aged 1-29 years. Meningitis is a serious infection that leads to the inflammation of the membranes (meninges) that surround and protect the brain and spinal cord. There are multiple causes of meningitis, including viral, bacterial, fungal and parasitic pathogens. Symptoms often include headache, fever and stiff neck. Bacterial meningitis is the most serious, can also result in septicaemia (blood poisoning), and can seriously disable or kill within 24 hours those that contract it.

Post Date : April 12, 2024

IMF re-appoints Kristalina Georgieva as MD for a fresh five-year term

The IMF executive board confirmed on Friday that it had reappointed Kristalina Georgieva to serve for a second five-year term as the Managing Director of the international financial institution. The decision means that Georgieva, who was the sole candidate to lead the IMF, will continue in office when her current term ends on September 30, 2024. The decision was taken by consensus, the IMF said in a statement. AFP More to follow…

Post Date : April 12, 2024

NAF cadet’s found dead in Abia hotel pool

The Abia State Police Command has confirmed the death of a Nigerian Air Force Tarmac Four cadet in a popular hotel’s swimming pool in Umuahia, the state capital. The NAF Tarmac Four cadet, simply identified as CDT Chidiebere, reportedly died on Tuesday in the swimming pool. The victim, who was said to have a few months to graduate from the National Defence Academy, had come to the facility with friends when he decided to swim at the facility’s swimming pool when the incident happened. A source who spoke on condition of anonymity said the victim was said to have disappeared from the pool surface at about 6:37 pm on Tuesday. According to the source, men from the state fire service later found his lifeless body and confirmed it to be dead at the Federal Medical Centre Umuahia. The Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO ASP Maureen Chinaka, said on Friday that “the attention of CPS was called to it, and investigation is ongoing.” Information has it that the 14 Brigade of the Nigerian Army, Ohafia, and the Navy formation in the state are also aware of the incident.

Post Date : April 12, 2024

NSCDC destroys massive illegal refinery field in Rivers

The Anti-Vandal squad of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Rivers State command, has destroyed a massive illegal refinery field at Adobi-Akwa settlement in Etche Local Government Area of the state. The Head of the quad, CSC Peters Ibiso, said the illegal refinery was sited in a forest, about seven kilometres from the main town. Ibiso, who represented Rivers State Commandant, Basil Igwebueze said the team sighted where the pipeline vandals tapped into the wellhead of yet to be yet-to-be-ascertained multinational company, connected their galvanized pipes to many cooking pots, heat the crude to produce Automotive Gas Oil (AGO). He said: “Upon receiving a tip-off, the Anti-Vandal operatives swung into action to uncover this illegal oil bunkering site, they were in this forest for two days having cordoned the area; unfortunately the perpetrators upon sighting our men took to their heels but the investigation is still ongoing to effect the arrests of such defiant elements”. Ibiso in a statement signed by the Public Relations Officer, NSCDC, Rivers, Oluremi Ayedele narrated the operational techniques of the illegal refinery owners. He said from the extraction of crude through vandalism of oil pipelines, they took it for cooking in various ovens where the content was subjected to high temperatures and transmitted through pipes to reservoirs for storage and onward trans-loading to buyers. He said that the command would not relent in the fight against illegal dealings in petroleum products and that the public should trust the NSCDC by providing actionable intelligence that could enhance the possible arrest of economic saboteurs in the state. The statement said: “Our commitment to continuously work in tandem with the prosecutorial mandate of the corps in order to rid the state of economic saboteurs remains unchanged, we value our informants and most especially the intelligence-driven tip-off received from time to time. “It is also our duty to ensure that our source of information is not disclosed so as to protect our informants, it is, therefore, our delight that the public will continue to have confidence and trust in us as we together protect the nation’s critical national assets and Infrastructure from daredevil vandals.”

Post Date : April 12, 2024

How I Collected $3m Cash For Emefiele – CBN Employee

Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) employee, Mr Monday Osazuwa, on Friday, told an Ikeja Special Offences Court how the former apex bank governor, Godwin Emefiele, on different occasions, directed him to collect three million dollars cash in tranches. Osasuwa, while being led in evidence by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) counsel, Mr Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), said he was a dispatch rider in Zenith Bank in 2001 before he joined the CBN in 2014. Osasuwa said he joined the apex bank as a senior supervisor in 2014. He said Emefiele was the Managing Director of Zenith Bank Plc while he was working as a dispatch rider in the bank. The witness said he knew Emefiele, who was his boss, while in Zenith Bank and that he later joined him at the CBN. The witness said he was later appointed as a senior supervisor (full-time) in recording and filing documents while working in the CBN governor’s office in Lagos. “I was still working in the CBN governor’s office while I was appointed as a full staff member and we usually communicated through WhatsApp and email. I function as a senior supervisor, recording and filing with other official roles.” “I recall that in 2020 when he was outside Lagos, he called me that he would give me a number that a man had something I should collect from him and that the man would give me the number of another person. Learn more “When I got to the man’s office, I was given an envelope. I counted the money and the man said I should give it to my boss,” he said. The witness further told the court that the first defendant used to collect money by himself anytime he was in Lagos but anytime the defendant was not around, he would tell him to give the money to the second defendant. Osazuwa added that Emefiele sent him to MINL Ltd. when he was with Zenith Bank. “This company is situated at Isolo, the first defendant did send me to collect cheques from the company from Mr Monday and when I collected the cheque from Mr Monday, I would give it back to Emefiele and he would lodge the money into Dumies Oil and Gas. According to him, Emefiele’s co-defendant, Henry Isioma-Omoile, lived in the residence of the former CBN governor. He stated that when he collected money for his boss, he would take it to his residence at Iru Close, Ikoyi. “Whenever I received the money and take it to my boss’s residence, Mr Emefiele would tell me to give it to the second defendant whenever he was not at home. “I did not keep a record of transactions because the instruction he gave me was that I should collect the money and bring the money to his house. “The highest amount I collected was one million dollars all in cash and some weeks later, the businessman also called me to collect $850,000, $750,000 and $400,000 cash in tranches. “I have never been rewarded, paid or given anything because I am doing it out of faithfulness and he knows it but he has never for once said, ‘take this’,” he said. Under cross-examination by the defence counsel, Mr Abdulakeem Labi-Lawal, the witness confirmed to the court that he had been working with the defendant since 2002. According to the witness, Emefiele passed instructions to him through the second defendant and that he had been collecting cheques for Dumies Oil and Gas. He, however, told the court when he was made to confront the second defendant during an investigation but the second defendant failed to admit it. “I started collecting cheques for Dumies Oil and Gas when I was in Zenith Bank. “I cannot calculate the exact year I have been collecting the cheques but it all started when the first defendant was the Managing Director at Zenith Bank and I was working at Zenith Bank,” he said. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the EFCC on April 8 arraigned Emefiele on 23 counts bordering on abuse of office, accepting gratifications, corrupt demand, receiving property fraudulently obtained and conferring corrupt advantage. Emefiele’s co-defendant was arraigned on three counts bordering on acceptance of gift by agents. The defendants, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge. Earlier, Oshodi had declined the oral application for adjournment moved twice by the defence counsel. The judge adjourned the case until April 29 for trial and hearing of application for a closed session. (NAN)

Post Date : April 12, 2024

Senate Begins Probe Of 774 Federal Agencies’ Financial Records

The Senate has commenced probe into the financial records of 774 federal agencies based on the queries raised against them in the 2019 report of the Auditor General for the Federation. The Chairman, Senate Public Accounts Committee (SPAC), Senator Aliyu Wadada, who represents Nasarawa West on the platform of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), disclosed this in Keffi, Nasarawa State, while speaking with newsmen., on Friday He said his committee was not out to witch-hunt any one but pledged that members of the panel would discharge their responsibilities diligently in the best interest of the country. Wadada also disclosed that the 10th National Assembly with the support of President Bola Tinubu and critical stakeholders in the nation’s economy would soon embark on the amendment to the 2007 Procurement Act so as to curb financial infractions before they take place. The Senator appealed to leaders at all tiers and heads of government institutions at the federal, state and local government levels to embrace self-discipline and fear of God in the discharge of their responsibilities. Wadada said, “We have since started work on the 2019 Auditor General’s report before us. Under my chairmanship of this sensitive and strategic committee, I have repeatedly said it that we are not out to witch-hunt or pull down anybody. “Our ultimate objective vis-a-vis the primary focus of the committee is to ensure transparency and accountability in the management of public funds.”

Post Date : April 12, 2024

Foreign terrorists have taken over Nigeria, says Christian elders forum

The National Christian Elders Forum (NCEF) has blamed “foreign invaders masquerading as religious extremists” for the spate of killings in Nigeria. During a press conference addressed by Samuel Gani, chair of the forum and former deputy governor of Taraba state; and Bosun Emmanuel, a pastor; NCEF also called on indigenous ethnic nationalities “to come together to renegotiate Nigeria”. The organisation, whose membership comprises renowned technocrats and eminent Nigerians, said “indigenous ethnic nationalities have the same and common enemy in the foreign invaders”. NCEF also asked President Bola Tinubu to implement the report of the 2014 national conference “without further delays”, while calling for “an immediate ban on nomadic cattle rearing and abolishment of the RUGA project”. “Recently, a community leader in the Niger Delta raised the alarm that a displacement invasion is ongoing. Similar reports have been made in Taraba, Benue, Adamawa, and in other parts of the country,” the statement reads. “Shortly after the abduction of 287 secondary school children in Kuriga, Kaduna state, a security expert stated on Arise TV that the location of the camps of the bandits was known to government four years ago. “The ethnic nationalities should assert their right and ownership over their ancestral land and assert the dominion of their thrones in Nigeria. The ethnic socio-cultural groups such as Afenifere, Ohaneze, Ndigbo, Arewa Consultative Group, Middle Belt Forum, and PANDEF should consider these issues in greater detail. “Nigerians have no problem with each other. It is external forces that are seeking to tear the country apart for hostile takeover of the land and its resources. “The demand for devolution of power should be intensified by the ethnic nationalities.” The group also recommended that Tinubu should appoint a “special investigator to conduct a commission of inquiry into the causes, as well as expose the actors, in the various acts of terrorism and insurgency that have overwhelmed Nigeria since 2009”.

Post Date : April 12, 2024

Gunmen kill former PG in Anambra

UNKNOWN gunmen have reportedly murdered a former President-General of Amansea Development Union in Awka North local government area of Anambra State, Chief Cajetan Nwokike. Nwokike’s murder has heightened tension in the Amambra State capital which had witnessed some cult – related killings in recent time. The news of Nwokike’s murder was disclosed on Friday by the National President of the Association of Past Presidents-General of Anambra State, Omeife I Omeife. According to Omife Nwokike was fatally shot by assailants while performing his customary daily breaking the kola nut in his residence in Amansea. It was gathered that the gunmen, two in number, entered his house and shot him at close range, resulting in his instant death. The latest tragic incident marks another assassination of a President General in the state less than two months after the assassination of Chief Silas Onyima, the President-General of Umuoji in Idemili North local government area. The statement issued by Omeife read in part: “The Association of Past Presidents-General of Anambra State (APPAS) has expressed deep concern over the escalating violence and urge Governor Soludo and law enforcement agencies to spare no effort in apprehending the perpetrators responsible for these heinous acts. “The association is reeling from the loss of another esteemed leader and there is urgent need for swift and decisive action to bring the culprits to justice and restore peace in the state.”