The Zone 2 Police Command, Onikan Lagos, has uncovered a building on Muibi Olawunmi, in Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government Area of Ogun State, used to produce adulterated wine and other alcoholic drinks. Arrested were a couple identified as Mr Austine and Mrs Magret Idemudia, who confessed during interrogation to having manufactured these drinks, which have been circulating in the southwest region of the country for the past six years. Vanguard learned that, upon receiving information about the couple’s illicit activities, Assistant Commissioner of Police Zone 2, AIG Olatoye Durosinmi, instructed the officer in charge of the Raider Section, CSP Ngozi Braide, to conduct a raid on the building. Detectives from the section, led by CSP Ngozi Braide, reportedly raided the building on April 4, 2024, where they encountered Mrs. Margret Idemudia. The Zonal Police Public Relations Officer, SP Ayubat Umma, who confirmed the arrest, disclosed that unlabeled and branded bottles of unsuspected adulterated alcoholic drinks and containers filled with mixtures suspected to be ingredients for the adulterated beverages were recovered during the raid. She said, “Equipment such as pumping machines, funnels, and sealing machines used in the production of the alcoholic drinks were also recovered from the apartment. “Other items, including brand labels of Del-Mud, Del-Mud Royal, Smooth Brandy Wine Drinks in packs, a funnel containing a white handkerchief (used as a filter), and corkscrew, among various other production and branding items, were found there. “One Margret Austine, a female, was apprehended at the scene. She confessed to a six-year involvement in the illegal operation alongside her husband, Austine Idemudia (a.k.a. “Baba Joshua”). Margret confirmed that their adulterated finished products are sold to buyers across Lagos and Ogun States. “Given this incident, AIG Durosinmi urges the public to be vigilant when purchasing food and beverages. He expresses concern that the presence of adulterated products poses a serious risk to consumer health.” The Zone is actively investigating this case and will release further information to the general public as it becomes available,” she stated.

  Thursday 11 April 2024 Defend Nigeria, support leaders, Tinubu, Buhari urge citizens Ondo Amotekun nabs 14 suspected kidnappers, 31 others Olubadan-designate’s health: Ladoja faults Otun Balogun, Makinde says no crisis Cash crunch hits CCB state offices, asset verifications face hurdles Natural gas vital to driving economic growth – NNPCL Tariff hike: FG plans N1.5tn savings, 2.5m meter installations Salary Arrears: FG Considers Half Pay For SSANU, NASU Members Lagos To London: Air Peace Flight Fare Sparks Price War Falling Diesel Prices Will Bring Down Inflation — Dangote Two Fall Into Lagos Lagoon In Third Mainland Bridge Accident New Binance CEO Expresses Commitment To Regulatory Compliance Lagos Traditional Ruler Passes On After Eid Prayers Uproar As NSCDC Officers Allegedly Shoot Woman At Eid Ground In Zamfara Kwara Mourns As Ex-Appeal Court Justice Belgore Dies Some Suspects In Omala Killings Arrested – Governor Ododo Stray Bullet: NDLEA Provides Updates, Promises To Take Care Of Victim’s Family Canada Readies For Another ‘explosive’ Wildfire Season Tariff hike: 20 hrs supply for Band A customers under threat 78% North Oil Ownership Claim: Niger Delta stakeholders slam Bugaje Edo guber: Shaibu receives APC chairman, says ‘my impeachment won’t stand’ Police rescue 6 abducted children, arrest kingpin in Ebonyi Senate hails FG’s payment of ₦4.83trn ways and means Customs Import Duty Rate Falls To N1,238/$ AGN confirms Junior Pope’s death, says three corpses still missing Air Peace accuses Gatwick Airport of frustrating its UK flight operations Military begins probe of Okuama killings in Warri Visit a newspaper stand this morning, buy and read a copy for yourself…

  Fifty more staff of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) were sacked on Monday, adding to the long list of ongoing disengagements in the apex bank, Daily Trust reports. The sacking under the leadership of CBN governor, Mr Olayemi Cardoso cuts across 29 departments, it was learnt. So far, 117 casualties have been recorded in the last 20 days. The termination of appointments affects directors, deputy directors, assistant directors, principal managers, senior managers and lower ranking staff. The dispatch of the disengagement letters, which started on March 15, has continued every other week with palpable apprehension amongst staff of every cadre as the management has not specified any standard criteria for the decisions, insiders told our correspondent. Since the commencement of the sacking, officials of the apex bank have refused to comment on the matter. Like in the previous instances, attempts to get the reaction of the acting Director of Corporate Communication, Hakama Sidi Ali, yesterday was not successful as she did not pick her call or return the text messages to her line. The apex bank has also not responded to nor denied the previous allegations on the issue that were published by this paper A senior management source, who does not have the permission to speak on the matter, told our reporter that the sacking spree will continue till the end of April. Staff affected by the latest development, who also spoke to Daily Trust on the condition of anonymity, said the lack of clarity or justification for the sack has made them conclude that they are victims of personal vendetta by Mr Cardoso and the deputy governors. (DailyTrust)

  The Federal Government says non-academic staff members of universities will get half of their withheld salaries should President Bola Tinubu approve the payment of their salary arrears. Education Minister Tahir Mamman, who stated this on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme on Wednesday, argued that members of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU) were not on strike for the same period in 2022 as their academic counterparts. In March, SSANU and NASU members embarked on a one-week warning strike to protest their withheld salaries by the Federal Government. The two unions berated the Federal Government for paying withheld salaries to the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) while neglecting the non-academic unions. All the unions had embarked on an eight-month strike in 2022 to press home some of their demands including a better welfare package. The administration of then President Muhammadu Buhari subsequently invoked a ‘No Work, No Pay policy’ against the unions but President Bola Tinubu last October approved the release of four of the eight months withheld salaries. SSANU and NASU accused the Federal Government of unfair treatment and discrimination by failing to pay them like their academic counterparts. The education minister said the government has been “doing everything possible to get a relief for them”. Asked what has delayed the payment to NASU and SSANU members, the minister said, “No, it has not been approved”. “There is a court judgement on no work, no pay. ASUU getting four months’ pay was actually a discretion and decision on the part of the President. So, it doesn’t automatically transfer (to NASU and SSANU) but the matter is under consideration.” Asked to give a time to the payment of the non-academic varsity staff members, Mamman said, “I don’t think it is safe to put a time on it but it’s safer to say that we are on it and we are pushing. “And in any case, the non-academic staff, they were not on strike for the same period with the academic staff — about four months or so. So, if they are getting payment, it is going to be half of that (payment), if the President will follow his precedent with the academic staff.” On the claim of discrimination by NASU and SSANU, the minister said, “That cannot be right, there is no rating. These are people working in the same terrain, they are doing different things but all working towards the same goal. “I believe what happened was a communication problem, it wasn’t deliberate to exclude them from that benefit.”

  Nollywood actor, Junior Pope Odonwodo popularly called, Jnr Pope, is dead. It was gathered that the actor died on Wednesday afternoon during a boat trip for a film production. National President of the Actors Guild of Nigeria, Emeka Rollas, confirmed to Channels Television that the remains of the actor have been deposited at the morgue. He also confirmed that the remains of a crew member were recovered while the bodies of three other crew members were yet to be recovered as they were five in the boat which capsized after colliding with another boat around the River Niger area in Anambra State. Less than 24 hours ago, the actor put up a video of himself in a speed boat with no life jacket on with the caption: “See me lamenting the risk we take to entertain you, crossing river 9ja yesterday with no life jacket…who does that?” (sic) Nollywood actors have started putting up condolence messages on their social media pages to honour the late actor.

  The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has again adjusted the foreign exchange (FX) rate for duties to N1,238.17 per dollar. This represents a 6.8 percent decrease compared to N1,246.66/$ displayed on April 8. The rate adopted by customs was observed on Wednesday. It fell below the official foreign exchange rate, which closed at N1,248.5/$ on April 9 at the Nigerian Autonomous Foreign Exchange Market (NAFEM). The drop in the FX rate for customs tariffs and duties is coming amid the Central Bank of Nigeria‘s (CBN) effort to stabilise the naira. On April 8, the apex bank announced the sales of forex to the bureau de change (BDC) operators at the rate of N1,101/$. CBN reduced its rate for dollar allocation to BDCs from N1,251/$ announced on March 25. To further strengthen the naira, the financial regulator also directed all banks to stop the use of foreign currency-denominated collaterals for naira loans. Meanwhile, Dele Oye, president of the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA), on April 9, said the customs rate for import duties should be charged in naira rather than in dollars. “The Nigerian Customs Service must collect the national currency of Nigeria. NCS must stop collecting duties using the United States Dollar rate,” Oye said. Oye also appealed that all bonafide government transactions must be in the sovereign currency of Nigeria.

  The United States Department of Homeland Security has named Darlington Akporugo, a 46-year-old Nigerian, in a mail and wire fraud case that cost victims $3.123 million. Homeland Security presented Akporugo, a resident of Fulshear in Texas, for a detention hearing in a Houston court on Wednesday. The Department of Justice shared more details of the alleged crimes Akporugo committed alongside a fellow Fulshear resident. A Nigerian man who resided in Fulshear is set to appear in court on allegations he conspired to defraud over a dozen elder Americans who thought they were in romantic online relationships and sent millions to a network of fraudsters,” the DOJ’s statement read. “Darlington Akporugo, 46, is scheduled for a detention hearing at 9 am (on Wednesday) before U.S. Magistrate Judge Andrew Edison. “Akporugo allegedly conspired with Jasmin Sood, 35, also of Fulshear, to commit wire and mail fraud. “Between approximately 2015 and 2022, the fraudsters allegedly used fictitious personas and sought out and contacted elderly victims online who were often widowed. The indictment alleges they used social networking and internet dating platforms and communicated with victims using email, text message and telephone to gain their trust. The scammers would then ultimately deceive them into transferring large sums of money to various fraudster-controlled or influenced mailing addresses and bank accounts, many Akporugo and Sood owned or controlled, according to the charges. “After establishing trust with the victim online, Akporugo and Sood approached at least one victim in the Houston area in person, according to the allegations. They then allegedly drove the victim to banks for the purpose of sending money to the fraudster network, convincing her to give Akporugo control of the victim’s banking access devices. The indictment also charges Akporugo with aggravated identity theft and fraud in connection with an access device. “The scheme allegedly resulted [in] at least 13 victims being defrauded of an approximate $3,123,073. The indictment includes notice of forfeiture for all illegally derived proceeds from the fraud scheme.” Akporugo faces up to 30 years imprisonment for each wire fraud count and conspiracy if the court convicts him. The DOJ also stated that Akporugo faces “an additional 10 years on the fraud in connection with an access device and another mandatory two years if convicted of the aggravated identity theft”.

  No fewer than five firms have been linked with former Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Governor Godwin Emefiele in the latest 26-count charge of alleged fraud and corruption against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC. Four of the firms have Lagos addresses, it was gathered. The four firms are NIPCO Plc, Source Computer Ltd, Limelight Multidimensional Services Ltd, and COMEC Support Services Ltd. The fifth firm, whose registered address could not be verified as of press time, is Adswin Resources Solution Ltd. The EFCC arraigned Emefiele, on Monday, before the Special Offences Court in Ikeja, Lagos. When the 26-count charge was read to Emefiele and his co-defendant Henry Omoile, both pleaded not guilty to all counts.   Emefiele was remanded till the next adjourned date, Thursday, when the court will give its ruling on his bail application. However, the date will be rescheduled following the Federal Government’s declaration of Thursday a public holiday to mark the Sallah celebration. The case is the second filed against him by the EFCC since his alleged indictment by Mr. Jim Obaze, a special investigator engaged by President Bola Tinubu to investigate the activities of the CBN on his watch. Emefiele has a pending case at the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, High Court, in Abuja over his alleged activities as CBN governor, which terminated in June last year. The fresh charges against him in Lagos include abuse of office and irregular allocation of cumulative $4.5 billion and £2.8 billion while he was in office as CBN governor. The prosecution alleged that he corruptly received funds from NIPCO Plc and conferred advantage on his associates, including Limelight Multidimensional Services Ltd, Adswin Resources Solution Ltd, and COMEC Support Services Ltd. According to the anti-corruption agency, details of the 18 fresh count charges against the former CBN governor include “Allocating forex of $2,136,391,737.33 without bid; allocating forex of $291,945,785.59 without bid; Abuse of office by special allocating of forex of $1,769,254,793.16; Abuse of office by special allocating of forex of $370,872,893.01; Corruptly received $26,552,000 from NIPCO Plc; Corruptly received $740,000 from NIPCO Plc. He allegedly “corruptly received $400,000 from Source Computer Ltd as kickback for contract award.”   Others include that he “received $200,000 from Source Computer Ltd as kickback for contract award; Confer corrupt advantage on his associate, Limelight Multidimensional Services Ltd to the tune of N900,216,324.21; Confer corrupt advantage on his associate, Limelight Multidimensional Services Ltd to the tune of N1,060,030,249.42; Confer corrupt advantage on his associate, Comec Support Services Ltd to the tune of N149,001,009.7 Also, the fresh charges filed include that Emefiele “confer advantage on his associate, Comec Support Services Ltd to the tune of N151,168,458.73; Confer corrupt advantage on his associate, Adswin Resources Solution Ltd to the tune of N398,031,732.32; Confer corrupt advantage on his associate, Adswin Resources Solution Ltd to the tune of N204,992,739.51.”