Saturday 06 April 2024 Marketers blame supply hitch as fuel queues resurface in Lagos, Ogun EFCC arraigns Emefiele, Omole on fresh 26-count Monday Preparation for next Olubadan’s coronation begins as family shares aso ebi Russian drone attack kills six in Ukraine Malabu oil deal: EFCC considers appeal, change of lawyer Electricity Tariff Hike Affects Only 1.5 Million Customers Nationwide, Says FG Nnamdi Kanu Asks Court To Reinstate His Bail Revoked In 2017 Tinubu Declares Probe Of CBN Closed, Lauds Jim Obazee 4.8 Magnitude Earthquake Rattle New York Some Govs Will Turn State Police To Instrument Of Oppression, Falana Warns NERC Fines AEDC ₦200m For Violating New Tariff Order Bobrisky Convicted For Naira Abuse, To Be Sentenced April 9 Gunmen Invade Kogi Community, Kill 19 People, Set Houses Ablaze Electricity Tariff Hike Will Further Impoverish Nigerians, Northern Elders Tackle Tinubu Tinubu Appoints Management Team For Nigerian Education Loan Fund Electricity Tariff Hike Will Compound Nigeria’s Economic Hardship, Says Atiku Face-to-face with Okuama residents in forest: We’re dying, Army should allow us return home Depreciation: Trans-border traders reject Naira El-Rufai prepares to fight Tinubu in two courts Passengers groan, struggle for compensation  as delayed flights worsen Jigawa Gov Suspends Commissioner Over Ramadan Feeding Programme 4 Dead, 20 Injured As Police Disrupt Shi’ites’ Procession In Kaduna FG to launch new national ID with payment, social service delivery capabilities Fresh crisis brews in PDP over CTC list for Rivers Customs Service makes 206 seizures in Lagos State in Q1 2024 Visit a newspaper stand this morning, buy and read a copy for yourself…

  When Lagos state authorities notified Nigerian business mogul Paul Onwuanibe in late March that he had seven days to leave his multimillion-dollar beach resort so it could be torn down, he thought it was an April Fools’ Day hoax come early. Onwuanibe, 58, was told in a government letter that his Landmark Beach resort – a top-tier destination visited, he says, by about a million local and foreign visitors last year – had to be removed as it “falls within the right of way” of a planned 700-kilometer (435-mile) coastal highway designed to link the former capital city to Calabar, a port city near the border with Cameroon. Onwuanibe told CNN he had obtained the land in 2007 before the plans for the coastal highway were drawn up, and felt a mix of emotions after receiving the demolition order, which also urged him to file compensation claims.   “One was amazement, second was concern and the third one was, ‘is this real or is this an April Fools’ (Day prank in) advance?’” Onwuanibe leads Landmark Group, a real estate developer and a key player in Nigeria’s tourism and hospitality industries. The group’s leisure beach, listed among Nigeria’s best seven beaches in 2023 by the Lonely Planet travel guide, is a lucrative part of the 13-hectare mixed-use Landmark site along the Atlantic Ocean beachfront in Lagos’s affluent Victoria Island area. The beach resort and other sections of the Landmark site on the coastal right of way are billed to be pulled down, a government notice seen by CNN states. Valued at over $200 million, according to Onwuanibe, the Landmark site is home to over 80 businesses and provides more than 4,000 direct jobs. It also generates over 2 billion naira ($1.5 million) in annual tax revenue, the company said. Approval for the new coastal road was given on February 27 by the federal authorities, according to presidential aide Temitope Ajayi. He said on X that the superhighway, “when completed, will enter the world record books among iconic coastal routes like the Wild Atlantic Highway in Ireland and the Pacific Coastal Highway in the United States.” The first part of the 1.06 trillion naira ($841 million-plus) highway will be built in Victoria Island. The superhighway will run through a total of nine coastal states in Nigeria, Ajayi added, and will have “five lanes on each side of the dual carriageway and a train track in the middle,” as well as spurs linking up with northern Nigeria. Environmentalists say that, while the coastal road project would bolster the economy, it also poses environmental problems. “It’s undeniable that the road construction will bring about significant impacts such as the destruction of wetlands, forests, and various habitats,” said Lagos-based water and environment consultant Similade Adeodun. “Activities like sand filling and dredging along the coastal areas also raise concerns,” he told CNN. CNN has contacted the Lagos State Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development for comment on the coastal right of way and the consultation process involved. A blessing and a curse Born in the United Kingdom, Onwuanibe says he “shut down” his investments abroad in 2007 to focus on ventures in Africa due to the continent’s economic prospects. He commended the planned coastal project for “connecting vital regions of the country” but feared it came at a steep cost for tourism in Lagos and posed a threat to foreign direct investment into the country if Landmark Beach is eventually torn down. “People who bring in money to make cities like this effective will be very concerned (with the proposed demolition of the beach resort). It will pose a huge threat to inward investment into the state and, most importantly, pose a threat to people who are already in the state trying to do things,” Onwuanibe said. He told CNN the demolition of the beach would be an enormous loss, with millions of dollars of borrowed money already spent on developing the resort. “We’ve spent between $80 and $90 million developing this ecosystem and one-third of that was spent on the beach. So, all that, which we are still paying loans on, will disappear,” he said. Onwuanibe said foreign and local investors in Landmark Group were now threatening to pull out if the beach resort, which includes a mini golf course, a beach soccer field as well as a volleyball and basketball court, is removed. “Without the beach, the entire ecosystem is at risk and is severely damaged,” he said, adding: “I have had widespread panic calls from my international and local investors as well as local debt providers threatening to pull the plug as they think this is material to our survival as a business.” Landmark Beach Nigeria The first part of the 1.06 trillion naira ($841 million-plus) highway will be built in Victoria Island. Courtesy BB Landmark Realty Limited Lagos state, Nigeria’s economic nerve center, has been on the hunt for foreign investment as federal authorities battle to revamp the country’s economy in the face of challenges such as growing public and private debt, high inflation, and a sharp decline in the local currency. However, “policy and regulatory inconsistency” and “poor stakeholders’ consultation” have limited foreign investment into Nigeria, according to a local think-tank, the Nigerian Economic Summit Group. What can be done? Environment consultant Adeodun is urging authorities to conduct thorough environmental and social impact assessments before tearing down coastal businesses for the superhighway. “For Landmark Beach, which already generates significant revenue from eco-tourism, the government should explore robust measures to preserve the beach or consider alternative routes with fewer economic and ecological consequences,” Adeodun told CNN.   “I understand that the original right of way for the road did not pass through Landmark Beach… Perhaps, revisiting the routes to ensure minimal environmental damage and preserve local businesses should be strongly considered,” he added. For Onwuanibe, the coastal highway, once rethought, should serve as a blessing for thriving businesses situated along the coast rather than a curse. “The first thing

  The Federal Government through the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has concluded arrangements to launch a new National Identity Card with payment and other social service features. The New National Identity card would be delivered in collaboration with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Nigeria Inter-bank Settlement System (NIBSS). The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has launched an innovative identity solution with payment functionality for all types of social and financial services. The project would be powered by AfriGO, a National domestic card scheme, the Head of Corporate Communications of NIMC, Dr Kayode Adegoke, announced in a statement in Abuja. The statement reads:”The National ID card, layered with verifiable National Identity features, is backed by the NIMC Act No. 23 of 2007, which mandates NIMC to enrol and issue a General Multipurpose card (GMPC) to Nigerians and legal residents. “This card will address the demand for physical identification enabling cardholders prove their identity, access government and private social services, facilitate financial inclusion for disenfranchised Nigerians, empower citizens, as well as encourage increased participation in nation-building. “Only registered citizens and legal residents with the National Identification Number (NIN) will be eligible to request the card. “The card, which will be produced according to ICAO standards, is positioned as the country’s default national identity card. “In addition to this functionality, cardholders will also be able to use the cards as debit or prepaid cards by linking same to bank accounts of their choice. “The card shall enable eligible persons especially those financially excluded from social and financial services have access to multiple government interventions programs. “In line with data protection regulation and public interest, NIMC remains committed to protecting cardholders’ personal data and will ensure compliance with international standards on data security protocols as security features that protect the confidentiality and safety of users’ information. Key features will include: “Machine-readable Zone (MRZ) in conformation with ICAO for e-passport information Identity card Issue Date and document number in line with ICAO standard. “Additional features include travel, health insurance information, microloans, agriculture, food stamps, transport, and energy subsidies, etc. “Nigeria’s quick response code (NQR) containing the national identification number Biometric authentication, such as fingerprint and pictures, as the primary medium for identity verification through the data on the card chip Offline capability that allows transactions in areas with limited network coverage or zero infrastructure connectivity “Functionality as a debit and prepaid card catering to both banked and unbanked individuals Request for cards by registered citizens and legal residents will be made available online, at any commercial bank, various agencies or agents participating in multiple programs and/or any NIMC offices nationwide.”

  Abdullahi Ganduje, national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), says the charges against him for allegedly collecting $200,000 from a contractor are “trumped-up”. Ganduje, immediate former governor of Kano, spoke in reaction to an eight-count charge filed against him by the state government. In 2018, Daily Nigerian, an online newspaper, published a video of Ganduje allegedly receiving bundles of dollars from contractors, which he stuffed into his “babanriga”, a traditional outfit. The newspaper reported that the former governor requested $5 million as a bribe from the contractors who recorded the video. In a statement on Friday, Edwin Olofu, chief press secretary (CPS) to Ganduje, quoted him as saying that Abba Yusuf, the governor of Kano, is using diversionary tactics to cover up his failure. The former governor said the Kano government should take notice of a pronouncement of the federal high court that held that the alleged offence is a federal one that could only be prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the attorney-general of the federation (AGF). “In their desperate attempt to malign me and my family, they either forgot or probably cannot conduct themselves by the dictate of the law,” the statement reads. “They failed to take judicial notice of the pronouncement of the Federal High Court in Kano which ruled that the so-called offence I am being accused of was a federal offence that could be prosecuted by the Attorney General of the Federation and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). “Rather than join issues with my traducers in Kano over the trumped-up charges levelled against me, I would rather implore them to redirect their energies towards uplifting the plight of our people in Kano. “They still have the opportunity to revert to my blueprint for the sustainable growth and development of Kano state. It is not yet late in the day for them to emulate my developmental strides.” The APC national chairman said his tenure as governor of Kano was devoid of any wrongdoings.

  The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission will Monday, April 8, 2024, arraign the embattled former Central Bank of Nigeria Governor, Godwin Emefiele at the Ikeja State High Court in Lagos for alleged abuse of office over allocation of billions of United States dollars. Emefiele, alongside his co-defendant, one Henry Isioma Omole, will be arraigned on 26-count before Justice Rahman Oshodi. The charge, marked ID/23787c/2024, dated April 3, 2024. was filed by Mr. Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN). EFCC alleged that Emefiele committed an abuse of office between 2022 and 2023 in Lagos. The Commission alleged that Emefiele “directed to be done in abuse of the authority of your office, as the Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria, an arbitrary act, to wit: allocating foreign exchange in the aggregate sum of $2,136,391,737.33 without bids, which act is prejudicial to the rights of Nigerians.” EFCC further alleged that Emefiele, between 2020 and 2021, in Lagos, “directed to be done in abuse of the authority of your office, as the Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria, an arbitrary, act to wit: allocating foreign exchange in the aggregate sum of $291,945,785.59, without bids, which act is prejudicial to the rights of Nigerians. Emefiele was alleged to have, in 2021, in Lagos, “directed to be done in abuse of the authority of your office, as the Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria, an arbitrary act, to wit: special allocation of foreign exchange in the aggregate sum of $1,769,254,793.16, which act is prejudicial to the rights of Nigerians.” In count four, the sum involved was $370,872,893.01. Emefiele’s co-defendant Omoile was alleged to have November 17, 2020, in Lagos, whilst acting as an agent accepted from Raja Punjab through Monday Osazuwa, the total sum of $110,000, for Godwin Ifeanyi Emefiele, gifts as a reward for allocating foreign exchange by the Central Bank in favor of Raja Punjab’s employer.” According to the charge, the offences committed contravened Section 73 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.

  The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control has recently carried out a raid targeting drug sellers in Apapa, Lagos and nearby areas as part of its efforts to tackle the distribution and vending of unauthorised drugs. This was made known in a statement shared on the agency’s X account on Friday. The statement said, “NAFDAC’s Investigation ans Enforcement Directorate recently conducted a targeted raid on drug hawkers operating in the Apapa area and its surroundings as part of its ongoing efforts to combat the distribution and sale of unauthorised pharmaceuticals. “Numerous hawkers were apprehended during the operation, and a wide range of illicit drugs were confiscated, including aphrodisiacs, narcotic substances (including tramadol), antibiotics, and over-the-counter medications. “The combined street value of the seized drugs amounts to approximately N50m. “The individuals arrested will be prosecuted accordingly, and the confiscated drugs are slated for destruction.”

  The Federal High Court in Lagos has fixed April 9, 2024, to sentence cross-dresser Idris Okuneye, popularly known as Bobrisky, for naira abuse. Justice Abimbola Awogboro reserved ruling on Bobrisky’s ruling after the social media celebrity pleaded guilty to a four-count charge brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). The judge ordered that the convict be remanded in EFCC custody pending sentence. The court called the case at exactly 11:55am with Mr. Sulaiman Sulaiman appearing for the EFCC while Mr. Ayo Olumofin appeared for the defendant.   Justice Awogboro directed Bobrisky to unveil his face which was covered with a black hijab. He complied. The charge, marked FHC/L/244c/2024, originally contained originally contained four counts of naira abuse and two counts of alleged money laundering. But before it was read to the defendant, Sulaiman prayed the court to strike out counts five and six concerning alleged money laundering and arraign Bobrisky on counts one to four. “We have an agreement with the defendant which will lead us to withdraw counts 5 and 6. In the circumstance, we’re humbly urging the court to strike out counts 5 and 6. Leaving count 1 to 4 alive,” Sulaiman said. Granting his prayer, Justice Awogboro then struck out the two counts and ordered that the now four-count charge be read to the defendant. Bobrisky pleaded guilty to each of the four counts. ” Yes, I am guilty,” he said, when the registrar asked if he understood the charge that was read to him. Sulaiman then proceeded to review the facts of the case and called an EFCC Assistant Superintendent, Mr. Bolaji Temitope, as his witness. Prompted by the prosecution, the witness explained how he came to know Bobrisky. Temitope said: “The EFCC received intelligence of individuals who are in the habit of spraying Naira during parties in Lagos. Base on this, the EFCC set out an operation team to monitor and observe the activities of individuals who are the habit of doing so. “We usually visit event centres and monitor social media pages where the Naira is being abused. “During the exercise we came across videos on social media where the defendant was seen abusing the Naira. “Our team then proceeded to view the video and burnt same on CD. “Consequently, an invitation letter was forwarded to the defendant. When he honoured the invitation. The defendant was shown a video where he was spraying money on Segun Johnson. He confirmed that he was the one in the video. “An evevt at the Island circle mall was also shown to the defendant. A total of 400k was spent. The defendant was also shown another video in Aja Junction, Ikorodu and an event centre at Ikeja. He admitted spraying money in all the videos. He then offered his statement in writing. “A video clip was shown to the witness, which confirmed together with the defendant’s statement.” The statement and videos were tendered without objection. The court admitted them as exhibits and marked them Exhibits 1 and 2 respectively. “That is the case of the prosecution and we pray the defendant be convicted as charged, my lord,” the prosecutor told the judge. In a bench ruling, Justice Awogboro held: “The defendant is convicted as charged”. But Bobrisky pleaded for mercy, saying he was unaware spraying of money at parties was a crime. He said: “I am a social influencer and have more than five million followers. I’m not aware of the law. “I wished I can be given a second chance to use my platform to educate my followers about spraying of Naira. I’ll not repeat this. I regret my actions my lord. I’m a first-time offender.” His lawyer added that he had turned a new leaf and prayed the judge to grant Bobrisky a non-custodial sentence and an option of a fine.

  A 60-year-old Catholic priest has died after his robes caught fire from a candle-light ceremony during an Easter vigil. The priest, Javier Sánchez died from the horrific injuries of the burns in Zaragoza city, Spain. According to Daily Mail, he suffered 50 per cent burns in the freak accident over the Easter weekend and lost his battle for life after four days in intensive care.   An ember bowl surrounded by candles caught fire and shot off sparks which ignited his robes. It was learned that the 60-year-old died a hero as he stood between the burning bowl and nuns to protect them. Meanwhile, an investigation is underway as it is believed paraffin had been used on the ember bowl to help it burn. Father Sanchez was rushed to Miguel Servet Hospital in Zaragoza but suffered horrific injuries and despite the best efforts of doctors later died following multiple organ failure. “The priest tried to protect the nuns of the convent when embers lit up in the basin that was used [for the fire] and that ultimately caused his death. Apparently a flammable substance had been used to start the fire. [The Easter Vigil] was held inside the convent,” said a source cited by Spanish newspaper El Heraldo de Aragón. Father Sanchez presided over the ‘blessing of the fire’ – a ritual held during Mass on Holy Saturday when a paschal candle was lit and remained so for 50 days until the celebration of Pentecost. The deceased was known as the ‘rock priest’ because of his love for music and for having composed many songs, as he released three albums over the course of his career. He also served as a priest at the Clinical Hospital of Zaragoza, in the parish of La Jota, and was a talk show host on television. Tributes have flooded in, with one friend saying: “He was a very vital and very loved person.” The Archbishop of Zaragoza stated the social network, saying: ‘It is with pain that we communicate that this morning the priest Javi Sánchez has died. We pray for his eternal rest.’ Pilar Martinez, secretary of the San Gregorio neighbourhood association, said the news of the priest’s death had come as ‘’a bucket of cold water.” She said the priest had been “a good man,” even though he hadn’t been in the neighbourhood long.