The Kano State Deputy Governor, Aminu Gwarzo, has accused a former governor of the state, Abdullahi Ganduje, of allegedly using the office of the National Security Adviser to create chaos in the state by smuggling the deposed Emir of Kano, Aminu Ado Bayero, into the state. Gwarzo made the allegation on Saturday morning while speaking with journalists at the Emir’s palace in Kano. He alleged that Ganduje, with the support of the office of the NSA, brought in the dethroned Emir in a chartered flight on Saturday. “It is unfortunate that the APC National Chairman, Abdullahi Ganduje, is using the National Security Adviser to create tension in the state by smuggling into the state, the former emir, Aminu Ado Bayero. “The appointment and dethronement of Emir or any traditional title holder is solely the prerogative of the state government,” the deputy governor said. He wondered why the Federal Government would be interfering in whatever happened in that direction. “I am here together with the governor and other top government functionaries to ensure that the new emir, Muhammadu Sanusi II start exercising his power and authority immediately after he was given his appointment letter yesterday, (Friday),’’ he added. The deputy governor appealed to Kano residents to go about their lawful and normal businesses without fear or intimidation. In the early hours of Saturday, Bayero returned to Kano into the waiting hands of a crowd of supporters.

  Saturday 25 May 2024 Labour eyes N100,000 minimum wage as NEC meets Monday NAHCON airlifts 16,794 pilgrims, Christians to pay N4.9m Sokoto communities where villagers spend 10 hours hunting for water in Niger Republic Edo LP suspends national chairman Abure for anti-party activities Court orders interim forfeiture of $4.7m, N830m assets linked to Emefiele Anxiety as CBN sacks 200 employees Kanu’s fate can only be determined by Court – Fagbemi Helicopter operators plan meeting Keyamo over landing fee charges My Reinstatement Preordained By God, Says Emir Sanusi Nigeria Generated 5,000MW In May, Says Power Minister Adelabu Nigeria No Longer Bleeding, Will Now Move To Prosperity – Tinubu ICJ Orders Israel To ‘Immediately Halt’ Rafah Offensive Tribunal Affirms Uzodimma’s Election As Imo Gov, Dismisses LP’s Petition Nigeria’s GDP Growth Declined By 2.98% In Q1 2024, Says NBS We ‘re not banning money rituals, smoking in movies — NFCVB Turkish Airlines to resume flight operations to Nigeria May 25 Naira gains at official window, depreciates at parallel market Sowore: Tinubu has failed to make meaningful impact in one year Lawyer: DSS restricting legal team’s access to Nnamdi Kanu Visit a newspaper stand this morning, buy and read a copy for yourself…

  The National Chairman of the Labour Party, Julius Abure, has been suspended from the party in Ward 3 in Arue-Uromi, in Esan North-East Local Government Area of Edo State for alleged high-handedness and anti-party activities. A letter of suspension dated May 14, 2024, and another letter of ratification dated May 15, 2024, both of which were ratified at a meeting of the state executive committee on Friday night in Benin, stated that the suspension is with immediate effect. It advised Abure to stop holding out or parading himself as a member of the party. The letter of suspension was signed by the Ward Chairman, Thompson Ehiguese, and Ward Secretary, Stanley Usiomoh. The letter of ratification of his suspension was forwarded to the State Executive Committee of the party through the State Chairman by the Local Government Chairman of the party in Esan North-East, Patrick Onogbeni, and LG Secretary, Ehikioya Eromosele.   The ratification letter read, “Here forwarded to you and for your consideration is the ratification of the suspension of Julius Abure from the membership of Ward 3, Arue, Uromi, Ean North East LGA, Edo State. “The LGA Executive met on 15th of May, 2024, about noon, to consider the matters presented on the suspension and accordingly found them weighty and the suspension ratified and upheld.” The State Executive Committee led by Kelly Ogbaloi endorsed the decisions of the ward and local government committee of the party on Friday. The venue of the meeting was charged as leaders and members of the party chanted: “Abure must go!” The State Executive Committee considered the letters, together with the issues contained therein, and ratified Abure’s suspension.

  President Bola Tinubu has said that the past 12 months have been fulfilling for his administration despite the presence of some challenges that are being addressed frontally. According to the President, his administration has been able to stop Nigeria from bleeding which will propel it to prosperity. Tinubu spoke when he received a delegation of the Yoruba Leaders of Thought at the State House on Friday, also emphasising that governance must be transformative and must address the critical needs of citizens. This was disclosed by the President’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, in a statement made available to Channels Television. “It has been challenging. It has been fulfilling as well. We took over, and we stopped the bleeding. I can say categorically now that Nigeria is no longer bleeding. And it will not bleed to death, but rather will now move to prosperity. That is the promise that I made to you all, and it is also the charge that you gave to me. “We are managing to swim through the pond. The current is not a good one. We will turn the tide. We are turning the bend. This I assure you. I am being very careful. The worst is over for Nigeria. We will prevail. “I thank the team who have been working really hard. All I can promise is that we will do whatever it takes. We are determined, and we will work so that all Nigerians can feel the impact of good governance,” the President said. The President assured Nigerians that his administration will ensure they get value for every kobo spent, and that his government will leave a lasting legacy of prosperity to future generations while removing the yoke of poor governance and expanding access to qualitative public goods. “We will get value for our money, and it is not for ourselves, but for our children. Our children will not inherit the burden of bad governance. Yet, they will enjoy the prosperity of Nigeria as a blessed nation from our very hands; from our sweat. We will bequeath to them a nation full of pride and prosperity,” President Tinubu said. President Tinubu also called for the deepening of governance and the reinforcement of leadership across all levels of government and institutions, adding that his administration is committed to encouraging fiscal federalism and strengthening the system to enhance inclusion and equity for all Nigerians. “Healthcare upgradation is ongoing. Road rehabilitation and construction is ongoing. Education development is ongoing. I am charging you to look at what is going on in the states. Pay attention to your state governors. Tell them to take their responsibilities seriously and make the people the focus of their development plans. Once there is synergy, then I can assure you that Nigeria will be one of the best nations that you will see anywhere on earth. “Local government administration is being suffocated. People are looking at the opportunity to ensure that they survive and become more purposeful through community development programmes. What I will not support is any effort to make the local government a unitary system by handing all core responsibilities to the federal government. That is criminal when there is a federal system. “We have a federal system. There are state and federal administrations. We have two components. States must do whatever is in the best interest of their own process of administration. There is no one-size-fits-all. That is what we should do by looking at the revenue formula, and we must be consistent with federalism; fiscal federalism. Those are the things you should expect from me, not the knee-jerk reactions ahead of elections. “Our population is growing. It is getting larger. The geographical requirement is getting bigger, so we still want more space for housing. The population is growing. So that is the basis for flexibility at the local government level. We must grow and expand,” the President said. While thanking the delegation of eminent Nigerians, President Tinubu urged continuous support for and faith in Nigeria, assuring them that his government would live up to expectations. “I can tell you that Nigeria is no longer printing paper money and deceiving itself that it has a base for survival. Nigeria went through terrible labour pains, but we have seen the baby coming out alive,” the President concluded. In his remarks, Honourable Bayo Aina, the National Secretary, who spoke on behalf of Prince Tajudeen Oluyole Olusi, Convener of the Yoruba Leaders of Thought, commended the President for his prioritization of investment in infrastructure across various sectors. “We salute your timely initiative to upgrade, construct, and modernize the infrastructure of our nation in health, aviation, transportation, as well as the education sector. We commend you for your commitment to providing responsible, responsive, and accountable governance in this country. “At this point, we state without equivocation our total commitment to the vision of greatness that you have articulated, which is the destiny of Nigeria, not only within Africa but globally and among the comity of nations before the end of the 21st century,” the National Secretary of the group concluded.

  The Nigerian Army has dismissed four soldiers, Sani Munzani (24), Abubakar Auwalu (26), Abubakar Sani (23) and Muazu Hassan (22), for allegedly stabbing an official of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Kingsley Chimetalo, to death in Bida town, Niger State. The suspects were investigated, court martialed and dismissed by 18 Brigade, Nigerian Army, Bida. They were said to have engaged NDLEA officials in a physical fight at a checkpoint at Rahmatu Dangana Junction in Bida during which Chimetalo was reportedly stabbed in the back with a jack knife and his rifle taken away by the soldiers. The dismissed soldiers have been handed over to the Niger State Police Command for further prosecution. The Niger State Police Command’s Public Relations Officer, SP Wasiu Abiodun, said “On 09/03/2024 at about 1820hrs, a team of NDLEA officers were on stop and search at Ramat Junction, Bida while two suspected soldiers who were not in uniform, on a motorcycle got to the point and they were intercepted by the NDLEA team. “The team requested for identification, but the suspected soldiers could not establish a proper means of identification, and their bag was searched but nothing incriminating was found. “In the course of this, there was an argument and altercation, and after the search, the suspected soldiers left the scene and returned with additional men reinforced to the scene for an alleged attack. “Unfortunately during the fight, an officer of the NDLEA named Kingsley Chimetalo was stabbed in the back with a jack knife by one of the suspects and his rifle was taken away. “The injured officer was taken to FMC Bida where he later gave up the ghost. In the course of the investigation by the police operatives attached to ‘A’ Division Bida, the officer’s rifle was later recovered in a nearby bush where it was dumped without a magazine.” Abiodun said that one of the suspects, Sani Munzani, confessed to the stabbing of Chimetalo.

  The Governor of Kano State, Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf, has ordered the immediate arrest of the deposed Emir of Kano, Aminu Ado Bayero. The order was contained in a statement on Saturday by the Director General, Media and Publicity, Government House, Kano, Sanusi Tofa. The governor said Bayero should be arrested for allegedly creating tension in the state. The statement titled ‘Gov. Yusuf Orders Arrest of Deposed Emir of Kano Aminu Ado Bayero,’ read, “The Governor of Kano State, Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf, has ordered the immediate arrest of the former Emir of Kano, Aminu Ado Bayero, for creating tension in the state.   “The former Emir was smuggled into Kano city last night in an attempt to forcefully return to the palace two days after being deposed by the governor.” According to the statement, the new Emir, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, arrived at the palace in the company of the governor, the deputy governor, the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, and other top government functionaries at about 1 am on Saturday, May 25 2024. “As the Chief Security Officer of the state, His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Kano State, Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf, has directed the Commissioner of Police to arrest the deposed Emir with immediate effect for disturbing public peace and attempting to destroy the relative peace the state enjoys,” the statement added. Bayero, whose whereabouts had been unknown since he was deposed on Thursday, returned to Kano on Saturday. The state House of Assembly repealed the law that ex-Governor Abdullahi Ganduje had signed on December 5, 2019. After signing the law, Ganduje split the emirate into five and appointed Emirs to each. Upon signing the repealed Kano Emirates Council Law, Yusuf gave all the Emirs affected by the law 48 hours to vacate their palaces and hand them over to the Commissioner of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs. He subsequently announced the reinstatement of Muhammadu Sanusi, whom Ganduje had deposed in 2020 as Emir of Kano. The governor issued a reappointment letter to Sanusi on Friday, and Sanusi led Jumat prayers at the Government House, Kano. In the early hours of Saturday, Ado Bayero returned to Kano into the waiting hands of a crowd of supporters, according to a video sighted by Daily Trust. On Friday, the governor reappointed Muhammadu Sanusi II as the 16th Emir of Kano. Sanusi received his letter of reinstatement at the Government House in Kano. While presenting him with the letter, the governor said, “By the powers conferred on me by the Kano Emirate Council Law of 1984 and 2024, and supported by the recommendation of the kingmakers, I have the singular pleasure of confirming the reappointment of Muhammadu Sanusi II as the Emir of Kano and the head of the Kano Emirate Council.”

  The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, says the offence of the detained leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, is a difficult one and can only be resolved by a competent court of law. He added that since the matter was already in court, it should be left to the law to have its way. The AGF said this while responding to questions at the Sectoral Ministerial Briefing on the first anniversary of the President Bola Tinubu’s administration on Friday. He also pointed out that there was a remarkable difference between Kanu’s case and that of Omoyele Sowore. While pointing out that Kanu is being held in accordance with the Constitution, he added that the matter was still in court. The Attorney General further added that the Federal Government secured 250 convictions for terrorism and other criminal offences in one year. On Tuesday, Kanu’s lawyers filed a Preliminary Objection at the Federal High Court Abuja, asking the trial judge, Justice Binta Nyako, to decline jurisdiction to proceed with the trial against him. Part of the issue for determination, is whether the court has the jurisdiction to try Kanu for any, or all the offences charged against him in Counts 1, 2, 4,5 and 8, to quash the said counts on the ground that the law which the said counts were predicated, is unconstitutional. They pointed out that there are two international tribunal decisions against the arrest, detention, prosecution and trial of Kanu, which under the Nigerian constitution, is binding on the court. They also stated that the law under which Kanu is currently being tried in these counts, has been repealed, and is also not supported by proof of evidence, adding that it is an abuse of court process. Counsel to Kanu is also asking the court to decline jurisdiction to entertain Count 15, because it is not in compliance with the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, not within the territorial jurisdiction of the court, and is not supported by any proof of evidence and law. They want the court to take further notice that count 3 of the charges is unconstitutional, as it seeks to punish Kanu for an act that was not a crime when it occurred, and is an abuse of the court process. Justice Nyako had on Monday, dismissed the request by Kanu for the restoration of his revoked bail and the removal from the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS), to a house arrest or prison custody.

  The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has retrenched nearly 200 employees across various departments in a bank-wide restructuring exercise. The latest round of job cuts across several departments, including: Human Resources; Development Finance; Trade and Exchange (including a prominent director, Dr. Hassan Mahmud); Financial Policy and Regulation and Procurement and Support Services (All service coordinators in the PSSD who predominantly can be found in the state branches were laid-off on Friday) Many of the affected staff were reportedly surprised to receive termination letters on Friday afternoon with their employment ending immediately. The CBN attributed the layoffs to a “significant organisational and human capital restructuring process” aligned with the bank’s recently publicized strategic direction and its new mission and vision.A sample termination letter obtained by The Nation states: “In line with our new mission and vision, the Bank is currently undergoing a significant organizational and human capital restructuring process. “As a result of this review, I have been directed to notify you that your services will not be required with effect from Friday, 24th May 2024. Your final entitlements will be calculated and paid to you in due course.” The full impact of these job cuts remains to be seen. While the CBN emphasises alignment with its new strategic direction, the sudden nature of the layoffs has likely caused concerns and disruption for the affected staff.

  The top United Nations court on Friday ordered Israel to halt military operations in Rafah “immediately”, a landmark ruling likely to increase mounting international pressure on Israel more than seven months into the Gaza war. The International Court of Justice also ruled Israel must keep open the key Rafah crossing for “unhindered” humanitarian aid and urged the “unconditional” release of hostages taken by Hamas during its October 7 assault. ICJ rulings are legally binding but the court has no concrete means to enforce them. For example, it ordered Russia to halt its invasion of Ukraine, to no avail. The court said Israel must “immediately halt its military offensive, and any other action in the Rafah Governorate, which may inflict on the Palestinian group in Gaza conditions of life that could bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part.” Israel had argued before the court that an order to stop military activity would give free rein to Hamas extremists and prevent its army from rescuing hostages taken in the group’s brutal October 7 attack. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced he would convene senior ministers after the ruling. South Africa hailed the ruling, with Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor saying it was a “much stronger… set of provisional measures, very clear call for a cessation.” The ICJ ruling comes hot on the heels of another highly charged decision Monday by the International Criminal Court prosecutor to seek arrest warrants for top Israeli and Hamas leaders. Prosecutor Karim Khan alleged that senior Israeli leaders, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, plus top Hamas officials, were guilty of war crimes and crimes against humanity related to the war in Gaza and the October 7 attack.   ‘Obscene exploitation’ South Africa brought the case before the ICJ last year alleging that Israel’s Gaza offensive breached the 1948 UN Genocide Convention — a charge strongly denied by Israel. In a ruling on January 26 that made headlines worldwide, the ICJ ordered Israel to do everything it could to prevent acts of genocide during its military operation in Gaza. The ICJ on Friday also ordered Israel to ensure “unimpeded access” to UN-mandated investigators to look into allegations of genocide. But South Africa has since returned several times to the ICJ arguing that the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza compels the court to issue further fresh emergency measures. In public hearings last week, South Africa’s ambassador Vusimuzi Madonsela alleged that “Israel’s genocide has continued apace and has just reached a new and horrific stage”. “Although the present application was triggered by the unfolding situation in Rafah, Israel’s genocidal onslaught across Gaza has intensified over the past few days, also warranting the attention of this court,” he said. South Africa argued the only way to enable humanitarian aid in to ease the crisis in Gaza was a full halt to Israel’s military operations. The court will take months if not years to rule on the broader South African genocide case but it can order urgent measures while weighing its decision. The ICJ described the humanitarian situation as “disastrous” and that Israel’s evacuation efforts were insufficient. Israel retorted during hearings that South Africa’s case was an “obscene exploitation of the most sacred convention” and the picture Pretoria paints to the court was “completely divorced from the facts and circumstances.” “It makes a mockery of the heinous charge of genocide,” said top Israel lawyer Gilad Noam at hearings. “Calling something a genocide, again and again, does not make it genocide. Repeating a lie does not make it true,” he added. Israel also said it was “acutely aware” of the suffering of civilians in the Gaza Strip and that it has made “extensive efforts” to increase humanitarian aid flowing. US President Joe Biden said this week that “what’s happening is not genocide.” Stalled talks Israel said Thursday it was ready to resume stalled talks on a truce and hostage release deal with Hamas, as Netanyahu faces growing domestic pressure to secure their freedom. US intelligence chief Bill Burns is expected to meet Israeli representatives in Paris to relaunch negotiations, according to a Western source close to the issue. Previous talks in Cairo and Doha attended by Qatar and Egypt as mediators for Hamas broke up earlier this month. The Gaza war broke out after Hamas’s unprecedented attack on October 7 resulted in the deaths of more than 1,170 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of Israeli official figures. Militants also took 252 hostages, 124 of whom remain in Gaza, including 37 the army says are dead. The ICJ reiterated a call for the “immediate and unconditional” release of these hostages. Israel’s retaliatory offensive has killed at least 35,800 people in Gaza, mostly civilians, according to the Hamas-run territory’s health ministry. AFP