The Lagos State Police Command has detained two police officers who went on an illegal duty, in which a civilian lost his life. The Command’s spokesperson, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, made this known in a statement on Saturday.   Hundeyin said that the two officers, whose names and ranks were not given, were members of the State Taskforce. He said that the officers went on the illegal operation on Wednesday, in the company of some civilians.   According to Hundeyin, the illegal team came under attack from motorcycle riders, resulting in the death of one of the civilians. “While disciplinary actions have commenced on the already detained police officers, search is on for their civilian accomplices. “Investigations have commenced to identify, arrest and prosecute the perpetrators of this dastardly act,” he said. (NAN)

  Suspected bandits have kidnapped the parish priest of St. Raymond Catholic Church Damba, Gusau, Zamfara State, Revd. Fr. Mikah Suleiman. The spokesperson of Zamfara State Police Command, Yazid Abubakar, said the Father Mikah was kidnapped around 3 am on Saturday at his residence in the Damba area of Gusau. He noted that the incident was not reported to the police but the command has deployed a police tactical squad to the trail of the kidnappers and to ensure his safe return. “Yes, the incident happened early hour of today, the Reverend Father was kidnapped in his residence, we were not informed when the incident happened but what I gathered was that the man stays alone not in the church,” he said. “We have deployed our Tactical squad to go after the kidnappers with the aim of rescuing the victim unhurt.” The acting Chancellor of the Catholic Diocese of Sokoto, Very. Revd. Fr. Nuhu Iliya in a statement on Saturday confirmed the abduction. “With sadness in our hearts, we write to inform the general public of the kidnap of one of our priests, Revd. Fr. Mikah Suleiman. This sad event occurred in the early hours of today, Saturday, 22nd June 2024 in the Father’s rectory. Fr Mikah is the Parish Priest of St. Raymond Catholic Church Damba, Gusau, Zamfara State,” the statement reads. “We invite all Christ’s faithful and all men and women of goodwill to earnestly pray for his quick and safe release. “We equally commend him to the powerful intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of Priests, for his speedy release from the hands of his abductors.”

  The Federal High Court sitting in Lagos on Friday ordered the final forfeiture to the Federal Government properties valued at over N11.14bn and another N1.04 billion linked to the former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) governor, Godwin Emefiele. Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke made the order of permanent forfeiture after hearing an application filed and argued by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), through its counsel Chineye Okezie. On June 5, 2024, The judge had upheld the anti-graft agency’s motion filed and argued by its counsel, Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mr. Rotimi Oyedepo for a temporary forfeiture of the properties. Oyedepo informed the court that Emefiele was suspected of having bought the choice properties by proxy, with the proceeds of fraud. The EFCC named two current and one former CBN staff as Emefiele’s accomplices in the alleged fraud. The trio, according to the affidavit filed in support of the application, are Obayemi Oluwaseun Teben and Akomolafe Adebayo working with Olubunmi Makinde a former CBN staff and others. The properties are mostly located in highbrow parts of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja. Justice Aneke ordered the EFCC to publish the order for interim forfeiture in a national newspaper for any interested party to show cause why the final order of forfeiture should not be made. The judge then adjourned for a hearing of the application for final forfeiture. Upon resumption on June 21, no party appeared in court to contest the judge’s interim order and Chineye Okezie moved her application for the permanent forfeiture. After reading a 41-paragraph affidavit deposed to by an EFCC Investigating Officer, Michael John Idoko, the 19 Exhibits attached, a Written Address signed by Okezie, and after hearing Okezie’s motion, Justice Aneke granted the application. The properties were listed by the EFCC in two schedules, A and B. The judge said: “Having carefully considered the application and submission of counsel, it is hereby ordered as follows: – that a final forfeiture order of this honourable court is hereby made forfeiting to the Federal Government of Nigeria, properties contained in Schedule A herein which were traced and reasonably suspected to have been acquired with proceeds of unlawful activities.” They include shops and apartments at Cadastral Zone Maitama and Wuse. For Schedule B, Justice Aneke added: “That a final forfeiture order of this Honourable Court is hereby made forfeiting to the Federal Government of Nigeria, properties contained in Schedule B herein which properties were traced to have been acquired with proceeds of unlawful activities.” The properties include lands and apartments which were paid for on behalf of Oluwaseun at a total value of N1.04 billion. According to the affidavit, Obayemi Oluwaseun Teben and Akomolafe Adebayo working with Olubunmi Makinde “used their positions and Influence as CBN staff to secure retail and Special allocation of Foreign Exchange to different companies in exchange for kickbacks. “That Olubunmi Makinde is the link between Obayemi Oluwaseun Teben and Akomolafe Adebayo and the various companies applying for the purchase of foreign exchange. “That Obayemi Oluwaseun Teben and Akomolafe Adebayo as staffs of the Central Bank of Nigeria has access to the bidding processes and bidding Data of companies who has applied for the approval of form Ms to the CBN through their various commercial banks.”

  In two months, Nigerians will begin utilising the services of the proposed three-in-one identity card, the National Identity Management Commission has confirmed. It said the single multipurpose card combining multiple functions of identity, financial and social services will be made available to citizens across the country by August this year. A high-ranking member of the implementation team, who asked not to be named, disclosed the new information during an exclusive interview with Saturday PUNCH on Friday. The official stated that the commission had been working tirelessly to meet its goals, adding that the plan remains on track and would be launched in the upcoming months. He also disclosed that the commission has begun the testing and deployment stage. The official said, “We actually plan for July although there have been a few delays but we are still hopeful that it would come in July. So we are hoping to get it done between July and August. We are still on plan and if there is any shift, the public will know.” The official added, “When you are deploying a new technology, there is a lot of work to be done, you need to configure the card, enable the outlet, and enable the wallet to work. We also have to do tests and that is what is ongoing. “The deployment is ongoing, the portal that people need to access the service has to be deployed, and we have to make sure that it is scaleable and those are the ongoing works. “There are integrations that all the banks need to do to enable the card and all of those little details are ongoing. We have that target and we are working extra hard to make sure that we achieve that.” On Friday, April 5, 2024, the NIMC announced that it had launched a new card layered with payment capabilities and social service features in collaboration with the Central Bank of Nigeria and the Nigeria Inter-bank Settlement System. It explained that the identity solution was equipped with payment capability for all types of social and financial services. According to a statement issued, the initiative represents a collaborative effort to offer increased options for domestic consumers while fostering the delivery of services in a more innovative, cost-effective, and competitive manner. The identity cards will include a bank-enabled National ID card, a social intervention card, and an optional ECOWAS National Biometric Identity Card.

  Saturday 22 June 2024 Rivers crisis: Fubara sacks traditional rulers’ council chair NERC approves N21b for DisCos for meter purchase Obasanjo commissions Owerri Central Market Complex Cholera outbreak: Nigeria runs out of vaccine as death toll hits 40 Why police didn’t evict Bayero from Nasarawa palace – CP Goods import gulps N16tn, increases 60% in 12 months, says NBS Seven kidnapped women, nine children rescued in Borno Goods import gulps N16tn, increases 60% in 12 months, says NBS Rivers LG Lockdown: CLO, 40 CSOs plan mass anti-police protest Stop downplaying our situation, Obi charges Tinubu Army recovers, destroys 14 boats used for oil bunkering in Abia Two million Benue farmers sacked from ancestral homes still languishing in camps 7 years after Fubara sacks Pro-Wike Chairman of Rivers Traditional Council, appoints Eze Wodo Customs Impounds 2,625 Cartons Of Codeine, Others Gambaryan Has Access To Quality Medical Care, FG Debunks US Lawmakers’ Claims Recruitment: Provide Evidence Of Corruption, PSC Tells Police Gunmen Abduct Community Leader In Nasarawa Ogun Doctors Threaten Strike Over Poor Working Conditions Visit a newspaper stand this morning, buy and read a copy for yourself…