Operatives of Ogun State Police command have arrested 35-year-old Dada Taiwo, for allegedly stabbing his girlfriend’s brother, Damilola Momoh, on the neck with broken bottle in Agbado, in Ifo local government area of the state. The suspect stabbed Damilola, aged 34, during an argument over a phone the victim borrowed. Confirming the arrest of Taiwo on Sunday, the command’s spokesperson, Omolola Odutola, said the incident was reported to the Agbado Division by Olaife Momoh, the girlfriend of the suspect. Odutola stated that the victim had been rushed to Overcomer Hospital in Agbado for medical treatment and investigation is ongoing. She said, “On the 21th of July, at about 2am, a woman named Olaife Momoh, residing at 11 Sowemimo Street, Akera, Agbado, Ogun State, reported to the station that her boyfriend, Dada Taiwo of 34 Crossing Road, Agbado, aged 35, had a dispute with her elder brother, Damilola Momoh, aged 34, over a phone her brother had borrowed. “During the argument, the suspect, armed with broken bottle, stabbed her brother in the neck, causing severe injuries and profuse bleeding”. Odutola, however, warned against uncontrollable anger and advised young people to report any incidents to the nearest police station to avoid taking the law into their own hands.

  The President of the Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, has claimed that substandard petroleum products are being imported into the country and sold to unsuspecting Nigerians. Dangote made the claim on Saturday during the visit of the leadership of the House of Representatives, led by the Speaker, Tajudeen Abbas, and his deputy, Benjamin Kalu, to the Dangote Refinery in Lagos State. The business tycoon said there was a need for an investigation to be carried out to determine if there are some saboteurs in the oil sector or to find out if there are ulterior motives to demarket his business. Africa’s richest man also said the best way to determine the quality of products being imported and sold to Nigerians is by going to the filling stations and buying and testing them. Mohbad’s father appeals for Nigerians’ help in unraveling cause of son’s death0.00 / 0.00 He said, “The most important thing, Your Excellency, is to note that the imported one they are encouraging, is the spec in the test, but in certain cases, when you check (independently), different results will show.” Refuting the allegation made by the Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, Farouk Ahmed, that petroleum products from his refinery are substandard, Dangote said his products are better than imported ones, and they comply with the highest standards. Dangote, who provided evidence to back up his claim, said diesel bought from two filling stations and that from his refinery was tested at the refinery’s laboratories using the ASTM D4294 method. The Dangote Group President said the diesel, which was one of the best in terms of quality at the time the refinery started, had a sulphur content of between 600 parts per million and 650 ppm. While stating that the quality of his diesel has improved as the sulphur content has reduced to 87 ppm, Dangote added that by next Monday, it will reduce to 50 ppm. He further said the result does not only proof the reality of products from his refinery, but it also shows that substandard petroleum products are being imported into the country. Dangote noted that the sulphur content of the diesel bought from the two filling stations was over 1,800 ppm and 2,600 ppm, respectively. He said, “Our quality is about 600 to 650 ppm and is one of the best in terms of quality at that time when we started. But as of today, we’re at 87 ppm. “I want to plead with the regulator to come at any time, whether Sunday or Monday or take the sample, and I guarantee you before he gets here, our ppm will be even below 10. “When we’re coming here, His Excellency, the Speaker said, can we please wait to pick up samples from two filling stations? And also when we get into our plant, they will pick a sample to check the results. The results are actually out, and I’m going to share the same results with you. “The sample from TotalEnergies’s diesel showed 1,829ppm sulphur concentration. The sample from Matrix Retail showed 2,653 ppm. Matrix was 61 below 66, and Total is 26 flashpoint. Our flash point showed 96. If you want to do the rest, we can run it at any given time. “Today I want to announce to Nigerians that our parameters today are extremely, very good parameters. By the end of next week, we should be on 50 ppm and by August, it should be down to 10 ppm.” He also called on the House of Representatives to investigate the quality of laboratories being used by the NMDPR to test imported products and compare that with the one at his refinery. Dangote informed the lawmakers that he was also open to independent testing of his refinery’s products as that would only attest to their quality while exposing the problem with some of the products being sold by other players in the sector. The businessman also dismissed monopoly claims, insisting that the Dangote Group did not receive any special incentive when the refinery was being built. He also announced that the company would abandon its plans to enter Nigeria’s steel industry to prevent accusations of attempting to monopolize the market. Dangote explained that going into the steel industry would involve encouraging the importation of raw materials from overseas, which contradicts the firm’s core mandate. He said, “You know, about doing a new business which we announced, that is, the steel. Actually, our own board has decided that we shouldn’t do the steel because if we do the steel business, we will be called all sorts of names like monopoly. And then also, imports will be encouraged. So we don’t want to go into that.” Dangote, however, urged other Nigerians to invest in the industry to help boost the country’s economy. He added, “Let other Nigerians go and do it. We are not the only Nigerians here. There are some Nigerians with more cash than us. They should bring that money from Dubai and other parts of the world and invest in our own fatherland.” Speaker Abbas said going by the presentation and the contradictory claims, there was a need for an investigation. “I don’t know how we have this contradiction of two players representing the public and private sector. I think it is something we need to investigate further to find out if there are ulterior motives,” he said.

  Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have uncovered illicit substances in Lagos. The items – consignments of Cocaine and Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis – were concealed in incense candles, game packs, dry hibiscus leaves and ladies’, NDLEA spokesman, Femi Babafemi said. According to a Sunday statement, the hard drugs were meant to be smuggled in and out of Nigeria through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA). Babafemi said some suspects were apprehended “A businessman, Abdulwahab Owolabi Alebiosu was on Thursday 18th July 2024 arrested at his Horizon Court, Lekki, Lagos residence after a consignment of 40 parcels of Loud weighing 20.30 kilograms hidden in packs of chessboards, scrabbles, checkers, and poker set, brought in from Canada on a British Airways flight was intercepted at the SAHCO import shed of the Lagos airport during a joint examination of the cargo with men of Customs Service,” the statement read. “A search of his home also led to the recovery of more exhibits including some drug paraphernalia, such as a weighing scale, and cannabis potency test kit, while four vaping machines were recovered from his business premises on Admiralty Way, Lekki. A Mikano black truck with registration number FST 657 HP was also recovered from his house. “In the same vein, NDLEA operatives at the NAHCO export shed of the MMIA on Friday 19th July intercepted two jumbo bags going to Pakistan. The bags contained dried hibiscus leaves, dried bitter leaves and other food items, which were used to conceal four parcels of cocaine and 14 parcels of Loud, both weighing 1.360kg. Further investigations led to the arrest of a businesswoman, Eze Queen Ogechi who claimed she was sending the illicit consignment to Pakistan on the instruction of her brother, Eze Nnamdi Promise based in the South Asia country. “Also at the Lagos airport, NDLEA operatives attached to Terminal II, Departure Gate of the MMIA, on Thursday 18th July intercepted a male Beninese passenger, Orobi Adoubi Amen, travelling with a bag containing some female native dresses. The suspect was going to Dubai via Accra, Ghana on an Air Peace Airline flight and a connecting flight to Dubai, UAE on Emirates Airline. A thorough search of the bag revealed eight parcels of Loud weighing 2.10kg were concealed in the ladies’ native wears. The suspect claimed he was given the consignment for a fee of N600,000 on successful delivery in Dubai.” On his part, the NDLEA Chairman, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd) commended anti-narcotics officers for the seizures. He said that their operational successes and those of their compatriots across the country are well appreciated, urging them not to rest on their oars but continue to intensify ongoing drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts

  The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission to hold state governors, their deputies and others to account over cases of electoral violence, bribery, vote-buying, and conspiracy during the 2023 general elections.‏ According to a statement issued by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project’s Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, on Sunday, the court ordered INEC to ensure “the appointment of independent counsel to investigate cases of electoral violence and other electoral offences against state governors and their deputies during the 2023 general elections.” The court also ordered INEC to “to promptly, thoroughly and effectively investigate cases of electoral violence and other electoral offences committed during the 2023 general elections and to identify suspected perpetrators and their sponsors and ensure their effective prosecution.” The judgment was said to have been delivered last Thursday by Justice Obiora Egwuatu following a mandamus lawsuit number: FHC/ABJ/CS/583/2023, filed by SERAP. Justice Egwuatu also ordered INEC “to swiftly prosecute all arrested offenders in the 2023 general elections in the custody of the Nigeria Police Force, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission and other law enforcement agencies.” In his judgment, Justice Egwuatu held that, “I have compassionately evaluated the depositions in the affidavit of SERAP and I have no reason not to believe the depositions more so when there are documentary evidence in support of the depositions.” Justice Egwuatu also stated that, “In the circumstances therefore, I find merit in the application. The sole issue of whether this Court ought to grant the relief of judicial review and orders of mandamus is resolved in favour of SERAP. Accordingly, I grant the prayers sought.” The judgment, dated 18 July, 2024, read in part, “Being citizens of this great country, SERAP and its members have the legal interest whose enjoyment or enforcement directly or substantially depends on the performance of public duty by INEC. “In requesting the performance of the public duty imposed on the electoral body, SERAP has demonstrated a great zeal of patriotism. “The substance of SERAP’s grouse is the violence associated with elections in Nigeria which tends to prevent citizens from exercising their franchise during elections, thus preventing credible election and in the long run credible leaders.” The judge said there is no gainsaying the fact that electoral violence and the associated crimes committed during elections in Nigeria is a great bane to the development of this country both democratically and economically. “SERAP has also shown vide exhibit A8, a letter addressed to INEC requesting amongst other things the appointment of independent counsel to investigate allegations of electoral offences, including bribery, conspiracy, and undue influence against state governors and their deputies during the 2023 general elections.” “Exhibit A8 is thus a distinct and clear demand for the performance of the duty made by SERAP. The electoral body till the date of filing the action failed to, refused and or neglected to carry out or perform the duty requested by SERAP.. “There is no doubt that the Electoral Act 2022 creates some electoral offences. Sections 123, 124, 125, 126 127, 128 and 129 are some of the provisions of the Electoral Act that created some specific electoral offences,” he added. He pointed out that the trial of offences created by the Electoral Act are done in a Magistrate Court or a High Court of a state in which the offence is committed, or the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. “By Section 145(2) of the same Act, prosecution for the offences shall be undertaken by legal officers of INEC or any legal practitioner appointed by INEC. Clearly therefore, the law imposes on INEC the performance of a public duty. “Section 24(d) and (e) of the Nigerian Constitution 1999 [as amended] recognizes the rights of citizens to take steps towards advancing the community where he resides. “The section provides that ‘it shall be the duty of every citizen to-(d) make positive and useful contributions to the advancement of progress and well-being of the community where he resides; (e) render assistance to appropriate and lawful agencies in the maintenance of law and order,” Justice Egwuatu said. He further stated that by the provision of order 34 of the Federal High Court (Civil Procedure) Rules, 2019, the court is empowered to grant an order of mandamus, prohibition or certiorari in the manner set out in the order. “On an application for judicial review, any relief mentioned in rule 1 of order 34 may be claimed as an alternative or in addition to any other relief so mentioned if it arises out of, relates to or is connected with the same matter. “An order mandamus lies to compel the performance of a public duty at the instance of a person who has sufficient legal interest in the performance of that public duty.   “Where a public duty is imposed on a public or government body, authority, department or official and the authority, department or official refuses or fails to perform that duty, an order of mandamus would issue to compel that body, authority, department or official to carry out that duty in respect of a person whose interest is directly and substantially affected by the refusal or failure to perform that duty,” the judge averred. He opined that the entirety of the facts deposed to by SERAP were not controverted by INEC, stressing that it is trite that depositions in affidavit on material facts resolve applications in court. On his part, SERAP deputy director said, “This ground-breaking judgment is an important milestone for Nigerians’ right to free and fair elections, and for victims of electoral offences in their search for justice, truth and reparations for the crimes which took place during the 2023 general elections.” “Justice Egwuatu’s judgment now provides a binding precedent for INEC to immediately pursue justice for those who suffered egregious abuses in Nigeria’s 2023 general elections. We commend Justice Egwuatu for his wisdom and courage, and his landmark decision. “Respecting and implementing Justice Egwuatu’s