Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday, voided the impeachment of Phillip Shuaibu as the Deputy Governor of Edo State. Justice Omotosho, while delivering judgment in the suit, ordered that Shaibu be reinstated to office because the Edo State House of Assembly failed to comply with due process in impeaching him. Justice Omotosho also set aside the appointment of the new Deputy Governor who replaced Shaibu. The court held that the allegation on which the House of Assembly based the impeachment proceedings was untenable in law and did not constitute gross misconduct. He ordered the Inspector General of Police to provide him with needed security to enable him to resume office and perform the functions of the office until the end of his tenure. Details later…

  Abba Yusuf, governor of Kano, has appointed three second-class emirs in the state. In a statement, Bature Dawakin Tofa, spokesperson of the Kano government, said the appointments of the emirs of Gaya, Karaye and Rano emirates take immediate effect. Muhammad Maharaz Karaye was appointed Emir of Karaye, Muhammad Isa Umar was appointed Emir of Rano and Aliyu Abdulkadir was named Emir of Gaya. Abdulkadir was emir of the defunct Gaya emirate. He was one of the emirs deposed after the governor reinstated Muhammadu Sanusi II as Emir of Kano in May. “While congratulating the newly appointed Emirs, Governor Abba K. Yusuf enjoined them to be custodians of culture, peace and unity of the people in their respective emirates,” the statement reads. On Tuesday, the Kano governor signed the bill creating three second-class emirates in the state. The legislation had sought to create three emirates: Rano (Rano, Bunkure, and Kibiya), Karaye (Karaye, Rogo), and Gaya (Gaya, Ajingi, and Albasu). On May 23, Sanusi was reinstated by the governor at a colourful ceremony in government house. The Kano house of assembly repealed the law used by Abdullahi Ganduje, former governor of the state, to depose Sanusi in 2020. The repeal paved the way for the dethronement of Aminu Bayero as Emir of Kano.

  The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has warned the public against fraudsters impersonating the agency on social media. In a statement on Tuesday by Abdullahi Maiwada, national public relations officer of customs, the service said these fraudsters are promoting fake auctions and fraudulent recruitment drives. “The attention of Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has been brought to escalating activities of fraudulent entities preying on unsuspecting individuals through social media platforms, falsely claiming association with the service for purposes of auctions or recruitment,” NCS said. “These individuals exploit the public’s trust and ignorance, promoting fictitious auctions and sham recruitment drives supposedly endorsed by our service. “The service wishes to clarify that auctions of seized/overtime goods are never conducted via any social media platform. “Any such claims on social media should be treated as fraudulent and promptly reported.” According to customs, all seized or overtime goods have a laid-down standard operating procedure (SOP) for disposal in line with the Nigeria Customs Service Act, 2023. “It is pertinent to state that the only portal for e-auction in NCS is auction.nigeriatradehub.gov.ng,” the service said. “For authentic updates about the operations of NCS, we strongly encourage the public to verify information exclusively through the official NCS website, customs.gov.ng. “Additionally, you can contact our help desk lines through – 07037891156, 0201889889, and 02018898888. You can also reach out to NCS formations nationwide. “Furthermore, our trusted official social media hubs for reliable, accurate and timely updates about NCS are as follows: Facebook: CustomsNG, X (Formerly known as Twitter): @CustomsNG, TikTok: @Nigeria_Customs, Instagram: Official_CustomsNG, Threads: Official_CustomsNG, WhatsApp Channel: Nigeria Customs Service, Youtube: NCBN Media House.” The agency reiterated its unwavering commitment to protecting the public from fraudulent activities. It implored all Nigerians to exercise vigilance and prudence when approached with unverified offers or announcements regarding customs auctions or recruitment. NCS said all suspicious activities should be reported to the nearest customs formation or through its official communication channels listed above for immediate assistance.

  Thousands of students at the University of Ibadan have protested against a hike in school fees and other issues. How my Husband died during our fight over another woman he impregnated – Beatrice, ex-convict0.00 / 0.00 As early as 8 a.m., the visibly angry students moved in large numbers to all the entrances of the institution and blocked them. Both academic and non-academic staff were locked outside the gates. After blocking all the entrances, they moved from one faculty to another to ensure that academic activities were totally paralysed. The students who warned sternly that there should be no video recording of the protest explained that the school management has not been fair to them. Some of them who spoke with Vanguard said three issues compelled them to troop out. A male student said, “We are protesting against injustice and insensitivity of the state school authorities to our plight.” “You can imagine the authorities saying they will be shedding power henceforth, which means there are days we will be in darkness. How do they expect us to study?”. “Secondly, they have hiked school fees astronomically to an unimaginable proportion. Do they want us to abandon our studies? Our parents are saying there is no money. Even feeding is difficult and we are still trying to wriggle out of this they are bringing hike in tuition fees. We cannot take this any longer. Enough is enough”. “The third issue is the victimization of some of our colleagues who protested last time. The police have arrested them and up to now, they are still being detained for saying no to injustice. They are hurting us and they don’t want us to complain.” Three female students who are in science said the situation is worse for them as they have to pay through their noses. One of them said when she gained admission, she paid around N78,000 but now she is asked to pay over N300,000; some are paying N200,000. The event disrupted the early take-off of a programme scheduled for 10 a.m. at the Department of Economics, CBN Hall. The students went to the premises and shut all the gates, while a few staff members who managed to trek from the gates scampered for safety.

  A federal high court in Lagos has ordered the final forfeiture of 20 cars stolen from Canada and shipped to Nigeria. Deinde Dipeolu, the presiding judge, gave the order on Monday, following a motion on notice filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). The stolen cars are to be forfeited to the federal government. The forfeited cars are: Black colour SUV 400, White 4MATIC Mercedez Benz; SUV MDX SH-AWD Acura; Grey colour SUV RS 350L Lexus; Deep Blue SUV RX 350 Lexus, White Toyota 4Runner 2015; White 2020 model Lexus RX 350; White 2019 Lexus RX 350, Black 2020 Model Lexus RX350, and Black Honda Ridgeline 2017 Model. Others are: White Lexus RX 350 SPORT 2019 Model; Grey Lexus RX 350 2019 Model; Grey Toyota 4Runner 2018 Model; White Lexus RX 350 FS Sport 2019 Model; White Toyota Highlander XLE AWD 2017 Model; Black Toyota Highlander 2020 Model; Black Toyota Highlander 2018 Model; Black Mercedez Benz G550 2019 Model; Red Lexus Rx 350 2016 Model and White Mercedez Benz GLA 250 2018 Model. THE INTERIM FORFEITURE In a statement issued on Tuesday, Dele Oyewale, EFCC spokesperson, said the court granted interim forfeiture of the stolen cars on May 27. The presiding judge had directed the publication of the order in any national newspaper for interested persons to appear before the court to show cause why the cars should not be finally forfeited. During the court proceedings on Monday, R.A. Abdulrasheed, the EFCC counsel, said the anti-graft agency had published the order of interim forfeiture in a national daily. Abdulrasheed told the court that the application of forfeiture was supported with a 17-paragraph affidavit deposed to by Olufemi Olukini, an investigator with the EFCC, and a written address. “An order of the court empowering the Canadian Deputy High Commission in Nigeria or any other officer so designated by the office, to dispose off the forfeited properties mentioned in the attached schedules 1-2 of this application either by sale or return to the victims, subject to remittance of the statutory two percent from the proceeds to the EFCC recovery account,” the EFCC counsel prayed. THE AFFIDAVIT In the affidavit, the EFCC said the officials of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCM) passed the intelligence on the stolen cars during a meeting with operatives of the anti-graft agency in April 2022. “That over 350 vehicles, which were comprehensively listed out on an excel sheet with their respective vehicle identification Number (VIN), were stolen from various locations in Canada and shipped to Nigeria. “That these vehicles have been sold and/or being sold on an online website www.ii.com by some online vendors/agents, while others are displayed for sale at various car stands across the country,” the affidavit reads. “The cars are listed in a comprehensive excel sheet alongside some pictures and information on them. And that some of these vehicles are intercepted at the point of entry into Nigeria at Tincan Island port, Lagos. “That our team commenced preliminary investigation into the case by identifying the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) of each of the said stolen vehicles and subjecting them to analysis using Open Source Intelligence (OSINT). “That preliminary results from the analysis revealed the vehicles were largely located across Lagos State metropolis, particularly Lekki at different car stands and places and the Nigerian ports pending clearance into the country. “And that surveillance was, thereafter, carried out on the identified locations followed by sting operations which led to the physical location and identification of these vehicles.” The anti-graft agency added that over 40 of the stolen vehicles were initially located, which led to a “similar application in suit no. FHC/L/CS/2051/2023 between Economic and Financial Crimes Commission V. Wilmon Autos Nigeria Limited & 177 Ors”. The EFCC said the court ordered the final forfeiture of the stolen cars in the aforementioned suit on March 6. “Soon after the above order was granted, the intelligence team further located the vehicles listed in schedule 1 and 2 of this application,which necessitated this present suit,” the anti-graft agency said. “That the 13th to 20th respondents described in schedule 1 and 2 attached to this application were recovered as part of the stolen vehicles and shipped to Nigeria. And that the VIN of the vehicles corresponds with those of the stolen vehicles contained in the intelligence received from RCMP and no person has come forward to claim ownership of these vehicles. “Investigation carried out revealed that the motor vehicles described aforesaid were stolen from Canada and shipped to Nigeria between March and June, 2022. “And that most of these vehicles were insured and the insurance companies involved had indemnified the respective owners of the vehicles. “That the insurance companies now stand in the position of the owners and delegated their interests to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police liaison officer with the Canadian Embassy in Nigeria to pursue their interests.”

  King Charles III will outline Labour’s first programme for government in a decade and a half on Wednesday when the United Kingdom parliament formally reopens following the July 4 election. Prime Minister Keir Starmer will put turbocharging a flagging economy at the heart of his legislative plans for the coming months as Labour runs the UK for the first time in 14 years. “Now is the time to take the brakes off Britain,” said Starmer, who led his party to a landslide win over the Conservatives. “I am determined to create wealth for people up and down the country. It is the only way our country can progress.” Despite its name, the address is not written by the monarch but by the government, which uses it to detail the laws it proposes to make over the next 12 months. Wearing the diamond-studded Imperial State Crown and a long crimson robe, King Charles will deliver the proposals from a golden throne in the House of Lords upper chamber during a lavish ceremony. The speech is expected to include more than 35 bills, including measures to enforce public spending rules and others to prevent a repeat of the utility bill price hikes that triggered the UK’s recent cost-of-living crisis. The legislation will also flesh out announcements already made, such as the launching of a fund to draw investment into the UK and of a publicly owned body tasked with boosting clean power by 2030. Labour is also likely to announce the restoration of mandatory housebuilding targets, plans to renationalise Britain’s much-maligned rail services, and the opening of recruitment for a new border security command. A bill to boost workers’ rights, including a ban on zero-hour contracts, and strengthened protections for renters is also expected to be included in centre-left Labour’s first such speech since it was ousted from power in 2010. “This is a hungry party,” former Labour minister Tony McNulty told AFP. “They are chomping at the bit to show that they can return to being what they see as the natural party of government.” – Ceremonial ‘hostage’ – The day’s proceedings kicked off at around 9:30 am (0830 GMT) when royal bodyguards ritually searched the basement of the Palace of Westminster for explosives — a legacy of the failed attempt by Catholics to blow up parliament in 1605. Footage showed the king leaving Buckingham Palace, escorted by mounted cavalry, en route to the Houses of Parliament. Tradition dictates that an MP is ceremonially held “hostage” in the palace to ensure the king’s safe return. A parliamentary official known as Black Rod will have the door of the lower chamber House of Commons slammed in their face, a tradition that symbolises parliament’s independence from the monarchy. MPs will follow Black Rod to the upper chamber, where King Charles, as head of state, will give the speech to assembled lords and ladies in red and ermine robes, plus invited members of the elected Commons shortly after 11:30 am. In keeping with the convention that the monarch is above politics, keen environmentalist King Charles remained expressionless during the last address in November when then Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s government announced new oil and gas licences. “There’s probably much in this King’s Speech that he will favour rather than the other one he had to read out,” said McNulty, a British politics lecturer at the Queen Mary University of London. “But he’ll play it with a straight face. That’s the job.” AFP

  The Kogi State Police Command has confirmed the arrest of a Police Inspector, Aminu Mohammed, over the robbery of the residence of those around his duty station, ‘C’ Division in Lokoja, the state capital. Our correspondent gathered that nemesis caught up with the officer on Sunday. The Public Relations Officer, SP William Aya, told journalists on Tuesday in Lokoja that ”luck ran out of the officer following the activities of a notorious gang of armed robbers who specialises in robbing houses of household items and cars. ” The car was found in the workshop of the policeman’s panel beater, Arome Moses, who was already working on changing the car’s colour at Ochadamu near Anyigba in the Eastern part of the state. Èdè Wa Ni: Ẹ Pàdé Olorì Sports Tó Ń Fi Ẹ̀fẹ̀ Ṣ’àtúpalẹ̀ Eré Ìdárayá Lédè Yorùbá0.00 / 0.00 “Those who knew the vehicle and were aware of the robbery incident that occurred at the owner’s house on 14th June 2024, quickly raised alarm upon sighting the car. “The car’s plate number had already been changed to an Abuja number just as a car dealer’s receipt, backdated to 2020, was presented by the officer as his evidence of purchasing it. “His panel beater had primed the car preparatory to changing its colour before the alarm was raised,” he said He added that after raising the alarm, the policemen of the Quick Response Unit attached to the Police Area Command were quickly invited, and the panel beater was apprehended. One of the members of the gang of armed robbers, who had also been on police wanted list for other crimes, confessed to the crime and named the police officer as the mastermind. He confessed that they were contracted to rob the house of the owner of the car for the sole aim of getting the car for