Enyinnaya Abaribe, senator representing Abia south senatorial district, says Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), is willing to fulfil any condition that would lead to his release. Abaribe said this during a chat with journalists on Wednesday, after senators from the south-east geopolitical region emerged from a meeting with Lateef Fagbemi, attorney-general of the federation. Kanu has been in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) since he was re-arrested in Kenya and extradited to Nigeria in 2021. Abaribe said Kanu’s prolonged incarceration has emboldened “criminals” in the south-east who now commit “all manner of nefarious activities” in his name. “I met with Nnamdi Kanu myself on behalf of the rest of the caucus on Monday. And he is very supportive of our plea to the president of the federal republic of Nigeria,” Abaribe said. “By the way, the 15 of us signed this letter which has been handed to the attorney-general. “Kanu has also assured me that he is ready to fulfil any conditions that will lead to his early release. “The AGF received us very warmly and also told us that this is a request for which he has to go and study it, digest it and take to the president because he won’t take the ultimate decision — because it’s a decision of the government of the federal republic of Nigeria. “This matter cannot be resolved legally. “If we continue with the legal wrangling, it will continue to cause insecurity because the legitimate demand has been hijacked by criminals, undesirables and all manner of elements who have used it to perpetrate their nefarious deals on the rest of the people in the south-east.” On Tuesday, governors of the south-east region resolved to meet with President Bola Tinubu over Kanu’s release. BACKROUND Kanu is standing trial at the federal high court in Abuja on a seven-count charge bordering on treasonable felony. In 2017, the court granted Kanu bail on the charges filed against him by the federal government. However, the court revoked the bail and issued a bench warrant for his arrest after he failed to present himself as required. Abaribe was one of Kanu’s sureties when the IPOB leader fled Nigeria. “I went underground because my house was raided by soldiers,” Kanu told the court on June 29, 2021, after his re-arrest. “I had to escape, otherwise I’d have been killed.” In April 2022, Binta Nyako, presiding judge, struck out eight of the 15 counts in the charge. The remaining seven counts were also quashed by the court of appeal on October 13, 2022, with the judge ordering Kanu’s release. However, on October 28, 2022, the court of appeal granted a stay of execution on its verdict discharging Kanu, after the federal government filed an appeal at the supreme court. In March, Kanu was denied bail. In May, his bail request was again turned down.

  Gunmen have reportedly abducted Janet Galadima-Gimba, a customary court judge, alongside her four sons in Kaduna. The judge and her sons were reportedly abducted at their residence in the Mahuta area of Kaduna on June 23. The abductors, numbering up to 15, invaded the residence of the judge at night when her husband, a medical doctor, was away on duty. Reacting to the development in a statement on Wednesday, Gloria Ballason, chief executive officer of the house of justice, called for the protection of the judge and her family. Ballason said the abductors killed the 14-year-old son of the judge in captivity after the family failed to pay the demanded ransom. She said the boy, identified as Victor Gimba, the first son of the judge, was shot dead on July 2. “The abductors, reported to have been about 15, took their captives hostage and demanded a huge sum as ransom,” she said. “On Tuesday, July 2, 2024, the terrorists shot dead Victor Gimba, the first child of the judge, when the ransom demanded could not be obtained.” The bandits were said to have demanded a N300 million ransom for their release and had threatened to start killing their victims one after the other if payment was delayed. Ballason condemned the abduction and the murder, adding that “judicial officers under Article 7 of the United Nations Basic Principles on the Independence of the Judiciary deserve protection and adequate security to enable them to carry out their judicial functions”. She said the Nigerian state has a constitutional mandate under section 33 and 14(2)b of the 1999 Constitution to guarantee and ensure the safety of the judge, her family, and all citizens. The chief executive officer described the death of the boy as “’grisly and blood-curdling,” adding that no parent deserves to watch their child being killed in such a manner. She called on the government, the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), and security agencies to take urgent action and ensure the judge and her children are rescued. Mansir Hassan, spokesperson of the Kaduna state police command, confirmed the incident. Hassan said the command was doing its best to rescue the victims. “Yes, we are trying our best to rescue the victims, and for the boy who was killed, an investigation has since commenced,” Hassan said in a response to inquiries made to him.

  Thursday 04 July 2024 $1.5bn oil sector divestment deals completed – FG Labour, private sector protest as Discos hike tariff again South-East leaders step up moves to free Nnamdi Biden not withdrawing from presidential race – Spokesperson Owner of collapsed building risks prosecution – LASG Lawmakers’ pay not jumbo, I earned N25.4m – Ex-Speaker Dogara N423bn theft: Kaduna protesters ask ICPC to arrest El-Rufai FG meets SSANU, NASU today to avert strike Sexual harassment: Reps grill suspended perm sec today Customs Seize ₦1.5bn Firearms From Turkey, Suspect Arrested Deploy Modern Equipment Against Insurgents, Senate Tells Army Labour Predicted To Oust Tories In UK Election EFCC Warns Of Planned Protest Against Commission Substandard Petrol, Diesel Have Flooded Nigeria — Senate I Didn’t Discuss Release Of Nnamdi Kanu With South-East Govs – Obasanjo Tinubu Appoints Consumer Credit Corporation Board Iraqi Armed Groups Say Ready To Fight Israel If Lebanon War Breaks Out FG’s financial inclusion initiative gets funding from Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Court orders closure of two companies linked to $9.6bn P&ID scam Protesting youths burn down INEC office in Benue NUPRC: Oando’s acquisition of Agip completed — signing to take place soon High cost of drugs to persist as local production flops Ogun varsity final year student killed by suspected cultists   Visit a newspaper stand this morning, buy and read a copy for yourself…

  The Nigeria Customs Service has seized assorted arms, drones, and military accoutrements worth ₦1.5bn exported from Turkey to Lagos State. Comptroller General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, disclosed this in Lagos on Wednesday at the Murtala Muhammed Area Command of the Service. He said the Command, acting on intelligence from local and international collaborators, on June 19, 2024, deployed its personnel to man all the exit points around the airport. Adeniyi said, “During the examination, an item was discovered and suspected to be part of a rifle from a console consignment with airway bill number 235-58737755, emanating from Turkey. “Consequently, the entire consignment was isolated for thorough examination. At the end of the examination, it was established that 4 packages were used to conceal 55 pieces of unassembled Jojef magnum (Tomahawk) semi-automatic shotgun. The unassembled rifles were concealed using shower faucet. The Duty Paid Value of these illicit arms is ₦270, 888, 109.29.” The Customs boss also put the value of military and paramilitary accoutrements improperly imported at ₦1.29bn, with the total value of the item put at ₦1.5bn. He said analysis of recent seizures showed that some unscrupulous Nigerians based in Turkey are purchasing, packaging and exporting these illicit arms to Nigeria. Adeniyi said a suspect was arrested in connection with the illicit arms importation and would be handed over to the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons, under the office of the National Security Adviser, for diligent investigation and prosecution. He gave a breakdown of the seized items as 148 pieces of drones, 172 pieces of ballistic vest, 15 pieces of ballistic plates, one piece of ballistic helmet, eight pieces of walkie-talkie, 9,172 pieces of military and paramilitary badges, 20 pieces of camouflage uniform, 100 pieces of camouflage vest, 172 pieces of camouflage cap, and 120 pieces of binoculars. Recall that days ago, the Customs announced that its officers in in Port Harcourt seized 844 rifles and 112,500 rounds of ammunition.

  The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) says Oando Plc has completed the acquisition of 100 percent shares of Eni in its subsidiary, Nigerian Agip Oil Company Limited (NAOC Ltd). In September 2023, Oando Plc announced plans to acquire NAOC, but the deal was delayed due to regulatory approvals required. Speaking at the ongoing NOG Energy Week in Abuja, Gbenga Komolafe, chief executive officer (CEO) of NUPRC, said the signing ceremony of the deal would take place soon. “For some of you who were at the panel session on Monday, the Chairman of IPPG (Independent Petroleum Producers Group) raised issues about the need for us to give update on the divestments programmes on-going,” Komolafe said. “Now, I am here to give you real-time update on the four major divestments in Nigeria. “The NAOC-Oando divestment has been concluded. Signing ceremony will come up any moment.” The NUPRC CEO also gave updates on three other acquisition deals. “The Equinor and project Odinmim divestment is also completed. For the SPDC – Renaissance deals, documents have been submitted. Those documents are undergoing due diligence as we speak,” he said. Speaking further on the proposed takeover of ExxonMobil’s assets in Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited (MPNU), Komolafe said the company (Seplat) had expressed commitment to apply for ministerial consent.

  The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says its office in the Sankara area of Ukum LGA in Benue has been burnt down. In a statement on Wednesday, Sam Olumekun, INEC’s national commissioner and chairman for information and voter education committee, said the incident was reported by Sam Egwu, the state’s resident electoral commissioner (REC). He said the youths in the area, who were protesting against the activities of bandits in the communities, attacked the INEC office and other government facilities around 2pm. “Although no casualties were reported, the building has been extensively damaged. Office furniture and other movable and immovable materials, including 10 electric generators, 300 ballot boxes, and 270 voting cubicles, were destroyed in the attack,” the statement reads. “The attention of security agencies has been drawn to the incident, and they have already deployed their personnel to the area.”