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Post Date : September 21, 2024

Abia woman sells newborn twins, traffickers caught in Lagos

Two women, Ujunwa Una and Chinelo Igbechionwu, have been arrested by the Lagos State Police Command for allegedly taking part in the selling of newborn twin girls in the state. The women were arrested by officers from the Ojodu Division while on patrol at Berger bus stop, following a tip-off from concerned citizens. According to Police Public Relations Officer Benjamin Hundeyin, the suspects were found with two newborn girls, approximately six days old, on September 9, 2024. They had travelled from Abia State and were reportedly en route to deliver the babies to a nurse in Lagos, whom the babies’ mother had promised to contact only upon their arrival. Overwhelmed by challenges, man attempts suicide on Third Mainland BridgeDuring questioning, the suspects admitted to the crime, revealing they were paid N150,000 for transporting the infants. They stated that the mother of the babies had sold them due to her inability to provide adequate care. The case has since been transferred to the command’s gender unit, and the newborns have been placed in the custody of a motherless baby home for proper care and medical evaluation. The suspects were arraigned on September 19, and efforts are ongoing to apprehend other individuals involved in the case.

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Post Date : September 21, 2024

DAILIES TOP STORIES: D-Day For Edo

Saturday 21 September 2024 Tinubu’s minister under fire for alleged link with bandits I am a Chosen: CAN fumes over exam malpractice testimony Labour kicks as FG backdates minimum wage implementation to July Edo Do-OR-Die Guber: All Eyes on INEC, Police N1m reward to 26 military men who ended Halilu Sububu’s terror reign not acceptable Edo Guber: Who succeeds Obaseki? How INEC can rescue its battered image —YIAGA Africa Edo Election: Cast Your Votes And Return Home, Police Tell Residents Court Dismisses Suit Seeking Replacement Of Pro-Wike Lawmakers Edo Poll: IGP Orders Restriction Of Movement On Roads, Waterways CBN Clarifies Controversy Over Policy Document ‘Let Them Tell Me What I Have Done Wrong’, Edo REC Challenges Political Parties NAFDAC Shuts Maiduguri Market Where Traders Sundried Drugs For Resale After Devastating Flood PZ Cussons To Sell Nigerian Subsidiaries, Others SGF Approves Promotion Of 49 Senior FRSC Officers EFCC Deploys Operatives Against Voters’ Inducement In Edo Election APP Insists Amaewhule, Others Remain Sacked, Vows To Appeal Judgement Thugs Planning To Attack INEC Offices – Edo Govt Raises Alarm Thieves Can’t Provide Good Governance – Obasanjo Report: Naira among 10 worst performing currencies globally due to economic challenges FG to backdate payment of new minimum wage to July 29 Controversy as NASS moves to rush new body to conduct LGA elections Police rescue man from suicide attempt on Third Mainland Bridge EFCC hands over €5,100 in fraud proceeds to Spanish ambassador Presidency debunks Bloomberg’s report of Nigeria’s debt payment delays We survived impeachment plot, says Fubara Cybersecurity levy suspension stands, says CBN Visit a newspaper stand this morning, buy and read a copy for yourself…

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Post Date : September 20, 2024

Naira among 10 worst performing currencies globally —Report

Nigeria’s local currency, the naira, is among the 10 worst-performing currencies in the world, Bloomberg is reporting. According to a report by the publication, out of the 10 worst-performing currencies, five are from Africa, including the Zambian kwacha, the Angolan kwanza and the naira. The drop in the performance of the African currencies was linked to economic challenges, unstable commodity prices, inflationary pressures, and a lack of dollar liquidity. Also, Bloomberg said the poor performance is due to many African economies depending on oil exports, so they are vulnerable to declines in price. Commenting on the data, Keonethebe Bosigo, portfolio manager at Mazi Asset Management, said oil prices are not the only issue, even though it is a major factor. Bosigo said poor currency management and imbalances are “the real culprits”. Speaking on the performance of the naira, the portfolio manager said oil prices are a factor, “but the real issue is that the naira wasn’t allowed to adjust, which led to its overvaluation and a subsequent loss of confidence in the currency”. On his part, Irmgard Erasmus, an economist at Oxford Economics, said the naira continues to “face significant pressure despite reforms aimed at liberalising the current account”. “The naira remains undervalued relative to its long-term neutral value due to ongoing issues around liquidity and dollar supply,” Erasmus said. “Although Nigeria has made inroads toward current account liberalisation since the Tinubu victory in 2023, hard-currency supply challenges persist while tightening regulations on the banking sector and BDC operators contribute to risk aversion.” The economist added that declining Brent crude prices have only exacerbated the problem, but improved dollar liquidity could help the naira recover over time. “The government’s slow pace of reforms, combined with haphazard monetary policies, continues to keep the currency in undervalued territory,” he added. Erasmus also said the naira should be trading closer to N1,100 per dollar in the absence of distortions, compared to Thursday’s close of N1,544/$. He, however, said without significant policy changes and improved dollar liquidity, the outlook for the naira remains fragile. On June 14, 2023, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) officially unified the multiple FX rate systems, collapsing all FX windows into the investors’ and exporters’ (I&E) window. The policy resulted in the depreciation of the local currency and caused significant levels of volatility in the FX market. At the close of trading on Friday, data from FMDQ Securities, a platform that oversees official foreign exchange trading in Nigeria, showed that the naira traded at N1,541 per dollar.

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Post Date : September 20, 2024

Court Dismisses Suit Seeking Replacement Of Pro-Wike Lawmakers

Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court, Abuja has dismissed a defection suit instituted against the 27 members of the Rivers State House of Assembly loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory Nyesom Wike. The suit seeking to replace the 27 lawmakers on account of their alleged defection from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) was dismissed on various grounds. Delivering judgement on Friday, Justice Lifu held that the suit instituted by the Action People’s Party (APP) was statute-barred and was not filed within 14 days allowed by law. While the defection was said to have been carried out in December last year, the APP filed the case on July 12, eight months after the cause of action emanated. Besides, Justice Lifu said that the case was a gross abuse of the court process on the ground that several suits on the alleged defection of the same 27 lawmakers had been adjudicated upon by the Federal High Court. The judge who quoted the previous judgments of the Federal High Court said that the request for replacement of the lawmakers had earlier been rejected due to a lack of sufficient evidence to establish the defection of the legislators. He specifically recalled the judgment of Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court in Abuja delivered in July where the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) was restrained from declaring the seats of the lawmakers vacant and from conducting any fresh election to replace them. Justice Lifu pointed out that since the judgement had not been set aside and not appealed against, it remains binding with the force of law as far as the issue of defection is concerned for the 27 legislators. He added that it would amount to a waste of judicial time for him to sit as an appeal court in the judgment of the same court.

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Post Date : September 20, 2024

Israeli strike kills Hezbollah commander, seven others

A strike on Hezbollah’s stronghold in Lebanon’s capital Beirut on Friday killed eight people and wounded dozens of others, with a source close to the movement saying a top military leader was dead. The Israeli military said it had conducted a “targeted strike”, while the Lebanese health ministry said the attack had killed eight people and wounded 59 more. Requesting anonymity to discuss sensitive matters, the source close to Hezbollah said the strike on the militant group’s stronghold in south Beirut had killed the head of its elite Radwan unit, Ibrahim Aqil. The air strike is the third to hit the southern suburbs of Beirut since the start of the Israel-Hamas war on October 7, with the focus of the violence shifting dramatically this week from Gaza to Lebanon. Earlier this year, strikes blamed on Israel killed a top commander of Hezbollah, Fuad Shukr, and a leader of its allied Palestinian militant group Hamas, Saleh al-Aruri. “The Israeli air strike killed Radwan Force commander Ibrahim Aqil, its armed force’s second-in-command after Fuad Shukr,” the source close to Hezbollah said. Hezbollah has not officially confirmed his death, but it said after the strike that it had hit an Israeli intelligence base it claimed was responsible for unspecified “assassinations”. The United States had offered a $7 million reward for information on Aqil, describing him as a “principal member” of the organisation that claimed the bombing of the US embassy in Beirut in 1983 that killed 63 people. Footage posted on social media and verified by AFP showed smoke rising over southern Beirut on Friday. – Communication device explosions – Israeli troops and Hezbollah fighters have battled each other along the Israel-Lebanon border since Hamas sparked the war in Gaza with its October 7 attack. The focus of Israel’s firepower for nearly a year has been on Gaza, but with Hamas much weakened, the focus of the war has shifted dramatically to Israel’s northern border. Months of near-daily border clashes have killed hundreds in Lebanon, most of them fighters, and dozens in Israel, and forced thousands on both sides to flee their homes. On Tuesday and Wednesday, Hezbollah was hit by an unprecedented attack that it has blamed on Israel, though Israel has yet to comment. The attack saw thousands of Hezbollah operatives’ communication devices explode across two days, killing 37 people and wounding thousands more. Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah vowed on Thursday that Israel would face retribution for the blasts. Earlier Friday, Israel said Hezbollah had fired dozens of rockets from Lebanon following air strikes which destroyed dozens of the militant group’s launchers. Israel announced this week it was shifting its war objectives to its northern border with Lebanon. Speaking to troops on Wednesday, Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said: “Hezbollah will pay an increasing price” as Israel tries to “ensure the safe return” of its citizens to border areas. “We are at the start of a new phase in the war,” he said. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meanwhile delayed his scheduled departure to the United States, where he is due to address the UN General Assembly, by a day, with an official citing the situation on the northern front. Earlier Friday, Hezbollah said it targeted at least six Israeli military bases with salvos of rockets after overnight bombardment that people in south Lebanon described as among the fiercest so far. – ‘Fear of wider war’ – Residents of Marjayoun, a Lebanese town close to the border, said the overnight bombardment was among the heaviest since the border clashes began last October. “We were very scared, especially for my grandchildren,” said Nuha Abdo, 62. “We were moving them from one room to another.” Clothing store owner Elie Rmeih, 45, counted more than 50 strikes. “It was a terrifying scene and unlike anything we have experienced since the escalation began. “We live in fear of a wider war, you don’t know where to go.” – Calls for restraint – International mediators have been scrambling to stop the Gaza war from turning into an all-out regional conflict. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who has been scrambling to salvage efforts for a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal, called for restraint on all sides. “We don’t want to see any escalatory actions by any party” that would endanger the goal of a Gaza ceasefire, he said. Hamas’s October 7 attacks that sparked the Gaza war resulted in the deaths of 1,205 people, mostly civilians, on the Israeli side, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli official figures that include hostages killed in captivity. Out of 251 hostages seized by militants, 97 are still held in Gaza, including 33 the Israeli military says are dead. Israel’s retaliatory military offensive has killed at least 41,272 people in Gaza, most of them civilians, according to figures provided by the Hamas-run territory’s health ministry. The United Nations has acknowledged the figures as reliable. AFP.

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Post Date : September 20, 2024

FG to backdate minimum wage payment to July 29

The Committee on Consequential Adjustments in Salaries for civil servants has agreed that the new minimum wage will be implemented from 29 July 2024. This was stated in a Memorandum of Understanding issued at the end of the committee’s meeting, which was seen by our correspondent in Abuja on Friday. The committee also recommended that the wage award, which was discontinued by the Federal Government, should be paid until 28 July 2024. The committee, headed by the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Didi Walson-Jack, noted that the government considered the economic situation in the country before making its decisions. The MoU read, “The committee held four meetings and considered all presentations from the Federal Government and Trade Union sides. It also took into account the economic situation and the ability of the Federal Government to pay and sustain any consequential adjustment in salaries arising from the implementation of the National Minimum Wage (Amendment) Act, 2024, as well as the effects on other employers.” Stating further, the MoU recommended that “the NSIWC will generate the appropriate salary templates for other consolidated salary structures for implementation; that the effective date of the implementation should be 29 July 2024; that the payment of the wage award issued via NS/WC Circular SWC.04/T/33 dated 19 October 2023 should continue to be paid until 27 July 2024; “that the Federal Government should take appropriate measures to alleviate the plight of Federal workers as a result of the recent increase in PMS, including consideration of tax waivers and other incentives; and “that the NSIWC, in collaboration with other stakeholders, should commence monitoring of the implementation in line with the provisions of the Act.” The committee was established to implement the provisions of the National Minimum Wage Act 2024, which raised the national minimum wage from ₦30,000 to ₦70,000. The committee consists of 16 members.Its terms of reference include negotiating and agreeing on consequential adjustments in salaries and developing a template for the implementation of the approved minimum wage.

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Post Date : September 20, 2024

FOLLOW: Nigerian Fact Checkers Coalition Counters Many False Claims Ahead Of Saturday’s Edo Governorship Election

By Nigerian Fact-checkers’ Coalition. A Team of journalists, researchers, fact-checkers, social media monitors, editors, and OSINT experts drawn from the coalition partners, are working from the Nigerian Fact-checkers’ Coalition’s (NFC) Election Situation Rooms located in Abuja and Lagos, to debunk election-related misinformation and disinformation content targeted at causing voter apathy, inciting violence or influencing the outcome of election in Edo State. This page is constantly being updated with verified checks. Kindly scroll downward to read them. Below are the claims: Claim 1 CLAIM: The African Action Congress (AAC) governorship candidate in the 2024 Edo State governorship election, Udoh Oberaifo, claimed that the approved Edo budget for 2024 is N325 billion. THE FINDINGS: According to the official document published by the Edo State Government on March 25, 2023, the total approved budget for 2024 was N342.8 billion. VERDICT: INCORRECT SOURCE: Edo State Government FY 2024 Approved Budget (www.edostate.gov.ng) Claim 2 CLAIM: Azemhe Azena, the Edo governorship candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) said only about 200 doctors were employed by the Edo State government to a population of 5 million. THE FINDINGS: In April 2023, the Edo State Government announced plans to recruit 700 healthcare practitioners, including medical doctors, to strengthen its primary healthcare system. However, the number of doctors to be recruited was unspecified. According to 2022 data obtained from the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) published by The Cable Index, there are  1,777 medical doctors in Edo State. VERDICT: INSUFFICIENT PROOF   SOURCES: Edo State Government Website, The Cable Index Claim 3 CLAIM: Isaiah Osifo, the Edo gubernatorial candidate of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) said the unemployment rate in Edo State is a little over 20%. THE FINDINGS: The latest data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) for Q4 2020 showed that the unemployment rate in Edo is 49.02% while the underemployment rate stood at 15.86%. Recent data available has no breakdown for Nigerian States. VERDICT: INCORRECT  SOURCE: National Bureau of Statistics Claim 4 CLAIM: The Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Sokoto, Matthew Kukah, claimed that President Bola Tinubu did not sign a peace accord when he was a presidential candidate in 2023. He disclosed this while speaking at the 2024 Edo Election Security Townhall organised by Channels TV on Sept 15. THE FINDINGS: Checks by the NFC show that two peace accords were signed by presidential candidates to prevent violence during Nigeria’s 2023 general election. Tinubu was absent at the first one organised by the National Peace Committee held on September 29, 2022. He was, however, represented by his vice, Kashim Shettima. However, Tinubu was present at the signing of the second pact held on February 23, 2023. VERDICT: INCORRECT SOURCES: The Cable, The Punch Claim 5 CLAIM: Ada Obowo, an X user, shares a viral video claiming that Edo women resisted Nigerian police officers from arresting a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader in Ikpoba-Okha Ward 2 ahead of Saturday’s election in Edo State. THE FINDINGS: Checks by the NFC using a Google Reverse Image tool reveal an earlier version of the video posted on X on Sept. 17, 2024. Prince Olumuyiwa Adejobi, the Nigerian Police spokesman, remarked under the post that the policemen in the video were on official duty. His comment was, however, not connected to the apprehension of a PDP leader as claimed. According to Adejobi, the police officers are IRT operatives who are investigating the killing of a policeman at the Benin Airport in July 2024. “We have secured a warrant of arrest on him. The men eventually left him when the place became crowdy,” says Adejobi. VERDICT: MISLEADING SOURCE: Olumuyiwa Adejobi, Nigeria Police Force spox. Claim 6 CLAIM: An X user, @idofoi posted a video purportedly showing Tinubu asking Edo voters to reject Obaseki in Saturday’s Edo gubernatorial poll. THE FINDINGS: A Google Reverse Image search conducted on the keyframes obtained from the video shows that the footage has been online since September 15, 2020 during the last gubernatorial election in Edo state. An earlier version of the video originally posted by TVC shows Tinubu addressing residents of Edo State urging them not to vote for Obaseki, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) candidate at the time. VERDICT: MISLEADING SOURCE: TVC News Claim 7 CLAIM: An X user, Akpakominza, claimed that Monday Okpebholo, the All Progressive Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Edo state, distributed a trailer load of rice hoarded by the incumbent Edo state’s governor, Godwin Obaseki. THE FINDINGS: The NFC ran a Reverse Image search on a keyframe from the video and verified that Mr Okpebholo is the distributor. Also, the inscription on the packaged bag from the trailer in the video reads, “Federal Government of Nigeria Food Security Programme.” However, as available facts indicate, there is no evidence to verify the bag’s content. An advanced keyword search about the initiative found on the bag’s inscription led to the National Food Security Programme, a Federal Government initiative established in 2008 to tackle food insecurity in the country and boost the agriculture sector through special interventions. These interventions did not focus on the provision of rice alone but on overhauling the agricultural sector in Nigeria. Also, the statement that Mr Okpebholo (APC) distributed rice hoarded by Mr Obaseki (PDP) to conclude his campaign raises an eyebrow because PDP is fielding Asue Ighodalo, who has the governor’s full support. VERDICT: INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE SOURCE: Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) Claim 8 CLAIM: An X user, Uromi First Son,  posted two videos showing a police armoured personnel carrier, with the inscription indicating it was donated by the Imo State government. The narrator claimed that the Imo State governor, Hope Uzodinma sent the vehicle to rig the Edo election. THE FINDINGS: A reverse image of the keyframes of the video yielded no result. But using a landmark in the video, the Austrock Market and Google map, we determined that the police armoured personnel carrier was on Benin City-Ehor Road, Avbiama, Benin City, Edo State when the video was shot. Media reports show that the Imo State government donated such vehicles to the Nigerian police in August 2022 and again in June 2024. The police deployed 35,000 personnel for the Edo election drawn from different states. It is however not out-of-place to find police officers and operational vehicles from other states in Edo during this election period. Therefore, the claim that the Imo governor sent the police vehicle to rig the Edo

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Post Date : September 20, 2024

DAILIES TOP STORIES: Petrol price has rendered N70, 000 minimum wage useless — NLC

Friday 20 September 2024 EDO: Make governorship poll credible E-CMR: We’ll no longer stop vehicles to check papers — Police Maiduguri Flood: Residents lament expensive canoe rides Edo voters don’t need Wike’s guidance for election choice — Obaseki Farmer-herder clashes: Presidential panel recommends open grazing, ranching Enugu, Kwara tighten security ahead of LG polls Nigeria’s nominal GDP hits N60.93tn in Q2 – FG Tinubu Pledges Strong Financial System As Coca-Cola Announces $1bn Investment In Nigeria Over 800,000 Get Credit In English, Maths As NECO Releases 2024 SSCE Results FG, Onnoghen Get Appeal Court’s Nod To Settle Out Of Court IGP Appoints Disu As FCT CP, Redeploys Two Others  Kano Govt To Provide Free Housing For Flood Victims, 220,000 Desks For Students Plateau Assembly approves N5.8bn for LG election Ganduje denies plotting to dethrone Emir Sanusi NBS: NRC recorded N3.1bn revenue, transported 1.4m passengers in six months Wale Edun: Nigeria’s foreign reserves recorded $2.35bn net inflow in seven months Tinubu to sit out UNGA as Shettima leads Nigeria’s delegation Visit a newspaper stand this morning, buy and read a copy for yourself…

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Post Date : September 20, 2024

EFCC: Yahaya Bello escaped arrest

Former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello reportedly evaded arrest by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Wednesday, with the assistance of his successor, Governor Usman Ododo. The EFCC had laid siege to the Kogi State Government Lodge in Abuja in an attempt to apprehend Bello, who is wanted over an alleged N80.2bn fraud case. Despite the operation, Ododo allegedly helped Bello avoid arrest, leveraging the immunity he enjoys as a sitting governor. The incident follows a similar attempt in April, where Ododo reportedly facilitated Bello’s escape from EFCC operatives during another raid in Abuja. On Wednesday, after a visit by Bello and Ododo to the EFCC headquarters, the commission denied having Bello in custody. EFCC spokesman Dele Oyewale stated that Bello was not detained, despite claims by Bello’s media team that he had visited the agency. EFCC officials indicated that Ododo’s actions prevented them from arresting Bello, stating that his governorship immunity hindered the operatives from taking further action. Speaking on what transpired on Wednesday, EFCC officials said Ododo helped Bello to escape again just like in April. One of the officials said, “Yahaya Bello has not been arrested. The Kogi State governor prevented operatives from doing their work yesterday just like he did the other time. He took him away and our men could not do anything because of the immunity he (Ododo) is enjoying.” Efforts to get the EFCC’s spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, proved abortive as calls and message to him on the matter were not answered. Also, the Director of Bello’s media team, Ohaire Michael’s number, was switched off and he had yet to respond to the message sent to him on the matter as of press time.

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Post Date : September 20, 2024

‘No more stopping to check papers’, police reveal NPF E-CMR benefits

The Nigeria Police Force has highlighted the potential benefits of the Electronic Central Motor Registry innovation aimed at revolutionising how vehicle information is verified and handled on the road. The Force Public Relations Officer, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, shared the development through a series of social media posts on Thursday, highlighting the ease and efficiency of the “e-policing” innovation. Adejobi said under the leadership of Inspector-General Olukayode Egbetokun, the Electronic Central Motor Registry system has been launched to make roads safer and the policing process smoother. The FPRO said this new system allows vehicle owners to register their vehicles digitally and provides a quick response for emergencies. “If your vehicle is registered with the NPF E-CMR and gets stolen, you can instantly flag it as stolen through your online profile,” the statement read. He said the system then alerts all field officers nationwide within seconds, improving the chances of swift recovery. He also highlighted that one of the benefits of the E-CMR is the removal of paperwork. “No more stopping to check papers—our officers are equipped with cutting-edge tech to verify documents in real-time,” one of the tweets read. “With the NPF’s new E-CMR system, you don’t need to carry around physical documents. Access all your vehicle info digitally—quick, easy, and secure,” it added. PUNCH Online reported in July 2024 that the IGP ordered the enforcement of the digitalised Central Motor Registry. He said the move was to modernise and digitize the motor vehicle registration system, and improve the nation’s safety and security framework. The police expect a digitalized system to bring greater convenience and speed to vehicle ownership transactions through streamlined documentation and verification. Adejobi had in June said the E-CMR system would simplify vehicle-related services such as ownership transfers, license renewals, and updates to engine or chassis details. He stated that it would also help prevent the sale of stolen vehicles and improve recovery efforts.

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