Crime Facts

DAILIES TOP STORIES: Marketers to begin direct Dangote petrol purchase

Wednesday 09 October 2024 Violence: Fubara orders probe, Wike alleges disobedience to court orders FG shops for perm secs from eight states Stop crude-for-loan deals, Dangote tells govt PDP to inspect Edo poll materials today – INEC S’Court hears 16 states’ suit challenging EFCC legality Oct 22 FG confirms Oyedepo’s Canaanland airstrip approval FG confirms Oyedepo’s Canaanland airstrip approval Otti faction loses as court declares Abure LP chair PDP national scribe slams Imo govt over erosion menace Kanu’s detention: Igbo clerics accuse S’East govs of conspiracy N4bn spent on Jigawa students evacuated from Sudan – Govt NBA, opposition reject Imo LG poll No Regret Working Against PDP In 2023 Presidential Poll, Says Wike Airline Operators To Shun Imported Jet A1, Buy From Dangote Refinery – Keyamo All Deposits In Nigerian Banks Are Safe, CBN Assures Nigerians Ward Head, Two Others Arrested For Alleged Kidnapping Involvement In Katsina Lokpobiri denies directing NNPC to stop operating refineries Fubara inaugurates seven-member panel to probe killings, destruction at Rivers LG HQs NBS: Nigeria’s capital importation declined by 22.85% to $2.6bn in Q2 2024 Flooding: Dredge Rivers Niger, Benue now, Senate tells Tinubu PDP Leaders Clash In Abuja Over Atiku, Wike Cholera-Related Deaths Rise As Lagos, Jigawa, Kano Lead In Casualties Patients Lament As Kaduna Health Workers Down Tools Hajj Fare To Hit N10m As NAHCON Announces End To Subsidy Visit a newspaper stand this morning, buy and read a copy for yourself…

LP Caretaker Committee To Appeal Judgement Affirming Abure As Party Chairman

The Chairman, Labour Party Caretaker Committee, Senator Nenadi Usman, meets with Abia State Governor, Alex Otti; former Anambra State Governor, Peter Obi, after a court verdict that upheld the Julius Abure-led leadership. The Chairman, Labour Party Caretaker Committee, Senator Nenadi Usman, on Tuesday said her committee would appeal the judgement of the Federal High Court Abuja which upheld the Julius Abure-led leadership. Usman in a statement she personally signed said she met with the party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi; Abia State Governor, Governor Alex Otti, and Senator Darlington Nwokocha (Secretary, LP Caretaker Committee) and deliberated on the judgment. The former finance minister admitted that the judgement which upheld the Nnewi Convention of the party preceded the formation of the Caretaker Committee, said the leaders resolved to challenge in the judgement. The LP caretaker committee chairman called on all party members to remain calm and maintain peace as they continue reconciliation efforts. “This evening, I met with His Excellency Mr. Peter Obi, His Excellency Governor Alex Otti, and Senator Darlington Nwokocha (Secretary, LP Caretaker Committee). We deliberated on the judgment passed today. “The case actually preceded the formation of the Caretaker Committee. However, after being briefed, the Caretaker Committee decided to join the case. Consequently, we have resolved to appeal the judgment accordingly. “I, therefore, call on all party members to remain calm and maintain peace as we continue our reconciliation efforts,” she said.

Speed Darlington released from police custody

Popular activist Deji Adeyanju has confirmed the release of singer and social media sensation Darlington Okoye, aka Speed Darlington, from the Intelligence Response Team of the Nigeria police. In a statement late Tuesday, Adeyanju tweeting as #adeyanjudeji, confirmed the release of Speeddarlington, also known as Akpi. Adeyanju, who is also a lawyer, equally commended the efforts of popular activist Omoyele Sowore and another legal counsel, Stan Alieke, in ensuring Speeddarlington’s release. “Special appreciation to #YeleSowore, super reliable senior lawyer #stanalieke, and to all Nigerians for raising their voice for Speed Darlington. Must also appreciate Prof Sanusi and his team at IRT for the professionalism today,” the tweet read. Adeyanju had revealed that Speeddarlington was arrested in Lagos State last Friday and subsequently transferred to Abuja, where he has remained in detention since. He claimed the arrest was based on a formal complaint from Grammy Award-winning artist, Burna Boy. He, however, did not give details of the petition. “We just spent the last 30 minutes with Speed Darlington and he narrated how he was arrested in Lagos Friday last week, moved around and eventually brought to Abuja and has been in detention since then. Petition against him was written by Burna Boy, we can confirm,” Adeyanju tweeted on Tuesday.

No Regret Working Against PDP In 2023 Presidential Poll, Says Wike

FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, on Tuesday said he has no regret working against the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 presidential election. Wike, who spoke on Channels Television’s Politics Today, denied engaging in anti-party activities by refusing to support Atiku Abubakar, the then PDP presidential candidate. He defended his decision, saying it was taken for the sake of justice and fairness. “For presidential election, I said I am going to support equity, fairness and justice. In the other one, I am going to support my party and that is why we won the governor, National Assembly election,” Wike said. “For presidential, I have no apologies because I don’t believe in injustice. Today people say ‘discipline Wike, he did anti-party.’ I did not do anti-party,” Wike said. In the build up the 2023 general elections, Wike, then governor of Rivers State, joined forces with four other aggrieved PDP governors, including Samuel Ortom (Benue), Seyi Makinde (Oyo), Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia), and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu) against Atiku’s ambition. The five governors had been consistent in their demand that Senator Iyorchia Ayu step down as PDP national chairman as a precondition for them to support the presidential ambition of the party’s flag bearer, Atiku Abubakar. Atiku later lost the presidential election to the then candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu, under whose government he is serving as minister.

Jigawa spends N4bn to relocate 195 students from Sudan

The Jigawa State Government has spent N4 billion to relocate 195 students from war-torn Sudan to India and Cyprus, ensuring their education continued smoothly despite the civil unrest. Many of these students, studying medical sciences, have now graduated with outstanding results. This was disclosed by the Executive Secretary of the State Scholarship Board, Saidu Magaji, on Tuesday during a reception in Dutse for six of the students who had completed their studies in India and returned home. Magaji revealed that of the 10 students who relocated to India, six had successfully graduated, with four earning first-class honours in Bachelor of Nursing Science. I Lost My Dad And Shoe Making Found Me – Lady Cobbler0:00 / 0:00 “When the war broke out in Sudan, the state government acted swiftly to evacuate 195 students. Upon their arrival in Abuja, the government decided against transporting them to Jigawa by road due to the trauma they had experienced. Instead, an aircraft was chartered to fly them directly to Jigawa Airport, where they were provided transport fares to their homes,” Magaji said. He further explained that, under the 12-point Human Agenda of Governor Umar Namadi, the Scholarship Board secured admissions for students in various institutions. Out of the 195 evacuated students, 185 were placed at Near East University in Cyprus. Recently, each student received N4.5 million to cover their residence permits, health insurance, and living expenses. Magaji added that 10 students were sent to Integral University in India. Of these, four are still pursuing their studies, with three studying Doctor of Pharmacy and one studying Civil Engineering. The six students who have returned graduated with degrees in Nursing Science and Industrial Chemistry, with four of them achieving first-class honours. He noted, “We approved N4 billion for living allowances, tuition fees, residence permits, and other financial needs. We have also signed a bond with the students to serve in Jigawa for a period after completing their studies, including the 185 students currently in Cyprus.” One of the graduates, Aisha Muhammad, who earned a first-class degree in Bachelor of Nursing Science, expressed her gratitude, saying, “After the trauma we experienced in Sudan, we have now successfully completed our studies. I am ready to serve my state like never before

FULL LIST: Imo, Enugu, Ebonyi, 23 others attracted zero foreign investments in one year

Foreign investors bypassed 26 states as Nigeria’s capital importation reached $2.60bn in the second quarter of 2024, representing a robust increase of 152.81 per cent year-on-year compared to $1.03bn in Q2 2023. This was revealed in the latest capital importation report for the second quarter of 2024, released by the National Bureau of Statistics on Tuesday. The number of states without recorded investments decreased from 27 in Q2 2023 to Q2 2024 to 26 as Lagos State maintained its position as the leading destination for capital importation, attracting $1.37bn, or 52.52 per cent of total inflows. Lagos was closely followed by Abuja receiving $1.24bn, which accounted for 47.48 per cent of the total. The 26 states with no foreign investments from Q2 2023 to Q2 2024 are listed below:

Lagos govt says it won’t obey court order stopping arrest, fines by VIO

The Lagos State Government has clarified that the recent Federal High Court ruling in Abuja, which bars the Directorate of Vehicle Inspection Services from stopping vehicles, impounding them, or imposing fines on motorists, does not apply in Lagos. The judgment, delivered on October 2, 2024, by Justice Evelyn Maha, stemmed from a fundamental rights enforcement suit filed by human rights activist and public interest attorney Abubakar Marshal. Justice Maha, in the judgment, agreed with the applicant’s contentions that there was no legal basis for the VIO and its officials to stop, impound, or confiscate vehicles, or to levy fines against motorists. However, in a statement issued on Tuesday, the Lagos State Commissioner for Transportation, Oluwaseun Osiyemi, emphasised that the ruling, delivered by Justice Maha in the fundamental rights enforcement suit FHC/ABJ/CS/1695/2023, is territorially limited to Abuja. He explained that the court’s decision was based on the absence of a specific law in Abuja empowering the VIO to carry out such actions, noting that in Lagos State, the situation is different. “It is important to note and be informed that, in law, a court has limits to its territorial jurisdiction, and in this case, the judgment is restricted to Abuja,” he said. According to him, Lagos operates under the Transport Sector Reform Law of 2018, which establishes the duties and powers of the VIO in the state.

Fubara’s disregard for court judgment, invitation to anarchy- Wike

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has accused Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, of defying a court judgment. Wike made this statement during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Tuesday. He claimed that disregarding court rulings could lead to chaos and the breakdown of law and order. “I was a governor, I have always obeyed the rule of law. You heard the governor say that our state is turning into a state of anarchy where people do not obey the rule of law. “You must obey the judgment of the court. You must not take the law into your own hands. The moment you don’t obey court judgment, you are inviting anarchy, you are inviting violence,” Wike said. Wike also accused Fubara of publicly declaring on national television that he would not comply with a court judgment. The minister also criticised his successor for his comments regarding the police providing security for the local government election in Rivers State. The minister also accused Fubara of being responsible for the recent violence that erupted in the state on Sunday. PUNCH Online reports that political tension in the state escalated on Monday, with fresh explosions and protests occurring in some local government secretariats. The unrest was linked to a recent order by Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, which called for the unsealing of the secretariats of the 23 local governments and the immediate withdrawal of police officers who had been stationed there since July. Despite the withdrawal of the Peoples Democratic Party, All Progressives Congress and police from the recent LG election, Fubara insisted that elections must take place. The elections were held amid heightened tensions, resulting in the Action People’s Party winning 22 out of 23 chairmanship positions while the Action Alliance secured one seat. Fubara swiftly swore in the 23 newly elected chairmen on Sunday. However, upon taking office on Monday, some faced violent attacks, and some council secretariats were set ablaze by political opponents.

Flood kills 2, destroys farmlands, household property in Ebonyi

The State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) in Ebonyi says that two persons have so far died in the flood that has ravaged some parts of the state since June. The Executive Secretary of the agency, Mr Clement Ovuoba, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abakaliki on Tuesday. Ovuoba said that an expectant mother, Mrs Ozoemena Ugbega, and a young man lost their lives in the disaster. “Thr flood also affected 12 schools, six houses and 45 shops at the Abakaliki Building Material Market. He said that the incident affected 173 persons from Ikwo, Izzi, Abakaliki and Afikpo Local Government Areas of the state. He also said that 261 hectares of farmlands were destroyed. “These Local Governments are the flood-prone areas predicted by NITME and NEMA,” Ovuoba said. He quoted NITME and NEMA to have predicted that the disaster would persist until November. The SEMA boss appealed to the National Emergency Management Agency “to look into our reports for more interventions because we lacked relief and rehabilitation materials. “We have complete reports on the level of disaster in each community in all the LGAs mentioned,” Ovuoba said. He said the agency had continued to educate the public through town hall meetings with community stakeholders, traditional leaders, youths and women, radio and television programmes on disaster tips and management. He, therefore, urged the residents in the riverine communities to relocate upland from flood-prone areas.

REPORT: Despite Tinubu’s $30b Claim, Nigeria Hits Lowest FDI on Record in Q2

Nigeria recorded its lowest-ever quarterly Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) figures, according to the Q2 Capital Importation Report by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), FIJ has learnt. This comes a few days after President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s October 1 speech which generated controversy over FDI inflows. In the second quarter of 2024, FDI into Nigeria dropped to $29.83 million — the lowest since NBS began publishing capital import reports. This is a sharp drop from the $118.9 million recorded in the first quarter of 2024 and a 65.3% decline compared to the second quarter of 2023. An FIJ review of NBS data dating back to 2012 shows that this is Nigeria’s worst quarterly FDI performance on record. Before 2024, the lowest figure was in the first quarter of 2023 when the country managed to attract $47.6 million in FDI. FDI, which involves foreign individuals or companies investing in Nigerian businesses, is crucial for economic growth. It creates jobs, boosts infrastructure and introduces new technology to Nigeria. However, Nigeria has been on a downward FDI trend since the third quarter of 2023. After a slight recovery in Q4 2023, when FDI hit $187 million, it dropped again in early 2024 and has plunged even further in Q2. At the same time, multinational companies have been leaving Nigeria. By July 2024, 16 multinationals had exited in the past three years, according to Vanguard. The Punch reported in June that the exit of multinational had cost Nigeria roughly N94 trillion, based on estimates by Vincent Nwani, former Director of Research and Advocacy at the Lagos Chamber of Commerce. Despite this troubling trend, President Tinubu claimed in his Independence Day speech that his administration had attracted $30 billion in FDI in the past year. The economy is undergoing the necessary reforms and retooling to serve us better and more sustainably,” Tinubu said. “If we do not correct the fiscal misalignments that led to the current economic downturn, our country will face an uncertain future and the peril of unimaginable consequences. Thanks to the reforms, our country attracted foreign direct investments worth more than $30 billion in the last year.” However, FIJ’s analysis of NBS reports tells a different story. The total FDI from 2023 to the second quarter of 2024 amounts to just $994.41 million, far from Tinubu’s $30 billion figure. Additionally, Tinubu only took office in mid-2023, meaning his administration can’t be credited with the entire FDI inflows in 2023.