President Tinubu bow to fuel subsidy as IMF confirmed

The Nigerian government has started paying subsidies again for the premium motor spirit (PMS), also known as petrol, according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

FG to PDP govs: You’re playing to gallery comparing our economic challenges to Venezuela

 

Mohammed Idris Malagi

The Federal Government has slammed the governors elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for comparing Nigeria’s economic challenges to that of Venezuela, noting that the governors are playing to the gallery.

Mohammed Idris, Minister of Information & National Orientation in a press statement on Tuesday said that the governors owe Nigerians an account of increased allocations.

Buhari’s Signature: Interpol asked by Presidency to arrest 3 suspects for $6.23m scam

 

The Presidency has asked the Interpol National Central Bureau to put a Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) staff and two others on its Red Notice.

The request was related to their alleged plot and falsification of documents in the name of ex-president Muhammadu Buhari to take the sum of 6.23 million U.S. dollars in cash from the CBN.

A document obtained by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday showed the names of Odoh Eric Ocheme, who is a staff of the CBN, Adamu Abubakar and Imam Abubakar on the list sent to Interpol.

The request was made by the Office of the Special Investigator appointed by President Bola Tinubu to investigate the CBN, related entities and other key government business entities. NAN reports that the government had obtained an application of warrant filed before a Federal High Court in Abuja for the arrest of the three persons.

The three persons are to be arrested and brought before the court on or before May 7, 2024. The Interpol is expected to capture and return the suspects, who are on the run, from any of the Interpol members states to which they may have escaped. NAN reports that Boss Mustapha, a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), on Tuesday testified at an Abuja High Court that former President Muhammadu Buhari’s signature was faked to take the said 6.23 million US dollars from the CBN.

Mustapha, who testified in the trial of former CBN governor, Godwin Emefiele, said he had no idea about the withdrawal of the money for the payment of foreign observers for the 2023 general elections. He said that it was the duty of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to handle issues of election observers.

An official of the CBN had on Monday told the court that the amount was given out in cash. He said that it was given to an official from the office of the SGF following approvals by former president Buhari and Emefiele.

Wabara confirmed as PDP BoT chairman

The People’s Democratic Party, PDP has announced the confirmation of a former Senate President, Adolphus Wabara, as the permanent chairman of the party’s Board of Trustees. Also, a former Governor of Kaduna State, Ahmed Makarfi, was named as the BoT Secretary, taking over from former Minister of Special Duties Kabir Turaki.

These appointments were made public after the 76th BoT meeting held at Wadata Plaza in Abuja on Tuesday. Wabara became the interim chairman of the PDP BoT in 2022, after the resignation of the former BoT chairman, Walid Jibrin, from his role.

Buhari’s signature falsified to access $6.2m from CBN, ex-SGF testifies

  

The former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr Boss Mustapha, testified on Tuesday as a witness in the trial of Mr Godwin Emefiele, the ex-governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), at a High Court in Maitama, Abuja.
Mustapha, who was the fourth witness for the prosecution (PW-4), disclosed in court that his signature and that of ex-President Muhammadu Buhari were falsified by the people who withdrew $6,230,000 from the CBN vault on February 8, 2023.

Bill requiring university degree for president and governors dropped by Reps

The House of Representatives has decided to withdraw a bill that aimed to amend the 1999 Constitution to change the educational qualifications required for certain political offices.

The bill, proposed by Adewunmi Onanuga, was aimed to establish a minimum qualification for elections into the governorship, presidential and other key elective positions in the country.

During the plenary session on Tuesday, Onanuga, who represents Ikenne/Sagamu/Remo North Federal Constituency in Ogun State, argued that the 1999 Nigerian Constitution was amended to make it mandatory for elected officials to hold a university degree or its equivalent. Currently, the provision allows individuals with only a First School Leaving Certificate to run for the highest office in the country.

Although the bill received support from House Leader Julius Ihonvbere, Babajimi Benson, Kingsley Chinda, and several other lawmakers, Aliyu Madaki and Ahmadu Jaha (APC, Borno), among others, opposed the proposed amendment.

Super Eagles rewarded with award, land, and flats by Tinubu in FCT

President Tinubu and Super Eagle

President Bola Tinubu recently awarded the Super Eagles of Nigeria with national honours, plots of land, and flats in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). The awards were given during a meeting with Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) officials and players at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

Sanusi and Oshiomhole criticize Buhari for his careless economic decisions

 

As Nigerians suffer through the economic downturn, Dr. Lamido Sanusi, former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, and Senator Adams Oshiomhole, former Edo State governor, have placed the blame on the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari. They cite its mismanaged economic policies as the cause of the ongoing economic crisis.

New guidelines for verifying nurses’ certificates will benefit Nigeria, say Nigerian midwives

The Nigerian Midwifery Council has emphasized that the new certificate verification guidelines for nurses are in the best interest of Nigeria. This affirmation comes in response to the protest staged by nurses from the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives, Abuja chapter, on Monday, February 12. These nurses expressed their dissatisfaction with the recently released verification certification guidelines from the Nigerian Midwifery Council.

Man, his two wives abducted, set houses ablaze by bandits in Katsina

 

Two communities in Katsina state were attacked by different groups of bandits on Monday, February 12.

They reportedly attacked Goda village, near the border of Kurfi local government, unleashing a brutal assault. An eyewitness told Vanguard that the attack claimed the life of one villager amidst widespread destruction, with several houses set ablaze, including the residence of Sagir Goda, a vigilante member in the community.

Naira exchanged at N1,534 to a dollar in the official market

 

The closing exchange rate between the naira and dollar on the official NAFEM market reached N1,534/$1 on Monday, February 12th, 2024. This marks the weakest performance ever recorded for the naira against the dollar at the end of a market, according to Nairametrics.

The intra-day high and low values stood at N1,550 and N1,000, highlighting Nigeria's ongoing descent amid central bank reforms aimed at transitioning toward a free market exchange rate as the Financial Literacy Website reported.

Total forex turnover for the day amounted to $89 million, the lowest figure observed thus far in February.

Meanwhile, BDC operators offered exchange rates ranging between N1,490 and N1,550.

Gunmen shot a police inspector and free seven inmates in Imo

Gunmen have killed a police inspector and released seven inmates in an attack on the Okigwe Correctional Farm Settlement in Umualomoke, Okigwe, Imo State.

Power supply in the South East is beyond our authority says Enugu Disco

 Power supply in the South-East is beyond the control of Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC), according to the company.

The poor power supply is due to low energy generation, resulting in a drop in power supply. Emeka Ezeh, Head of Corporate Communications at EEDC, appealed to customers for their understanding.

Witness reveals the discovery of 16 nude videos on suspended UNICAL dean's phone

Ndifon

 

Sixteen nude videos were discovered on the phone of Cyril Ndifon, the Dean of the Faculty of Law at the University of Calabar, who has been suspended.

Bwaigu Fungo, a forensic and intelligence analyst with the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, testified that Ndifon forwarded the videos, which were sent by a witness named TKJ, to another number. Fungo revealed that a total of sixteen nude videos were extracted from Ndifon's phone, with only three of them belonging to TKJ.

Mother in the US allegedly killed her baby girl by putting her in an oven

An American mother is facing charges of endangering the welfare of a child after her one-month-old daughter was found dead with ‘burn wounds’ in her Kansas City home. Mariah Thomas, 26, is accused of baking her baby girl, Za’Riah Mae, to death in an oven on Friday, the day after her birthday.

Police were alerted to the scene by a report of a child not breathing. They discovered the baby in a car seat with ‘apparent thermal injuries’ on her body. The heat made her clothes and diapers ‘blackened’ and ‘melt’. A burned baby blanket was likwise seized as evidence.

Za’Riah’s grandfather, who lived with Thomas, told police that he received a frantic call from her around 1 pm on Friday, saying that ‘something was wrong with the baby and he needed to return home immediately’. When he got home, he smelled smoke and found Za’Riah dead in her crib. According to court documents, Thomas claimed she had ‘accidentally’ put her in the oven.

Thomas was taken to police headquarters for questioning, where she exercised her right to remain silent. However, she agreed to let detectives take a blood sample and access her phone data.

Thomas’ friend, who spoke to DailyMail, said that Za’Riah was a ‘very bubbly’ baby who was ‘smiling all the time’. She again says that Thomas had mental health issues and ‘thought like a child’. She said she last spoke to Thomas on Monday.

Thomas’ social media posts show that she loved her daughter and called her her ‘princess’. But in a disturbing post made just weeks before the incident, she complained that no one cared about her or Za’Riah. ‘Mfs claim they my friend by don’t never check up on me or Za’Riah,’ she wrote on January 20.

Thomas is currently in custody at the Jackson County Detention Center.

Leader of APC, Cairo Ojougboh is dead

 

Late Ojougboh

Dr Cairo Ojougboh, a former lawmaker and a prominent member of the All 

Progressives Congress (APC), has passed away. He was a former representative of the Ika federal constituency in Delta State at the House of Representatives.

According to Leadership online, he died on Wednesday night while watching the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2023 semi-final game between Nigeria and South Africa. He reportedly collapsed when Nigeria conceded a penalty kick during the match, which took place in Bouake, Ivory Coast.

President Bola Tinubu arrived today as Nigerian anger loom

 

President Tinubu with his wife arrives Nigeria

 

After spending two weeks in France for a personal trip, President Bola Tinubu arrived in Nigeria on Tuesday night. He landed at the Presidential Wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja, where he was welcomed by several top officials. Among them was his Chief President Bola Tinubu returned to Nigeria on Tuesday night after spending two weeks in France for a personal trip. He arrived at the Presidential Wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja, where several top officials welcomed him, including his Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.

Nigeria's Lawmakers to host Security Chiefs tomorrow

 

The Senate will host the security chiefs of Nigeria on Wednesday and Thursday to address the growing insecurity in the nation.

This was revealed by Adetokunbo Abiru, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Banking, Insurance and other Financial Institutions, on Tuesday.

Rivers women protest over power outage, say our husbands no longer touch us

 

Some of the women protesting

A group of women from the Diobu area of Port Harcourt staged a peaceful protest at the PHED office on Tuesday, expressing their frustration over the lack of power supply in their area. They claimed that the heat waves caused by the power outage had affected their marital intimacy, food preservation, and business activities.

Court accused Kenyan Pastor of murder

A Kenyan court has accused Paul Nthenge Mackenzie, a self-styled pastor and leader of a starvation cult, of murdering nearly 200 people in a forest by the Indian Ocean. Mackenzie and dozens of his alleged accomplices are facing multiple charges, including terrorism, manslaughter, child torture, and cruelty.