Author: Safiu Kehinde

Safiu Kehinde A businesswoman, Clara Anthony, was on Monday, arraigned before a Federal High Court in Lagos, for allegedly obtaining N625.8 million under guise of supplying rice to some of her business partners. The defendant was arraigned alongside her company, Flourish Clear Concept, on a 17-count charge bordering on conspiracy, obtaining by false pretences, stealing, fraud and conversion. The prosecutor, Mr S. A. Ogala, told the court that the defendants conspired and committed the offences sometime in June 2022 and December 2023, at Oregun Area of Lagos. He alleged that the defendants obtained the sum of N56 million from one…

Safiu Kehinde Plateau state governor, Caleb Mutfwang, has presented an appropriation bill of over N471.134 billion to the State House of Assembly for the 2025 fiscal year. Presenting the bill on Monday in Jos, Mutfwang said that the bill was tagged “Budget of Consolidation and Sustainability”. He explained the presentation was in accordance with section 121, subsection one of the 1999 constitution as amended. As contained in the bill, the total budget covered recurrent expenditure of more than N201.5 billion, representing 43.5 per cent of the appreciation bill. The governor also explained that the capital expenditure would gulp more than…

Agency Report Lagos State House of Assembly on Monday began probing Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) indicted in the 2023 Auditor-General’s Report. The Chairman, House Committee on Public Account (State), Mr Kehinde Joseph, made this known when the committee received the first set of government officials summoned to respond to queries raised in the report. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the exercise is tagged: “Consideration of Y2023 Auditor-General’s Report of the Lagos State Government Ministries, Departments and Agencies”. Joseph said that the three-day exercise would cover from Jan. 1, 2023, to Dec. 31, 2023, and would review…

Safiu Kehinde The hearing of Nnamdi Kanu’s N50 billion suit against the Federal Government at the Federal High Court in Abuja was stalled on Monday following the absence of Justice Inyang Ekwo. The leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra had sued the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) as 1st and 2nd defendants in the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/462/2022. However, the hearing of the suit, which was fixed for today, could not proceed because Justice Ekwo was, reportedly on official engagement. The judge was said to be sitting in another division of the court, resulting to…

Agency Report The Air Component of Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK) has destroyed terrorists’ food depot and killed several in airstrikes in their enclave at Jubillaram in the Tumbuns area of Lake Chad Basin. This is contained in a statement by the Director, Public Relations and Information, Nigerian Air Force (NAF), Air Commodore Olusola Akinboyewa, on Monday in Abuja. Akinboyewa said the NAF aircraft carried out the operations in Nov. 23 on the strategic location, identified through meticulous intelligence efforts. He said the location served as a critical food storage site and a sanctuary for terrorist commanders and fighters. He added…

Safiu Kehinde The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has demanded for the conduct of bye-election to replace the 27 Rivers lawmakers who defected from the party to the All Progressives Congress (APC). This was contained in a letter written to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) by the PDP ‘s Acting National Chairman, Umar Damagun. The letter, dated 13th November 2024, was made available to newsmen on Sunday by the Opposition Lawmakers Coalition spokesperson, Ikenga Ugochinyere, at a press conference in Akokwa, Imo State. As contained in the letter, Damagun labelled the lawmakers defection as an unlawful act and a gross…

Safiu Kehinde The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has on Monday, amended the alleged $35.4 million money laundering charge filed against Binance Holdings Limited. EFCC’s Lawyer, Ekele Iheanacho, SAN, told Justice Emeka Nwite of the agency’s decision to amend the alleged $35.4 million money laundering charge following the discharge of Tigran Gambaryan, the 2nd defendant, in the charge. According to Iheanacho, the amendment was in compliance with the earlier court order to make the court documents tidier. The application was not opposed by lawyer who appeared for Binance, Okiemute Okwakwa. Iheanacho, who applied that the amended charge be ready…

Safiu Kehinde As against initial report that 200 Edo state government vehicles are missing, the Chief Press Secretary to the state governor, Fred Itua has claimed that the figure is an understatement. In an interview on Channels TV Lunchtime Politics Programme on Monday, Itua said almost 500 government vehicles are missing. He, however, disclosed that the committee set up by the state governor, Monday Okpebholo, have recovered 10 vehicles while 21 others have been traced. “So far, the committee set up to recover vehicles, as of this morning from findings that I made, they had recovered about 10 vehicles, “From…

Agency Report Globally, 85,000 women and girls were killed intentionally in 2023, with 60 per cent of the homicides committed by intimate partners or other family members, UN Women has said. In a statement on Monday, UN Women said that 140 women and girls died daily in the hands of their partners or close relatives. This means that one woman or girl is killed every 10 minutes. The data was revealed in the UN Women and UNODC’s latest report, “Femicides in 2023: Global Estimates of Intimate Partner/ Family Member Femicides”. The report was launched on the International Day for the…

Safiu Kehinde Former Nigeria’s Vice President, Yemi Osibanjo, has heaped praises on his heartrob, Oludapo Osibanjo, as they celebrate their 35th wedding anniversary. Osibanjo took to his X handle to shower encomium on Oludapo in a post on Monday. He commended her for her willingness to give up everything for him as well her generosity. The former Vice President also reflected on how his wife was able to manage the family alongside her daily activities. “My darling, every year of these 35 years you’ve proved that true love is not a myth or a fanciful phrase—through your willingness to give…