Category: Happenings

According to a press release by the Collin County Sheriff’s office, Mark Horak, 65, was arrested on Tuesday in connection with the investigation into the death of a man who was found dead at his home in July, 2024,.

The agency previously reported that on July 31, 2024, a man at a local emergency room reported there was an unconscious man with a head injury at his home.

Deputies made their way into the home & found 31-year-old Olutoyosi Molomo d3ad. The Collin County Medical Examiner’s Office later determined that a gun shot had killed Molomo.

The sheriff’s office says evidence shows Horak “knowingly altered the crime scene after Mr. Molomo’s death.”

Horak has been charged with tampering with or fabricating physical evidence with the intent to impair a human corpse, which is a 2nd degree felony.

The Collin County Sheriff’s Office says they are still investigating to learn what led to Molomo’s d3ath.

Operatives of the NDLEA, have arrested an automobile spare parts dealer identified as Ejiofor Nnaemeka Chiwuzie over his attempt to export consignments of heroin and loud, a strain of cannabis, concealed in LED rechargeable lamps and sofa metal legs through the export shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja Lagos.

This was revealed in a signed statement by the agency’s Director Media & Advocacy, Femi Babafemi on Sunday, September 29, 2024.

Ejiofor was arrested on Tuesday 24th September 2024 at the Trade Fair complex, Ojo area of Lagos where he sells automobile spare parts following the seizure of his cargo containing auto parts, rechargeable lamps, sofa metal legs & electronics going to Liberia at the export shed of the Lagos airport.

Concealed inside the LED lamps & sofa legs were 37 parcels of heroin weighing 1.10 kilograms & 4 blocks of loud with a total weight of 1.20kg. A swift follow-up operation led to the arrest of two freight agents & then Ejiofor who sent the consignment.

A lion at the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library Wildlife Park in Abeokuta, Ogun State has killed its handler, Babaji Daule.

Daule, 35, was reported kill3d while approaching the cage to feed the lion on Saturday. According to a statement by the management, the deceased, a trained handler of a male lion, agreed to take some guests to demonstrate the feeding routine of the lion in its inner enclosure after the park’s closing time.

He was said to have neglected to secure the locks & barricade of the lion’s enclosure. “The zookeeper, apparently feeling comfortable with the animal, left the safety protection gate open & proceeded to feed the animal.

He was mauled by the animal & died on the spot. To prevent further mutilation of the body, the animal was put down immediately by personnel of the park. It is important to state that this activity fell completely outside the standard feeding routine of the park,” the management said.

The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has arrested four suspects in connection with alleged s3xt3rtion and a romance scam.

According to a statement from police spokesperson, the suspects—Abodunrin Rasheed, Abodunrin Tunde & Abodunrin Rokeeb—allegedly met a Croatian national on a dating app, posing as a woman.

Their interactions continued on Instagram and WhatsApp, leading to an intimate relationship.

The suspects reportedly deceived the Croatian into sending private pictures of himself. They then conspired to extort him by vowing to send the images to his family and friends unless he paid a ransom.

The arrests were made following a report through the NPF’s National Cybercrime Centre (NCCC) e-reporting portal and an intelligence report from the center.

Further investigations revealed that the suspects have been involved in several similar cybercriminal activities globally, primarily extorting victims using gift cards such as iTunes and Steam cards.

Operatives of the EFCC, have arrested a former governor of Taraba State, Darius Ishaku, over alleged N27bn fraud.

It was learnt that Ishaku, who left the as governor of the State in 2023 after spending 8 years, was picked up at his Abuja residence in the early hours of Friday.

Impeccable sources within the commission told Daily Trust that the former governor was still in the anti-graft agency’s custody as at when filing this report Friday night. One of the sources revealed that at least 15-count charges have been filed against Ishaku and he would be arraigned in court soon as evidence against him have been compiled.

“Yes, he’s in our custody right now. We have been investigating him covertly since he left as the State governor. There a lot of financial malfeasance he perpetrated,” the source told Weekend Trust.

Another source said he was detained after he could not provide satisfactory explanations to financial impropriety that happened under his watch.

Some civil society organisations under the aegis of End Bad Governance Movement have declared October 1, 2024 as a ‘National Day of Survival’ to protest the prevailing economic hardship sweeping through the country.

In a statement issued during a press conference at the International Press Centre in Lagos on Thursday, national coordinator of the Education Rights Campaign called on Nigerians to engage in peaceful protests nationwide against “anti-poor policies”.

The statement was jointly signed by the Education Rights Campaign, Movement for Fundamental Change, Youth Rights Campaign, Joint Action Front & Pan-African Consciousness Renaissance.

The movement cited the lack of action from the federal government despite the End Bad Governance protests of August.

They said the protest aims to address grievances surrounding the fuel price hike, rising food costs & the impact of inflation on the livelihoods of ordinary Nigerians. They criticised President Bola Tinubu’s government for “exacerbating poverty & hardship”

The Federal Government has declared Tuesday, October 1 a public holiday to commemorate the Nation’s 64th Independence Anniversary.

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Interior, Dr Magdalene Ajani in a statement on Saturday said the Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, made the declaration on behalf of the Federal Government.

The minister congratulated Nigerians at home and abroad on the occasion. Dr. Tunji-Ojo also praised the patient and hardworking Nigerian men and women, stating that their sacrifices will not be in vain.

“Aligning himself with the theme for the Anniversary, the Minister reiterated the need for Nigerians to reflect on the labour of our heroes past and be inspired for the tasks ahead, realizing that a Nigeria of our dream can only be built when we unite.

While wishing Nigerians a Happy Independence Day Anniversary, Dr. Tunji-Ojo urged the citizens to continue to be steadfast in nation-building”, the statement added.

The President has also charged the Ministers not to be media shy but go out to published the activities of their ministries.

Addressing a press conference in Abuja on Wednesday, Bayo Onanuga Special Adviser to the President on Information & Strategy lamented that so much is being done but Nigerians are not aware.

He said, “The President has expressed his desire to reshuffle his cabinet & he will do it. I don’t know whether he wants to do it before October first & he will surely do it. That is what I will say, but he has not given us any timeline.”

Speaking on the performance of the present administration, Onanuga said, “The President has given an order to all his ministers at the last FEC meeting to go out there and speak about the activities of his administration.

Some of them have been media shy, television shy, radio shy, and he wants them to overcome all that and go out there and speak about what they have been doing.

The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has urgently called on the EFCC to investigate serious allegations that some of its officers received ₦15 million from Idris Okuneye, aka Bobrisky.

This comes in light of allegations that a convict paid a bribe to serve his prison sentence in a private residence rather than in a correctional facility.

However, there are claims that a bribe was demanded in exchange for a government pardon.

In a statement released on Wednesday, Mazi Afam Osigwe (SAN), President of the NBA, emphasized the need for a thorough & independent inquiry involving the Attorney General of the Federation & the Office of the National Security Adviser.

The NBA addressed the reputation of Femi Falana (SAN) known for his integrity and commitment to human rights.

The NBA urged the public to avoid jumping to conclusions regarding his or anyone else’s alleged participation in these matters, stressing the importance of maintaining the integrity of the legal profession during this investigation.

The new Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, has said there would be zero tolerance for corruption under her watch.

“All pre-election matters will terminate at the Court of Appeal. I have zero tolerance for corruption,” she said. Kekere-Ekun stated this on Wednesday after the senate confirmed her as the substantive CJN.

Her confirmation followed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s request in a letter transmitted to the Senate. She had been acting in that capacity since August sequel to the retirement of Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, her predecessor.

She arrived at the Senate chamber by 12:30pm in company of other Supreme Court and Court of Appeal Justices. The screening took about two hours as senators engaged her with questions bothering on judicial reforms.

During the session, Justice Kekere-Ekun said she would leverage technology to ensure quick dispensation of justice in the country. She also pledged to ensure that the judiciary remains independent of external influence.

The EFCC has filed new charges against Yahaya Bello, the former governor of Kogi State, alleging fraud to the tune of N110.4 billion, Daily Trust reports.

This development comes amid charges of money laundering against Bello to the tune of N80.2 billion. The EFCC’s counsel, including Kemi Pinheiro and Rotimi Oyedepo, Senior Advocates of Nigeria, and seven other lawyers, filed the charges on behalf of the Federal Government.

However, the embattled immediate past governor of Kogi State has dragged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to the Supreme Court, for declaring him wanted. This came as the anti-graft agency, intensified its pursuit of the former governor, insisting he will face full prosecution over an alleged N80.2 billion money laundering case.

The former governor, who is the sole defendant in a 19-count charge earlier preferred against him by the EFCC, is to face this fresh 16-count charge alongside two officials of the Kogi State government — Abdulsalami Hudu and Umar Oricha.

The founder of Dangote Petroleum Refinery, Aliko Dangote has said it’s time for the F.G to end the fuel subsidy regime.

In an interview with Bloomberg on Monday Dangote said fuel subsidies would lead to the government “paying what they are not supposed to be paying,” hence the need to end it

The business mogul insisted that the President Tinubu-led government can’t afford to sustain petrol subsidies payment. During his inauguration speech on May 29, 2023, President Tinubu had declared an end to fuel subsidy but quickly reinstated it as inflation spiked

Another step to ending it was taken in early September when the cap on gasoline was eased — though the price remains below the market level

However, Dangote said: “I think it is the right time to take away the subsidy because all countries have gotten rid of the subsidy. Our price of gasoline is about 60% the price of our neighbouring countries & we have porous borders, so it is not sustainable. Government cannot afford the amount of subsidies we are paying

Okpebholo, candidate of the APC was declared the winner of the election held on September 21. INEC said Okpebholo secured 291,667 votes to defeat his closest challenger, Asue Ighodalo of the PDP who got 247,274 votes. Olumide Akpata, candidate of the Labour Party came a distant third with 22,763 votes.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, Richard Mills, US ambassador to Nigeria, said the election was “widely peaceful”. “The U.S. Mission in Nigeria commends the people of Edo State for the widely peaceful conduct of gubernatorial elections on September 21 & reiterates calls for calm following the announcement of results,” the statement reads.

“We commend Governor Obaseki’s appeal for peace and urge all stakeholders, including INEC, to support established electoral processes and respect legal procedures to challenge results. Transparency & due process are crucial to maintaining public confidence in any democratic system.”

The Nigerian Army has discharged Private Ruth Ogunleye following her allegations of sexual harassment against Colonel I.B. Abdulkareem, a senior officer in the military.

The decision comes after Ogunleye publicly accused Abdulkareem, along with Colonel G.S. Ogor and Brigadier General I.B. Solebo, of creating a hostile environment for her through various forms of intimidation.

In a series of posts on her TikTok account Ogunleyeruthsavage1, Ogunleye said that Colonel Abdulkareem made repeated sexual advances towards her, administered injections without her consent, forcibly evicted her from her residence & confined her to a psychiatric facility for several months after she rejected his advances.

The Chief of Army Staff ordered a comprehensive investigation. Major General Onyema Nwachukwu, the Director of Army Public Relations, addressed the media in Abuja confirming that after a thorough review of testimonies & evidence, the army found no grounds to substantiate Ogunleye’s claims against Colonel Abdulkareem.

23-year-old Ayomide Adeleye, a 300-level philosophy student of Olabisi Onabanjo University who killed 18-year-old FUNAAB student Christiana Idowu & buried her in his parents home in Ikorodu, has shared more details while showing remorse for his actions.

Ayomide said he regrets his actions and that he even tried to end it all but vigilant security agents stopped him.

Recounting how he killed Christiana, he told Vanguard: “I had not been at home for over 6 months. The victim, Christiana Idowu, 18, contacted me several times in school where I was studying Philosophy in 300 level. She had been contacting me that she wanted to repair her phone because I had repaired it for her before.”

We were church members. I had known her for 3 years before the incident.

On why he kill3d her, he said: “I kill3d her because I had financial problems. I thought of the problems and decided to strangle her while she was busy going through my phone. I then called her mother claiming that she was kidnapped and she should pay ransom.

The commission also said it was working assiduously to ensure that there was ‘no voter apathy’ during the exercise, where 17 political parties fielded candidates.

The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in the state, Oluwatoyin Babalola, gave the assurance during a visit to members of the NUJ in Akure on Monday.

Ms Babalola said the electorate should not lose faith in the electoral process, explaining that the electoral body was working towards a free and fair election in the state.She said the level of turnout during the voters’ registration exercise indicated that electorate is anxious to participate in the election.

“People of Ondo State should not lose faith. They should believe in us that we will do the best for this election.

We will also make sure that the polling units open on time so that we don’t waste time, and materials will be at the 3,993 polling units.

Another electricity tariff hike may be introduced in October 2024 by the Government as the country’s monthly power subsidy rose to N181,63 billion in September.

This comes as the electricity subsidy by the FG rose to N181,63 billion in September from N102.30 billion in May. In the last three months, the government paid N163.87 billion in July, N173.88bn in August & N181.63bn in September 2024.

This comes after the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission announced the removal of subsidies in areas categorized as Band A feeders on April 3, 2024.

NERC had revealed that the monthly electricity subsidy at that time stood at N140.7 billion. Consequently NERC approved an electricity tariff hike for electricity consumers enjoying at least 20 hours of electricity daily, raising their tariff to N225 per kilowatt-hour.

However, the decision generated serious outcries among Nigerians, including labour unions, educational and health institutions, whose electricity bills tripled following the removal of the subsidy.

The party said the review will allow INEC to declare the result that was obtained from the genuine votes cast at the polling units. PDP acting National Chairman Ambassador Umar Damagum, at a press conference in Abuja on Monday, said the party will challenge the election in court.

According to him, the way and manner the judiciary treats the outcome of Edo election will determine whether Nigerians still have a country. Damagum stated that the people of Edo chose Dr. Asue Ighodalo as the next governor, adding that only their will as expressed at the polling units should be allowed to stand, and not anything else.

He said, “Despite the viol3nc3, intimidation and manipulations by the APC, results obtained from the polling units show that our candidate, Dr. Asue Ighodalo clearly won the election before the figures were altered at the state collation exercise in favour of the defeated APC candidate.”

President Bola Tinubu is currently presiding over the 18th meeting of the Federal Executive Council at the Aso Chambers of the State House, Abuja.

Monday’s meeting, the first in six weeks, follows the President’s various foreign engagements in Equatorial Guinea, China, and the United Kingdom over the past month.

Tinubu, who arrived at the chamber at 12:25 p.m., is meeting with only 21 of his 47-member cabinet today.

Present at the meeting are the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr George Akume, and the National Security Adviser, Mr Nuhu Ribadu.

Ministers attending include those of Finance and the Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr Wale Edun; Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari; Budget and Economic Planning, Abubakar Bagudu; Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo; Education, Prof Tahir Mamman; FCT, Nyesom Wike; Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris; and Interior, Mr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, among others.

After months of intense politicking in Edo State, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner of the keenly contested Saturday, September 21, 2024 governorship election in the South-South state.

Okpebholo, 54, secured 291,667 votes to defeat Asue Ighodalo of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who got 247,274 votes and Olumide Akpata of the Labour Party (LP) who came a distant third in the race with 22,763 votes.

Fourteen other candidates contested the seat but got less than the three frontline candidates.

The Bauchi State Police Command has arrested a 21-Year-Old Scavenger, Dauda Sa’idu who allegedly destroyed graves and extracted iron rods for sale.

A press release by the Command’s PPRO, SP Ahmed Wakili contained that on September 20, 2024, the Command arrested Dauda Sa’idu, who is resident in Yelwa for trespassing, vandalism and theft.

According to the PPRO, the detainee unlawfully entered a Christian cemetery in the Yelwan Kagadama area of Bauchi, causing damage to several graves and removing iron rods during daylight hours.

Following interrogation, Dauda Saidu confessed to the offenses, admitting to stealing multiple iron rods and selling them to scrap metal buyers in separate transactions, amounting to N9,500, N12,000, and N5,500, respectively.

Dauda Saidu also disclosed that the proceeds were used to purchase an undisclosed quantity of Indian hemp & food items for personal consumption.

CP Auwal Musa Muhammad has instructed that Dauda Saidu be prosecuted following the conclusion of the investigation.