Category: Happenings

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has urged Nigerians in the diaspora to stay resilient and hopeful for a brighter future for the country.

Speaking during a virtual interactive session with some Nigerians in the diaspora on Saturday, September 7, Atiku said the state of the economy has led to untold hardship for millions of Nigerians, and the poverty index continues to rise.

He, however, urged Nigerian citizens not to give up on the nation despite the current socio-economic challenges. “I urge you not to give up just yet. Your strength and resilience are crucial to Nigeria’s future.

As Nigerians living abroad, you have a unique perspective on what good governance and economic management look like. I encourage you to continue to pray for Nigeria’s deliverance.

Your prayers and support can help bring about the transformation we need. I believe in the potential of our great nation & I know that with collective effort, we can overcome the current challenges & build a prosperous Nigeria for all,” he said.

The Nigerian Army has detained a woman named Grace Markus, who is accused of being an informant for kidnappers in Taraba and Benue states.

Markus was accused of spying for kidnappers and facilitating the recent abduction of one Malam Saidu at Vesee in the Ukum Local Government Area of Benue State.

She was also accused of participating in multiple kidnap operations conducted by her boyfriend, a notorious kidnapper known as Chen, around border communities in Taraba and Benue states.

The Acting Assistant Director, 6 Brigade Army Public Relations, Captain Oni Olubodunde Markus, disclosed this in a statement on Saturday, September 7.

“Following the recent abd+ction of one Malam Saidu at his residence at Vesee community in Ukum LGA of Benue State, troops of 6 Brigade in Sondi village of Wukari LGA of Taraba State conducted an intelligence-led operation on 6 September 2024 and arrested a suspected kidnappers informant named Miss Markus Grace for reportedly aiding kidnappers and criminal elements in the area.

A High Court judge in Borno State, Haruna Mshelia, who was kidnapped in June, 2024 has been released.

On Monday, June 24, Mshelia was abd+cted alongside his wife, driver and police orderly along Biu-Maiduguri – Damaturu Road. Justice Mshelia, was travelling with his wife, a Magistrate, from Biu to Maiduguri when they were ambushed by heavily armed group between Borno and Yobe States.

He was released by his abd+ctors on Saturday, September 7, after two months in captivity. This was announced on a WhatsApp platform of Borno lawyers. “Alhamdulillah, we have just received the news of the release of Justice Haruna Mshelia,” the message read.

The statement said only Mr Mshelia was released. His wife, police orderly and his driver remain in captivity. A follow-up message urged continued prayers for their safety. The Chairman of the NBA Maiduguri branch, Hamza Zannah, also confirmed the judge’s release to Humangle.

The Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, has stepped down from his role with immediate effect.

In a statement issued by the Presidency on Saturday, Ngelale said he had submitted a memo to the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, informing him of his plan to proceed on indefinite leave.

Ngelale added that he has stepped down as the Special Presidential Envoy on Climate Action and Chairman of the Presidential Steering Committee on Project Evergreen.

According to Ngelale, he stepped down from his role to deal with medical matters presently affecting his nuclear family.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has handed over 53 recovered vehicles and $180,300 to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, RCMP, on behalf of the victims of financial crimes in Canada.

Ola Olukoyede, Chairman of the anti-graft agency handed over the recovered assets to the representatives of RCMP in Abuja on Friday, September 6.

Okukoyede said the vehicles were stolen from Canada and tracked to various car stands in Nigeria. Adding that nine of the vehicles were tracked to customs port, where they were awaiting clearance.

According to him, $164,000 was recovered for a Canadian, Elena Bogomas, in a romance scam, while $16,300 was also recovered for another Canadian, Sandra Butler.

He said one of the fraudsters used his proceeds to buy an estate and was later arrested, prosecuted and jailed, while the property was sold to recover the funds.

“It’s common knowledge that financial crimes have taken a new turn all across the globe.

SAN repays N2 million student loan after 49 years.

The Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) says it received a N2 million refund from a Senior Advocate of Nigeria and former beneficiary of the defunct Federal Government Student Loan Scheme in the 1970s, Adegboyega Awomolo.

The Fund in a statement on Friday, September 6, said Awomolo, who benefitted from the loan during his undergraduate studies at the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University) in the 1975/1976 and 1976/1977 academic sessions, repaid the loan in full.

It said the loan, which at the time amounted to a total of N1,000 for both sessions, was instrumental in helping him complete his law degree.

The statement said despite several previous attempts, over the years, to refund the loan, Mr. Awomolo was unable to fulfill the repayment until now.

The Federal Government has approved a 50% increase in feeding allowances for inmates in correctional facilities, in response to rising inflation and growing concerns over the welfare of inmates nationwide.

The move follows a viral video in which inmates at a correctional center in Calabar, Cross River State, complained about poor feeding conditions. Umar Abubakar, the spokesperson for the Nigeria Correctional Service (NCoS), made the announcement at an event in Abuja on Thursday, September 5.

“The viral video does not reflect the true state of the Nigeria Correctional Service or its mission to reform and rehabilitate inmates. Since the change in the name of the service, we have made significant strides in the reformation of those in our custody.

We are thoroughly investigating the incident, but I cannot comment further until the inquiry is complete. The 50% increase in feeding allowances is just the beginning of our review to mitigate the high cost of food.

The Chief Executive Officer of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), Tunji Bello, has explained that governing Nigeria poses different challenges compared to managing Lagos State.

Speaking in an interview with Channels Television on Friday, September 6, Bello said, “What I know is that he (Tinubu) is somebody who fights for the interest of Nigerians at any point in time, just like he did when he was in Lagos.

Considering what he contributed to the development of Lagos, the expectation is that he will do the same thing in Nigeria. But Nigeria is a different thing entirely.

So, we should not expect that what he did in Lagos, he should come and do the same thing. There is Federal Character in Nigeria, when you get to the Centre.

There is nothing like Federal Character in Lagos. That itself is one of the things he has to surmount. He has to consider the interest of different areas. He cannot just say that what works here (Lagos) must work there (at the centre).

Operatives of the Ilorin Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) have arrested 44 suspected yahoo boys at different locations in Ilorin, Kwara State.

They were arrested on Friday, September 6, 2024, at Sango, Kulende, Taxaco, and Harmony Estate, all in Ilorin, following credible intelligence regarding their alleged involvement in internet-related offenses.

Items recovered from them include six different brands of exotic cars, laptops, smartphones, and charms.

Nigerian brothers, Samuel Ogoshi, 24, and Samson Ogoshi, 21, has been sentenced to 18 years imprisonment in the United States for their role in a s+xtortion scheme that tragically claimed the life of 17-year-old Jordan DeMay from Michigan. 

The U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Mark Totten also ordered that the convicts will undergo five years of supervised release after they served their time.

On March 25, 2022, 17-year-old high school student, Jordan DeMay, from Marquette, Michigan, died as a result of this sextortion scheme, which targeted over 100 other victims, as well.

Speaking at the sentencing, U.S. Attorney Mark Totten said: “Today’s sentencing of Samuel and Samson Ogoshi sends a thundering message to crim+nals who commit these schemes: you are not immune from justice. We will track you down and hold you accountable, even if we have to go half-way around the world to do so. The day when you could commit these crimes, rake in easy cash, destroy lives, and escape justice is gone.

And to parents, teenagers, and everyone who uses a cell phone: please, please be careful. These devices can connect you to criminal networks around the world. Don’t assume people are who they say they are. Don’t share compromising images. And if you’re a victim, please reach out. There’s help, and law enforcement stands ready.”
 
Samuel and Samson Ogoshi used hacked social media accounts to pose as young women and solicited explicit images from victims. 
 
They threatened to share these images with the victims’ family and friends unless they paid money, this was contained in a press release from the office of the United States Anthony’s Office. 
 
In November 2022, the U.S. Attorney’s Office charged the Ogoshi brothers and another Nigerian, Ezekiel Robert, in connection with the scheme. Ezekiel Robert is currently appealing his extradition to the U.S.

The Nigeria Police Force has arrested some policemen attached to the Zone 16 Command in Yenagoa, Bayelsa for their alleged involvement in a N3 million extortion case.

This was disclosed by the Force Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi, on Thursday, September 5, 2024.

The officers allegedly extorted the said sum from a Ghana-based Nigerian man, identified as Liberty Kelechi Isaac, at gunpoint on Monday.

Vice President Kashim Shettima has summoned the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, and Group Managing Director of Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Mele Kyari, to address the recent hike in pump price of petrol.

The meeting, held on behalf of President Bola Tinubu, who is currently on an official visit to China, also included the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu. The Vice President is meeting with the trio in his office at the State House, Abuja today, Thursday, September 5.

NNPCL on Tuesday increased the pump price of petrol from ₦568 to ₦855, ₦897 (depending on the location per litre) amid lingering fuel scarcity and the country’s crisis.

Nigeria has become the 3rd largest debtor to the World Bank’s International Development Association as of June 30, 2024, surpassing its previous position as the 4th largest borrower. According to the World Bank, Nigeria’s loan exposure from the IDA rose to $16.5 billion as of June.

This was published in a financial statement dated June 30 2024, recently released by the World Bank. The IDA, a key arm of the World Bank, provides concessional loans& grants to the world’s poorest countries.

These loans, characterised by low interest rates & extended repayment periods are designed to promote economic growth, reduce inequalities & improve living conditions in developing nations. The loans to Nigeria increased by $2.2 billion compared to the $14.3 billion recorded at the end of 2023.

Ahead of Nigeria on the IDA debt list are Bangladesh, with $20.5 billion, followed by Pakistan with $17.5 billion exposure. India occupies the 4th spot with $15.9 billion, while Ethiopia, Kenya & Vietnam followed.

Crossdresser James Brown’s bestie, Tobi The Creator, has declared that he’s a woman.

Speaking with media Personality Chude, the content creator said: “I am a woman, but I’m not sure if I was born a woman previously or if I came back in a man’s body and became a man.

Being a nonbinary person like myself, I can be two persons. James is a drag Queen, Bobrisky is the cross-dresser. There is a big difference which is why Nigeria and minister of education need to learn and educate lecturers so they can properly inform their students.

The difference between a cross entertainer and a drag Queen is that there is cross entertaining in drag queen, there is cross entertaining in cross-dresser and there’s cross entertaining in nonbinary. Cross entertaining means I am doing what I am doing to entertain my audience.”

A Chinese national has successfully cultivated yams on over 50 acres of land in Nigeria.

In a 38 seconds video, the yet-to-be-identified farmer proudly shows a group of people some of the yams he harvested from his farm.

The huge pile of yams is stored in a room, likely part of the farmer’s storehouse.

However, it’s unclear which part of Nigeria the farm is located.

The Anambra State Police Command says it has arrested members of a patrol team in connection with the death of a 24-year-old man along Onitsha-Owerri road.

The deceased, identified simply as Ebuka, was shot and killed on Wednesday, September 4, 2024.

He was rushed to the hospital where he was confirmed dead.

Although details of the sad incident are still sketchy, the command in a statement said preliminary investigation indicates that a police corporal was the one who fired the shot that ultimately killed Ebuka.

The command’s spokesperson, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, in the statement on Wednesday evening, said CP Itam has directed the immediate transfer of the case to the State Criminal Investigation Department, (SCID), Awka, for a thorough investigation.

A 38-year-old married hunter, Joseph Ajegba, has narrated the event that led to his bossom friend’s demise in lkun-Akoko, in Akoko South West council area of Ondo state.

The suspect was paraded at the state police headquarters, Akure, on Wednesday, September 4.

He said he committed the crime after he caught the deceased ‘working out’ with his girlfriend in the house he rented for her.

He said that he had dropped a bush meat for his girlfriend earlier in the day and went out in the night for another round of game but was surprised by what he saw when he got to the house.

According to him, “I went out hunting after I have taken some bottles of beer, but I ran out of cartridges. I wanted to return to the house of my girlfriend to sleep there.

When I got there, I saw the door locked. I now went to the window and I opened it and saw a co-hunter ‘having sex’ with my girlfriend. That was why I used the gun in my hand.”

The Nigeria Police Force has named an investigative journalist, David Hundeyin, and one Michael Alade as accomplices of embattled whistleblower Bristol Isaac, aka PIDOMNigeria.

PIDOMNigeria was on Monday, September 2, 2024, arraigned at the Federal High Court, Abuja on a nine-count charge, bordering on alleged money laundering, cybercrime, and unlawfully obtaining, retaining, and disseminating classified documents.

He was on Tuesday remanded in Kuje correctional facility by Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja.

Addressing journalists in Abuja on Tuesday, the Force Spokesperson, Muyiwa Adejobi, said following PIDOMNigeria arrest, discreet investigation was initiated to identify those responsible for the leakage, which led to the identification of Bristol Isaac, Michael Temidayo Alade, and David Hundeyin who are suspects in connection with the alleged crimes.

The Nigeria Police Force has placed a N20m bounty on a British national, Andrew Wynne, also known as Andrew Povich, and a Nigerian, Lucky Obiyan.

The duo were declared wanted for allegedly plotting to overthrow the President Bola Tinubu-led government.

In a Special Police Gazette Bulletin, the police announced a reward of N10 million each for anyone who provides information that leads to the arrest of the suspects.

“If seen, arrest and hand over to the nearest Police Station, or the office of the Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Department of Force Intelligence, Force Headquarters, Abuja, or call 08035179870, 09133333785, 09133333786.

A reward sum of N10,000,000 awaits any person(s) with information leading to the arrest of each of them,” it reads.

The NLC on Tuesday, September 3, demanded an immediate reversal of the hike in fuel price announced by the NNPCL.

NNPCL recently increased the pump price of petrol from ₦568 to about ₦897 per litre.

Reacting to the development in a statement, NLC President, Joe Ajaero said: “We  are filled with a deep sense of betrayal as the federal government clandestinely increases the pump price of pms. One of the reasons for accepting N70,000 as national minimum wage was the understanding that the pump price of pms would not be increased even as we knew that N70,000 was not sufficient.

We recall vividly when Mr President  gave us the devil’s alternatives to choose from either N250,000 as minimum wage (subject to the rise of the pump price between N1,500 and N2,000) and N70,000 (at old pms rates), we opted for the latter because we could not bring ourselves to accept further punishment on Nigerians.

We demand the immediate reversal of the latest increase in the pump of PMS across the country.

The Minister of State for Defence, Bello Muhammad Matawalle, has urged residents of Sokoto State to report any unemployed person living flamboyantly to security agents.

Speaking at the Sokoto State Governor’s office on Tuesday, September 2, the Minister stated that such individuals, if investigated further, may be informants for the bandits disrupting the state’s peace.

Matawalle, accompanied by the Chief of Defence Staff, relocated to Sokoto on the directive of the President as part of efforts to rid the state & the entire north-west of rampant t£rrorism.

According to him, “Like what we did while I was the governor of Zamfara State, I call on the people of Sokoto State to always provide information to the security agents.

If you see someone who isn’t employed but is frequently changing cars & spending money lavishly, please do not hesitate to report such a person. They may be informants for bandits.

We are here to crush the bad elements in our midst, & by the special grace of God, we will succeed.”