Author: Hamza Rufai

CHINA on Monday rolled out the red carpet for leaders from across Africa, seeking to deepen ties with the resource-rich continent it has furnished with billions in loans for infrastructure and development. Beijing has said this week’s China-Africa forum will be its largest diplomatic event since the Covid-19 pandemic, with more than a dozen leaders and delegations expected. China has sent hundreds of thousands of workers to Africa to build its megaprojects while tapping the continent’s vast natural resources including copper, gold, lithium and rare earth minerals. Its vast loans to the continent have funded infrastructure but also stoked controversy…

IN a significant stride towards addressing Nigeria’s housing deficit, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is set to perform the groundbreaking ceremony for 1,500 units of Renewed Hope houses at Unguwar Rimi, Tofa Local Government Area, Kano State. This initiative marks a major expansion following the commencement of 500 housing units in Lambu, also within Tofa Local Government Area. The Renewed Hope housing scheme is a cornerstone of the Federal Government’s broader urban development strategy, which includes the establishment of model cities across the six geopolitical zones of Nigeria and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja. Alongside the upcoming Kano development, similar…

THE Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has sued the leadership of the National Assembly members for fixing what it described as the running cost of lawmakers. Joined in the suit were the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas. The group claimed the duo failed to end “the unlawful practice by the National Assembly of fixing its allowances and running costs, and the failure to account for the monthly running costs paid to members.” Disclosing this in a statement on Friday, SERAP’s Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, said the suit was filed last Friday…

A FEDERAL High Court in Abuja has summoned the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria and the Head of the Legal Services Department of the apex bank to appear before it with specific documents on Monday, September 2, the new date fixed for the continuation of the trial in the money laundering case brought against Binance Holdings Limited and its executives. At the previous court sitting, the presiding judge, Justice Emeka Nwite, had adjourned the matter to October 11, but the defence counsel had approached the court for a date change, which the court granted by bringing the trial…

DETAINED nationwide protesters have faulted the court order that permitted their arrest and detention as they the federal government has no right to detain them, especially being one of the biggest beneficiaries of protests and dissents. The protesters, in a suit number marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1233/2024, challenged the August 22, 2024, Federal high court order issued by Justice Emeka Nwite that permitted the Inspector General of police to remand them for 60 days pending the conclusion of the investigation. The applicants, Opaluwa Eleojo and 48 others, in a motion on notice filed on August 26 and obtained by our correspondent on Saturday,…

AMID prolonged delays in the appointment of ambassadors to oversee Nigeria’s diplomatic missions, the Federal Government disbursed an approximate sum of N14bn to no fewer than 16 foreign missions in July 2024, findings by this newspaper have revealed. Nigeria has 109 missions: 76 embassies, 22 high commissions, and 11 consulates globally. Recall that on September 2, 2023, President Bola Tinubu recalled all career and non-career ambassadors operating the country’s diplomatic missions, embassies, and consulates globally. The envoys, which include 41 non-career ambassadors and 42 career ambassadors, were directed to return to the country on or before October 31 by Tinubu,…

THE Nigeria Police Force has again invited the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero. Also invited along with Ajaero is the Secretary General of the union, Emmanuel Ugboaja. The invitation letter is dated August 28, 2024, a day before Ajaero honoured the earlier invitation at the Force Headquarters Abuja. The letter signed by CP Rufus Alajide for Deputy Inspector General of Police, Force Intelligence Department, said the latest invitation is in furtherance of investigation into alleged “criminal intimidation, malicious damage to properties and conducts likely to cause breach of public peace”. The invitation seen by Channels Television…

THE Chairman of BUA Cement, AbdulSamad Rabiu, yesterday, said cement dealers frustrated his company’s plan to sell cement at N3,500 per bag last year. Speaking at the 8th Annual General Meeting of the company in Abuja, Rabiu also said that while his company sold over a million tons of cement to dealers at N3, 500, per bag, with the intention that they would pass the benefits to end-users, the dealers sold a bag of cement to consumers at between N7000 and N8,000. He said the company had to abandon the policy as its intervention was not to subsidise dealers. According…

A FEDERAL High Court Sitting in Abuja has struck out a suit instituted against the #Endbadgovernance protesters, the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), the Inspector General of Police (IGP), the Department Of State Services (DSS), and the Chiefs of Army and Defence Staff. The suit filed by 17 Nigerians against the last nationwide protests was dismissed by the court for want of diligent prosecution. Justice Peter Lifu terminated the suit on Thursday following the absence of the 17 plaintiffs and 26 defendants in court and without legal representation from the two parties. Although the suit was fixed for hearing,…

THE Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has given one month moratorium to traders and other market stakeholders involved in exploitative pricing to crash the prices of goods. The newly appointed Executive Vice Chairman of the FCCPC, Mr Tunji Bello, said this at a one-day stakeholders’ engagement on exploitative pricing on Thursday in Abuja. According to Bello, the Commission will begin enforcement after the moratorium. He said the meeting was to address the growing trend of unreasonable pricing of consumer goods and services and the unwholesome practice of market associations. Bello gave a description of the Commission’s finding that…

THE Executive Director of the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), Nonye Ayeni, has put the nation’s total exports for the first half of 2024 at 2.7 billion dollars, showing an increase of 2.6 per cent of the total value of exports compared to the first half of 2023. Ayeni, who gave the breakdown at a meeting in Abuja, on Wednesday, explained that 211 products were exported during the period. She said that the top products exported during the period under review include cocoa, beans, urea and sesame. Top three export destinations for Nigeria, according to Ayeni, include Malaysia, Netherlands and…

THE Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, has appointed a new female Force Secretary to promote inclusivity within the police force. The Force Public Relations Officer, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday, saying the move is part of efforts to entrench gender representation in the Nigeria Police Force. He said the newly appointed Force Secretary is Assistant Inspector-General (AIG) Rhoda Adetutu Olofu, a seasoned police officer with an impressive track record. “Her new appointment comes as part of the IGP’s vision of enhancing the NPF’s efficiency and the recent gender policy changes aimed at increasing the representation…

A NIGERIAN Navy personnel, Abdul Rasheed Muhammad, has been arrested for the murder of Aminu, the son of former Chief of Naval Staff Vice Admiral I. I. Ibrahim (retd). Speaking while parading the suspect on Wednesday in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory Commissioner of Police, Bennett Igweh, said Muhammad killed Aminu and stole his car two weeks ago. Igweh confirmed that the car had been recovered. He said, “About two weeks ago, Aminu Ibrahim, the son of Vice Admiral I. I. Ibrahim (retd), a former Chief of Naval Staff, was robbed and killed in the Maitama area of Abuja, and…

MANY filling stations operated by independent oil marketers have now fixed the pump prices of Premium Motor Spirit, popularly called petrol, at between N900 and N1,100/litre. Owners of these stations seem not to care about the cost of the product at retail outlets operated by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company. Petrol prices at NNPC stations range from N568 to N617/litre. This often leads to queues at the stations. As Nigerians raise concerns about the high cost of the commodity by independent petrol dealers, the Federal Government has also vowed to shut down filling stations that will be caught dispensing PMS…

COMMISSIONER of Police in the Federal Capital Territory, Benneth Igweh, has expressed his displeasure over the killing of two his operatives during a procession by members of the proscribed Islamic Movement in Nigeria popularly known as Shiites. Igweh also described as “provocative” the actions of the group by attacking security operatives without sparing two other policewomen who were critically injured during the melee that ensued in the nation’s capital, Abuja, on Sunday. This newspaper had reported that at least a trader was shot dead, while two police officers were killed in the clash between police and the group at popular…

TWO police officers have been killed and three others are unconscious following a clash between police operatives and members of the proscribed Islamic Movement of Nigeria, popularly known as the Shiites in the Wuse area of Abuja. Spokesperson for the FCT Police Command, Josephine Adeh, confirmed the attack which happened on Sunday, describing the attack as unprovoked while accusing the group of destroying three police patrol vehicles. According to Adeh, the IMN members attacked some personnel of the Nigeria Police Force attached to the FCT command at Wuse Junction by a traffic light. “The FCT police command wishes to confirm…

THE leadership of the National Assembly has approved the appointment of Bashir Abubakar as the new Chief Public Complaint Commissioner of the Federation under provisions of the law establishing the Public Complaint Commission. The National Assembly also approved the appointment of 37 other federal commissioners for the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory. This was contained in a statement signed by the Secretary, Research and Information, Dr Barde Umoru on behalf of the Clerk to the National Assembly, Sani Magaji Tambawal. He said the appointment is in compliance with section 2(1) of the Public Complaints Commission (PCC) Establishment Act.…

THE Nigeria Police Force has confirmed the release of 20 medical students and others abducted in Benue State. News Point Nigeria had earlier reported how the rescue operation was coordinated by the office of the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu. Security agencies – the police, DSS and military personnel and equipment were involved in the operation, with the support of the Benue State government. A statement signed by the Force Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi on Saturday, said the victims who were held in the Ntunkon forest, ADO Local Government Area of Benue state, were rescued on Friday by the…

THREE interim Local Government Chairmen have been taken into custody of the Kano Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission (PCACC) over alleged N660 million water contract scam. Musa Garba Kwankwaso, nephew of the leader of the Kwankwasiyya movement, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, was also taken into custody but released on bail around 9pm, on Thursday. Sources said he was instructed to return to the commission’s office on Monday. The three local government administrators who are under probe by investigators have confessed to have misappropriated monies into their private accounts, according to sources. They are that of Kiru Local Government Area, Abdulaziz Sulaiman,…

THE Federal Government has increased the fees for the procurement of Nigerian Passport with effect from the 1st of September 2024. A statement by the spokesman of the Nigeria Immigration Service, DCI Kenneth Udo, says the increment is a part of the government’s efforts to maintain the quality and integrity of the Nigerian Standard Passport. He said that based on the review, a 32-page Passport booklet with 5-year validity previously charged at Thirty-five Thousand Naira (N35,000.00) will now be Fifty Thousand Naira (N50,000.00) only; while a 64-page Passport booklet with 10-year validity which was Seventy Thousand Naira (N70,000.00) will be…