Author: Hamza Rufai

THE Supreme court has affirmed the election of Bala Mohammed of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as the Bauchi State governor. The apex court affirmed the decision of the Court of Appeal and dismissed the appeal by Sadique Abubakar of the All Progressives Congress for lacking in merit. The appellate court had in November affirmed the victory of Governor Bala Mohammed in the March 18 governorship election. This followed earlier judgement by the tribunal upholding Mohammed’s victory. In the Court of Appeal judgement, the panel of three justices were unanimous, awarding no cost as the court ruled that each party…

THE Special Adviser Media and Publicity To Borno state governor, Babagana Umara Zulum, Malam Isa Gusau is dead. Gusau, reportedly died late Thursday in India after a prolonged illness. He was a Correspondent, Bureau Chief, Regional Editor and Deputy Editor with Daily Trust Newspapers. At the Daily Trust, Gusau was the first to win the Board Chairman’s Star Award and cash prize for integrity in the journalists’ category. He resigned from Daily Trust in March 2012, the same week he was promoted to the rank of Deputy Editor, to venture into public relations activities following his appointment by the then…

THE Henley Passport Index has listed the most powerful passports in the world on Thursday. HPI is a global passport-ranking website with an original, authoritative ranking of all the world’s passports according to the number of destinations their holders can access without a prior visa. Their index is often based on exclusive data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) – the largest, most accurate travel information database – and enhanced by Henley & Partners’ research team. The passport ranking website listed Nigeria as 95th out of the 104 countries with the most powerful passports. Nigeria sits behind Ghana, Guinea,…

THE Supreme Court will deliver judgements in seven governorship appeals on Friday, January 12, 2024, beginning 9am. The states are Lagos, Kano, Zamfara, Plateau, Ebonyi, Bauchi and Cross River. Yusuf VS Gawuna Late December, the apex court reserved judgement in the appeal filed by the Kano State Governor, Abba Yusuf, challenging the verdict of the Court of Appeal and the State Election Petitions Tribunal, which removed him from office. The five-member panel led by Justice John Okoro reserved the judgement after the parties adopted their brief of arguments. In September, the tribunal nullified the victory of Yusuf, the candidate of…

THE Nigeria Police Force has cautioned Nigerians not to use the viral new slogan “No gree for anybody.” The Force spokesperson, ACP Muyiwa Adejobi, gave the warning during a press conference at the police headquarters in Abuja on Wednesday. He said, “The new slogan for 2024 for our young ones is; ‘No dey gree for anybody’”. “According to our intelligence, the slogan is coming from a revolutionary sector that might generate difficulties across the country. “‘No dey gree for anybody’ is considered as just a typical talk, but in the security world, we see it as a highly dangerous term…

A FEW hours after dissolving the board of directors governing Polaris, Union, and Keystone banks, the Central Bank of Nigeria has appointed new executive directors to oversee the affairs of the deposit money banks. The apex bank, in a statement signed by the acting Director of Corporate Communications, Sidi Hakama, released on Thursday morning, said the appointment takes immediate effect. According to the statement, Yetunde Oni, the first female CEO of the Standard Chartered bank in Sierra Leone, was appointed as the Chief Executive Officer of Union Bank, while Mannir Ubali Ringim was selected as the Executive Director of the…

THE Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, Musa Aliyu, has said he will be appearing in court to defend anti-corruption cases involving the commission. The anti-graft agency boss who was the Attorney-General of Jigawa State before his appointment as ICPC Chairman, made this known on Wednesday during a media chat with reporters in Abuja. Aliyu said, “I’ll lead by example. By the grace of God, I intend to be appearing in cases of ICPC (in court). I don’t think there was ever a chairman of ICPC who appeared in court, but I’ll be the first.…

A FEDERAL High Court in Abuja on Wednesday ordered the remand of a former Minister of Power and Steel, Olu Agunloye, in Kuje Correctional Service. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission arraigned Agunloye over allegations of fraud in the Mambilla Power Project. Agunloye was brought before the Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday, where he pleaded not guilty to the charges read against him. The judge, however, ordered that the embattled former minister be remanded in pending when bail would be granted. It will be recalled that the EFCC declared Agulonye wanted in connection with a $6 billion power…

THE CEOs of Zenith, Providus, and Jaiz banks have been apprehended by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in connection with financial misappropriation and fraud linked to disgraced Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Betta Edu, and her predecessor, Sadiya Umar-Farouk. The banking executives, who have been under stealth scrutiny since the public outcry over the unscrupulous diversion of public funds into private accounts, are now in EFCC custody, multiple credible sources within the Presidency told this newspaper on Tuesday. The anti-graft agency is presently probing numerous instances of substantial public funds directed into private accounts, an action…

PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu has summoned the minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo to the Presidential Villa. News Point Nigeria gathered that the summon follows the controversy that has hitched the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, and the award of a consultancy contract to the tune of N438 million, for the National Social Register to New Planet Projects Ltd, a company he is a beneficial owner. The meeting is expected to take place on Tuesday afternoon. This newspaper had earlier reported that Mr. Tunji-Ojo is a Person with Significant Control in the company as at the 14th of November, 2023, and a major…

JUSTICE Olukayode Adeniyi of the Federal Capital Territory High Court Abuja has awarded the sum of 100 million naira against the Federal Government, in favour of the former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, for the violation of his right to personal liberty. The Court also declared his prolonged detention without trial, as a flagrant violation of his fundamental rights. It also restrained the Federal Government and its agents from re-arresting or detaining Emefiele without an order of court. The judgment was given in a fundamental human rights suit filed by the former CBN governor following…

THE Nigerian Army has approved the posting and redeployment of no fewer than 975 officers. The exercise affects 206 generals, 64 colonels, 302 lieutenant colonels; 139 majors, and 122 captains, among others. A circular signed by Maj. Gen. E.F. Oyinlola and dated January 4, 2024, which was sighted by our correspondent on Sunday, stated that the appointments and redeployment of the officers would take effect from Monday (today). Also, according to the circular, the authorisation for the amendment and deletion of a total of 120 officers was given. The affected officers comprise six colonels, 26 lieutenant colonels, 33 majors, 26…

PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu has cleared the outstanding payment that the Federal Government owed the Super Eagles and other sporting teams of the country. According to a statement on the X handle of Tinubu’s Media Centre, on Sunday, the payment entails the clearing of the senior national team coach salaries running up to 15 months, payments of allowances and promises due to the senior national teams, females, and Under-20 national team. The statement reads, “President @officialABAT has approved the payment of N12 billion outstanding backlog for Nigeria’s National teams of various sports, which includes Super Eagles and others. “The payment entails…

THE Accountant-General of the Federation (AGF), Dr. Oluwatoyin Madein, has faulted the ‘disbursement’ of N585,189,500.00 into a personal account. Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr Betta Edu, in a viral document personally signed by her and directed to the Office of the AGF, instructed the payment of the funds to one Oniyelu Bridget Mojisola. The document also showed that the payment of the N585.189 million grant, meant for vulnerable groups in Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Ogun and Lagos states, was made into Oniyelu’s account. But reacting to the leaked document, Rasheed Zubair, Special Assistant on Media and Publicity…

KADUNA State Governor, Senator Uba Sani, has confirmed the bandits attack on three communities in Kaura Local Government Area of the state in which seven locals were killed and 58 abducted. But the police in the state denied that such attack occurred in Southern Kaduna. The command’s Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Mansir Hassan, said the command had made several contacts in the said affected communities but there was no confirmation of the incident. “It is not true, there was nothing like that because we have made contacts in the affected communities, there was nothing like that,” he said. This…

TWO policemen have sustained bullet injuries, while seven family members have been abducted as gunmen suspected to be bandits intensify attacks on Bwari Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). This newspaper gathered that a middle-aged man, simply identified as Alhaji, who led policemen to foil the kidnapping of the seven family members, was shot dead by the bandits. Our reporter had reported that in recent days, gunmen had been been invading villages under Bwari Area Council, abducting and killing residents. A resident of Bwari, Isaiah Samuel, who spoke to our correspondent on the telephone on Friday, said the…

PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment of new Executive Directors in two (2) agencies under the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy. This was disclosed in a statement by the Special Adviser, Media and Publicity to the President, Ajuri Ngelale, Thursday. The appointees are as follows: Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA): (A) Ms. Vivian C. Richard Edet — Executive Director, Finance & Administration (NPA) (B) Engr. Olalekan Badmus — Executive Director, Marine & Operations (NPA) (C) Engr. Ibrahim Abba Umar — Executive Director, Engineering & Technical Services (NPA) Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) (D) Mr. Jibril Abba…

THE Nigerian Meteorological Agency has sounded a note of caution to asthma patients and people with respiratory issues as well as airline operators over the impending hazy weather. A report put out on Tuesday by the meteorological agency also predicted sunny and hazy weather for the North and North Central states of the country beginning from Wednesday, January 3, 2024. “Individuals with asthma and other respiratory issues are advised to be cautious of the weather conditions”, the report said. “Airline operators are advised to get updated weather reports from NiMet for effective planning in their operations.” NiMet also warned about…

THE Federal Government has released a list of where Nigerians can avail themselves of a 50 per cent discount on transport fares for return trips during the festive season. This was announced by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Temitope Ajayi, on his X account on Friday. He wrote, “YULETIDE SUBSIDY: The Federal Government has listed more motor parks where Nigerians can enjoy 50% rebate on transport fare for return trips during the festive season. 1. Lagos – Join from Oshodi Terminal 3 2. Abuja – Join from Jabi Park 3. Onitsha – Join from…

THE Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has approved the retirement of four directors in the commission. Mr Sam Olumekun, National Commissioner and Chairman Information and Voter Education Committee of the commission, said this on Wednesday in Abuja in a statement. The development follows the implementation of the eight-year tenure policy for directors by the federal government. “Following the Federal Government Circular HSCF/SPSO/268/T3/2/37 issued on 27 July 2023, the commission has approved the implementation of a policy mandating all Directors with eight years or more of service to retire from the public sector. “As per this directive, four directors of the…