Author: Hamza Rufai

THE Senate on Wednesday confirmed Ola Olukoyede as the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). The red chamber also confirmed the appointment of Muhammad Hammajoda as the Secretary of the anti-graft agency. The confirmation of both men followed their screening by the upper chamber on Wednesday afternoon, about a week after they were appointed by President Bola Tinubu. The Senate also screened and confirmed the appointment of Halima Shehu as the Chief Executive Officer of the National Social Investment Programme Agency (NSIPA). The President had on October 12, 2023 appointed Olukoyede and Hammajoda as chair and secretary…

PRESIDENT Bola Ahmed Tinubu has appointed Alhaji Ahmad Alhaji Jalal Ahmad Arabi to serve as the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) for a term of four (4) years in the first instance. This was disclosed in a statement by the Special Adviser, Media and Publicity to the President, Ajuri Ngelale, Tuesday. The statement read in full: PRESIDENT TINUBU APPOINTS NEW NAHCON CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER; APPROVES DISSOLUTION OF NAHCON BOARD PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment of Alhaji Jalal Ahmad Arabi to serve as the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the…

TROOPS of Operation SAFE HAVEN from October 9 to 16, witnessed the neutralisation of bandits and armed robbers, the arrest of numerous suspects, the recovery of arms and ammunition, and the conviction of several criminals in Plateau, Southern Kaduna, and Bauchi State. In a statement released by the Nigerian Army via its X account on Tuesday, the operation dubbed “HAKORIN DAMISA IV,” highlighted that throughout the operation, the troops thwarted attacks, rescued kidnapped individuals, and apprehended suspects involved in various criminal activities. On the neutralization of suspected bandits, the “troops neutralised a suspected bandit named Saidu AKA Director, who attempted…

A SENIOR Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, has disclosed that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) collected approximately 3.2 trillion Naira from various sources but had only printed 402 billion Naira when it tried to phase out the old N200, N500 and N100 notes with new ones. Speaking on Monday’s edition of Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily monitored by News Point Nigeria, Falana berated former central bank governor, Godwin Emefiele, for the currency redesign earlier in the year which led to a scarcity of the naira currency at the time. In response to these distressing events that followed the naira redesign…

BANDITS have released popular Kaduna Islamic scholar, Malam Abubakar Mushawy Ibrahim, who was abducted two months ago, but his 14-year-old eldest son and brother-in-law are still in the bandits’ custody. This reported that the bandits forcibly entered the scholar’s residence in Fondisho, a community along the Kaduna-Zaria highway, and abducted him, his wife, newborn baby, and eldest son on August 9, 2023. The tragic incident occurred a day after the scholar’s wife gave birth to their newborn. According to a close associate of the scholar, who spoke on condition of anonymity, the bandits eventually released the wife and the newborn…

PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu will today (Monday) swear in three additional ministers into his 48-person cabinet, this newspaper learned. A senior official in the Presidency, who did not want his name mentioned because he was not authorised to speak on the matter, confirmed to our correspondent that the three new ministers will be sworn into office at the Council Chamber of the State House before the commencement of the Federal Executive Council meeting. Monday’s FEC meeting is the second since Tinubu’s inauguration as President on May 29. It is coming after a 48-day hiatus. News Point Nigeria reports that the Council…

SPOKESPERSON of the Nigeria Police Force, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, says police personnel who trot guns at Nigerians in order to extort them are not different from armed robbers. A crypto trader and influencer on X, had dragged the police after his house was allegedly broken into and he was arrested forcefully. The man claimed the police broke into his estate wearing normal clothes without any search warrant, taking all the men who lived there to the station, questioning them and claiming they were internet fraudsters. He provided debit alerts where they took some money from him, while stating that they collected…

THE Federal Government, on Friday, announced that Nigeria’s oil production has increased to about 1.7 million barrels per day, up from the 1.1mbpd recorded in August 2023. The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Heineken Lokpobiri, disclosed this in a session with journalists at his office in Abuja on Friday. He said, “We have a sole agenda and it is to increase crude oil production. Once you increase production there will be more revenue for Nigeria and that is the recipe to virtually all the problems we have in this country. “You know that Nigeria is very dependent on…

PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu has asked the Supreme Court to dismiss the appeal filed by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) challenging his victory in the 2023 presidential election. The President described the appeal as abusive in nature and prayed for its dismissal. The President insisted that the PDP presidential candidate (Atiku) and his party failed to prove all their allegations and submissions at the Tribunal. Tinubu submitted that the tribunal was correct in arriving at its verdict and affirming his election. He urged the apex court to affirm the decision of the lower court while…

THE All Progressives Congress (APC) on Wednesday took a jibe at the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, saying he is seeking “cheap” media attention. Earlier, Obi had in a press conference asked President Bola Tinubu to save Nigeria and himself from what he described as “protracted embarrassment and undue anxiety” over the controversy surrounding his certificate. He was speaking in light of what has transpired recently where a US court ordered the Chicago State University (CSU) to release the President’s academic records at the request of the Peoples Democratic Party’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar. In a statement on Wednesday,…

THE management of Dangote Cement Plc has denied reports, in some online platforms, that it has embarked on sales promotion and has further adjusted its prices. There have been reports in some online platforms and social media, that the company has reduced the price of a bag of cement to between N2,400 and N2,700 as part of a sales promo. “As per the commitment made to reduce prices and following a periodic review of our operations for efficiency, the management of Dangote Cement PLC wishes to inform our esteemed customers, stakeholders and the public that effective October 9 2023. This…

UNKNOWN gunmen have kidnapped popular Islamic cleric, Alfa Fasasi Ola Mejabi, and his younger brother in Kogi State. The cleric and others were conveying the corpse of the Chief Imam of Ayegunle Gbede, Sheikh Musa Olorunkemi, from Lokoja to Ayegunle Gbede in Ijumu local government of Kogi state for burial on Sunday when they ran into the kidnappers. One of the occupants of the car who escaped abduction told our reporter that the incident occurred at Oshokoshoko, along Lokoja-Obajana-Kabba road. He explained that their car was moving ahead the vehicle carrying the corpse of the late Sheikh Musa, who died…

THE Nigerian Meteorological Agency has issued a weather forecast indicating the likelihood of dust haze and thunderstorms from Monday to Wednesday across the nation. In its Weather Outlook report obtained on Monday, the agency predicted dust haze with a visibility range of 1km to 3km and localised visibility of less than or equal to 1,000m was anticipated over the northern region on Monday. Similarly, localised visibility of less than or equal to 1,000m is anticipated in some areas. Thunderstorms are also expected later in the day, particularly in parts of Taraba State. In the North Central states, visibility values are…

GROUP Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Mele Kyari, on Monday, said the administration of President Bola Tinubu has not reinstated fuel subsidy. This is despite the confirmation of oil marketers that the federal government has restored subsidy for premium motor spirit (PMS), also known as petrol. Tinubu had announced the removal of fuel subsidy on his first day in office, leading to increase in fuel price from N197 to between N480 and N570, the pump price was subsequently reviewed upward to N620. However, there were reports that the price would go up as…

THE Gombe State Government House Permanent Secretary, Balarabe Poloma, on Sunday, was confirmed dead. Poloma died one week to his retirement from service. The PS had served three different governments as the Permanent Secretary, Gombe State Government House. He was aged 60 years. Condoling with the family members, the deceased’s associates and residents of the state, Governor Muhammadu Yahaya mourned the PS’ demise. Yahaya described the deceased as an experienced lawyer and seasoned administrator, whose long service was characterised by dedication, hard work, diligence and meticulous attention to detail. He made this disclosure in a press statement signed by the…

THE Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has filed a lawsuit against the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio and nine other former governors in the 10th Senate over their collection of both salaries and pensions as senators. This was disclosed in a statement on Sunday by SERAP Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare. Joined as respondents in the suit filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja were Abdulaziz Yari; Aminu Tambuwal; Adamu Aliero; Adams Oshiomole; Ibrahim Gaidam; Seriake Dickson; Ibrahim Dankwambo; Aliyu Wammako; Gbenga Daniel, and Dave Umahi. It seeks “an order of mandamus to direct and compel Mr Akpabio, nine other…

THE National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has raised the alarm over the threat of rapid flooding along the River Niger and River Benue Basin, owing to the release of water from the Lagdo Dam in the Republic of Cameroon. The states to be affected are Taraba, Benue, Nasarawa, Kogi, Anambra, Edo, Delta and Bayelsa, with Adamawa already affected. The Director General of NEMA, Mustapha Ahmed, issued the warning at a media briefing in Abuja. “Situation reports from Adamawa State confirms the upsurge of floodwaters along the flood plains of River Benue. The situation is expected to be replicated in downstream…

THE Federal Government has called for the  de-escalation of hostilities between Israel and HAMAS. Palestinian group Hamas launched a large-scale surprise attack against Israel on Saturday, firing thousands of rockets from Gaza and sending fighters to kill or abduct people as Israel retaliated with devastating air strikes. According to a statement issued and signed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, Saturday, the Federal Government of Nigeria is deeply concerned about the outbreak of hostilities between Israel and Hamas in the early hours of Saturday, 7th October, 2023 and calls for de-escalation and ceasefire. The statement read…

THE Federal Government earlier this week announced that it had issued licences to 17 Independent Electricity Distribution Network operators, among which 11 are currently operational. This newspaper reported that this was disclosed by the FG in the 2022 Market Competition Report released on Thursday by the Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission, an agency of the Federal Government. The report, made available to this newspaper, reads in part, “The commission has also licensed 17 Independent Electricity Distribution Network operators of which 11 are operational.” The 11 operators include: 1. Gateway Electricity Limited 2. Energy Company of Nigeria Plc 3. PIPP LVI Disco…

THE Deputy Senate President, Senator Barau Jibrin has approved the appointment of Professor Shehu Abdullahi Ma’aji as his Senior Special Assistant on Skills Acquisition. According to a letter signed by the Deputy Clerk to the National Assembly, Mr Kamoru Ogunlana, the appointment took effect from June 13, 2023. The letter added  that the appointment of Professor Ma’aji was based on merit and experience. Professor Ma’aji was a  member of the academic staff of Federal University of Technology, Minna and he has managed several national and international projects aimed at introducing sustainable educational and training innovations. With over 25 years experience…