Author: Farouk Abbas

A HIGH-RANKING member of the Nigerian Army during the military years, General Ishola Williams (rtd), says contrary to the disclosure in a recently released book by former Head of State, Gen Ibrahim Babangida, the ex-military general prepared the late General Sani Abacha to take over before his controversial annulment of June 12, 1993. Gen Williams, a former Chief of Defence Training and Planning, was a guest on the Friday edition of Inside Sources with Laolu Akande, a socio-political programme aired on Channels Television. Gen Williams was one of those mentioned in Babangida’s 420-page memoir titled, ‘A Journey in Service: An…

A FORMER Governor of Abia State, Theodore Orji, and four others were on Friday arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission before the Abia State High Court over alleged misappropriation of N47bn. Orji was arraigned alongside his son, Chinedum Orji, a former Commissioner of Finance for Abia State, Dr. Philip Nto, a government contractor, Obioma King, and a former Director of Finance for Abia State, Romas Madu. They are facing 16 counts of conspiracy to steal and conversion of billions of naira meant for various government programmes preferred against them by the EFCC. When the matter which was before…

JUSTICE Chinyere Nwecheonwu of the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Kuje, Abuja has granted bail to the former Executive Secretary of the National Health Insurance Scheme, Usman Yusuf, in the sum of ₦5 million with two sureties. While delivering the bail terms, Justice Nwecheonwu stated that the two sureties must provide proof of means of livelihood, whether business or civil service, as well as valid identification and their addresses are to be verified by the Prosecution or Court Staff. Although the case was initially adjourned to April 3, the date was vacated due to the Sallah break, which falls…

A SPOKESMAN for the All Progressives Congress (APC), Felix Morka, says the party sent notice of its National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting to all members of the party including former presidenct and vice president, Muhammadu Buhari, Prof Yemi Osinbajo as well as former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai. Morka spoke during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme on Wednesday night monitored by News Point Nigeria, hours after the party’s NEC meeting on Blantyre Street, Abuja. Governors of Edo, Benue, Ondo, Ekiti, Kaduna, Jigawa, Nasarawa, Yobe, Niger, Lagos, Kogi, Ogun, Imo, deputy governor of Ebonyi and former governors of…

DR Abdullahi Ganduje, the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, on Wednesday said he inherited N8.98 billion debt in legal liabilities. He said this in Abuja at the National Executive Committee, NEC, meeting of the party held at its national secretariat. President Bola Tinubu, Vice President Kashim Shettima, some APC governors and other critical stakeholders of the party attended the meeting. Ganduje said the outstanding liabilities were for legal engagements during pre-election matters, election cases as well as appeals for legislative, governorship and presidential elections. The chairman also requested for a new national secretariat to accommodate its national…

DANGOTE Petroleum Refinery & Petrochemicals has slashed the price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), or petrol, for the second time this month. It has cut N65 off the previous price of N890, bringing it down to N825 per litre at the gantry (ex-depot). This follows a N60 reduction on February 1. The ex-depot price has thus decreased from N950 per litre in January to the current price of N825 per litre, representing a reduction of N125 per litre within 26 days. This recent price reduction will also ensure that Nigerians pay between N860 and N865 per litre for petrol at…

AS the countdown to the National Executive Committee meeting of the ruling All Progressives Congress begins, the leadership of the party has dismissed speculation that President Bola Tinubu may ask the National Chairman of the APC, Dr Abdullahi Ganduje, to resign. The speculation was dispelled by the National Secretary of the party, Senator Ajibola Basiru, in an exclusive interview with this newspaper on the eve of the National Caucus meeting. When quizzed on the agenda of the NEC meeting amidst rumours of the President dropping Ganduje from the leadership position of the ruling party, Basiru said the report was a…

JUSTICE Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court Abuja on Tuesday restrained the Nigerian Police Force (NPF) from tendering a DNA test result against Kabiru Turaki, former Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs Minister. Turaki is involved in a paternity dispute with a lady, Hadiza Baffa. Justice Ekwo gave the order after counsel for the NPF, Inspector-General of Police and DCP Rita Oki Oyintare, M.L Anthony, who are 1st to 3rd respondents respectively, sought an adjournment to enable them to comply with the earlier court order. Turaki, through his lawyer, Abdulaziz Ibrahim (SAN) had told Justice Ekwo that the police were…

THE National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, has refuted an allegation made by s former Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, that he is planning to tarnish his reputation because of his 2031 presidential ambition. El-Rufai, in an interview with Arise TV on Monday, accused Ribadu of collaborating with Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission to destroy his image. “This project of destroying Nasir el-Rufai is Nuhu Ribadu’s conception. He is the architect and builder of that project. He is the one working with Uba Sani to implement it. So far,…

NASIR El-Rufai, former governor of Kaduna State, says he was not rejected by the National Assembly as a ministerial nominee. In August 2023, the Senate withheld the confirmation of El-Rufai as a ministerial nominee, citing security reports from the State Security Service for the action. But speaking on Monday during an interview on Arise TV, El-Rufai said President Bola Tinubu simply “changed his mind on the nomination” “After serving for eight years as governor of Kaduna state, I had my plans. “The President publicly appealed to me to put my plans on hold and after sometime we finally agreed that…

NIGERIANS may be experience fuel scarcity in coming days as Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) threaten to embark on a nationwide strike action over non-payment of bridging claims amounting to N100 billion. In a communiqué issued on Monday in Abuja, the forum’s chairman, Alhaji Yahaya Alhassan, warned that if the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) fails to make the payment within the stipulated time, marketers will halt the loading and distribution of petroleum products nationwide. He said: “If NMDPRA does not pay our money within seven working days we are going to withdraw our services…

COMMERCIAL banks are riding on telco platforms to rake in billions of naira from the increasing number of customers using digital banking services. Most of the banks deploy several strategies, products and services under which they charge fees, far above what is specified in the guide to bank charges. Banks charge electronic money transfer fees, annual debit card maintenance fees; N105 online transfer charge for every online transfer and three to five per cent processing fee for cash withdrawals above the cash-less banking limit. Others include text message fees; processing, management and draw-down fees for loan accounts Nearly all the…

THE Federal Government has allocated N1.99bn to procure diesel for the electric power generators for the State House in 2025. This comes amid delays in the FG’s solar power project initially slated to come on stream between December 2024 and January 2025. This newspaper gathered that the FG disbursed N88.75m for diesel within the first half of 2024. Checks by our correspondent on GovSpend, a civic tech platform that tracks and analyses the Federal Government’s spending, show four separate diesel payments totalling N88.75m between March 15 and May 20, 2024. On March 15, 2024 two payments were made; N40.77m to…

THE Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has officially declared an ex-Naval Chief, Vice Admiral Jibrin Usman (rtd) and Brigadier-General Ishaya Bauka (rtd) wanted for their alleged involvement in a N3 billion fraud. ICPC Spokesperson, Demola Bakare, who disclosed this on Friday, in Abuja, argued that there was never a time the commission removed Jibrin and Bauka from its wanted list. “Therefore, any claim that the amended charges by ICPC have exonerated the duo of charges concerning embezzlement and abuse of office is fallacious and a figment of the imagination of the writers; it should be disregarded,”…

PRESIDENT Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the relocation of 29 custodial centres across the country. Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, disclosed this while commissioning 39 mini Green Maria operational vehicles and five bullet resistance guard booths at the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) headquarters in Abuja on Friday. “In terms of the relocation of our correctional centres, the president has graciously approved for us to start the process of relocating about 29 custodial centres across the country.” “For Instance, Agodi in Ibadan, what is a custodial centre doing in a market? For instance Ikoyi, why are you sharing a fence with…

THE Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution, Rt Hon Benjamin Kalu, has revealed that none of the 31 requests for state creation met the constitutional requirements. Kalu, who also serves as the Deputy Speaker of the House, made this known on Friday during a two-day retreat for committee members in Ikot Ekpene, Akwa Ibom State. The retreat, which will be held from February 20 to 23, 2025, provided a platform for reviewing pending amendment bills and strategizing about the next steps in the constitutional review process. The 10th House organized the event…

THE Chairman of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, and Chairman of BUA Group, Abdulsamad Rabiu, were part of the dignitaries that raised billions of naira for the establishment of a presidential library for former military president, Ibrahim Babangida, on Thursday. Dangote announced a donation of N6 billion, saying that he will be supporting the project with N2 billion annually for a period of four years. He added that he will continue the contribution if the project drags beyond four years. “I will contribute N2b annually for the next four years, which is N8b to the development of the IBB Presidential Library.…

PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu on Thursday recalled how he once challenged the former military President, Ibrahim Babangida, and told him that he failed to make history. Babangida, former military dictator, ruled Nigeria from 1985 to 1993. He is renowned for annulling the June 12, 1993 presidential election believed by many to be won by the late businessman, Moshood Abiola. Babangida was Nigeria’s leader when Tinubu was elected to the Senate to represent Lagos West in 1992. Speaking at a book launch in honour of Babaginda, Tinubu recalled how he confronted Babangida for always postponing their inauguration after winning election. He said…

A FORMER Head of State Yakubu Gowon has thanked ex-military president Ibrahim Babangida for helping him and contributing to Nigeria’s development. Gowon said this in Abuja on Thursday during a book launch by the former military president. “I had a very rough time in government, I was even charged for treason,” Gowon said during the event. “Later on, President Shagari rescinded that order, and you (IBB) in the end restored my rank and honour. You did quite a lot for the country.” In 1976, Olusegun Obasanjo, then military leader of the country, sacked Gowon from the Nigerian Army over the…

THIRTY-TWO years after his controversial annulment of the June 12, 1993, presidential election, Nigeria’s former Head of State, Ibrahim Babangida, admitted for the first time that the late philanthropist and democracy hero Moshood Kashimawo Olawale (MKO) Abiola won the election. The startling revelation was contained in Babangida’s 420-page memoir titled, ‘A Journey in Service: An Autobiography of Ibrahim Babangida’ which was launched in Abuja on Thursday with continental and national dignitaries in attendance. The book reviewer, former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, said the “evil genius” and “Maradona” as Babangida was nicknamed answered the question as to whether Abiola won the…