Author: Farouk Abbas

KANO State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Barrister Haruna Isa Dederi has been berated for mischievously attempting to mislead the public on the Court of Appeal verdict which set aside the judgement of the Kano State High Court removing Alhaji Aminu Ado Bayero and four others as Emirs in Kano state. A Kano-based private lawyer, Barrister Shuaibu Balarabe Nasidi said in a statement that despite being a legal practitioner holding the Office of the Attorney General, Dederi has showed high disregard for the law and notoriety for brash support of the government even when it erred in the face…

NIGERIA’s military personnel are now expressly prohibited from engaging in homosexuality, lesbianism, bestiality, cross-dressing, and other acts deemed contrary to the ethics of the armed forces. The personnel are equally barred from body piercing, tattooing, disorderly behaviour, and drunkenness on or off duty. This directive is contained in Section 26 of the revised Harmonised Armed Forces Terms and Conditions of Service signed by President Bola Tinubu on December 16, 2024. A copy of the document obtained by our correspondent on Sunday partly read, “An officer must not engage in homosexuality, lesbianism, and bestiality. “He/she is not to belong to, or…

THE Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) implemented the Clean Note Policy as a comprehensive framework to regulate the production, issuance, and circulation of banknotes. This policy was designed to maintain the integrity, quality, and widespread acceptance of the Naira while promoting efficient currency management. The policy is centered on combating the mishandling and abuse of Naira banknotes, which undermine their physical durability and increase the cost of replacing damaged currency. Through public awareness campaigns, the CBN aims to foster a culture of responsible currency handling among citizens and curb harmful practices that shorten the lifespan of banknotes. The Naira and…

THE national power grid has suffered its first major collapse of 2025, barely ten days into the New Year, leaving many parts of the country in a nationwide blackout. This incident marks the 13th collapse in the last 13 months. In a post confirming the incident, The Energy Podcast stated: “National grid suffers major collapse… First in 2025.” An additional update reads: “Restoration has begun… Currently generating 302MW as of 03:40 pm.” More details shortly…

THE FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, has described the tenure of a former Minister of Youth and Sports, Solomon Dalung, as monumentally disastrous. Wike said this in response to Dalung’s claim that construction of roads in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) was no development, a comment the minister dismissed as “exhibition of the dire need for help by a mind that is fast transiting from psychology to psychosis.” Wike, in a statement on Friday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka, said Dalung was blinded by his hatred for him and the government of President…

THE Court of Appeal in Abuja has ordered a fresh hearing in the legal battle over the disputed Kano Emirate involving Ado Bayero. A three-member panel led by Justice Mohammed Mustapha held that the judgment delivered by the lower court on July 15 is a nullity, as the appellants’ rights to a fair hearing were breached. The appellate court held that Bayero was denied a fair hearing due to how a Kano High Court conducted proceedings against him. The court stated that the Kano High Court was unfair to Bayero by conducting proceedings without serving him a hearing notice to…

THE Inspector General Of Police, Kayode Egbetokun on Friday ordered actions against attackers of the Nganzai Divisional Police Headquarters, Borno State. A Thursday attack by Boko Haram terrorists left two police officers dead, and one other officer critically injured as the terrorists exchanged fire with police on duty at the station, before they were eventually overpowered and repelled with the assistance of the civilian joint taskforce who are stationed near the police station. Responding to the incident which occurred at about 12:10 AM, a Friday statement signed by the Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Olumiyiwa Adejobi, identified the dead two…

THE Federal Government has expressed dissatisfaction with contractors handling road projects for failing to deliver on their obligations, which has hindered development and brought untold hardship to Nigerians. Speaking to newsmen during an inspection tour of ongoing projects in Rivers State, the Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, vowed to sanction contractors who fail to deliver on their obligation. Umahi issued the warning when he visited the Ahoada Section of the East-West Road, where he vowed to sanction the contractors (Setraco and Rock Result) handling the project for unprofessional acts. He berated the contractors over the slow pace of work, accusing…

A FEDERAL High Court in Abuja on Thursday, ordered the Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, and the Attorney-General of the Federation, AGF, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, to appear before it in three days. The order is for the Interior Minister and AGF to show cause why the implementation of the proposed expatriates taxation regime should not be stopped. Justice Inyang Ekwo, in a ruling on a motion ex-parte moved by counsel who appeared for the plaintiff, Patrick Peter, ordered that the minister and the AGF be served with the motion within three days of the order. The plaintiff, Incorporated Trustees…

THE National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Dr Abdullahi Ganduje on Wednesday threw his weight behind the embattled National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Felix Morka. Ganduje also described claims attributed to the Labour Party presidential candidate in the 2023 election, Peter Obi, as misleading, an act he said incited his online supporters to troll Morka. He disclosed this in a statement personally signed by him in Abuja. His clarification comes a few hours after the APC spokesman claimed that he and his family received 200 death threats over his inflammatory remarks from pro-Obi supporters. Morka alleged that the…

MINISTER of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani says telecom tariffs will soon increase but not by 100 per cent. Rising from a stakeholders’ meeting with Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) on Wednesday in Abuja, Tijani said consultations and engagements were ongoing. This newspaper reports that the MNOs are proposing a 100 pee cent increase in tariffs. According to the minister, very soon the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) would approve and make the new tariffs public to Nigerians. “You have seen over the past weeks that there has been agitation from some of these companies to increase ttariffs They…

THE Group Chief Executive Officer, Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Mallam Mele Kyari has disclosed that he went from being an Almajiri school pupil to becoming the head of the national oil company. Kyari stated this on his X handle, @MKKyari, on Wednesday as he celebrated his 60th birthday. He expressed profound gratitude to Nigeria for the opportunities that came his way from his humble beginnings to the height he has attained. He thanked Nigeria and particularly former President Muhammadu Buhari and incumbent President Bola Tinubu for the opportunity to serve as the last GMD of the NNPC and…

THE Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has confirmed that 34 terrorists and six soldiers died during the attack on a military base at Sabon Gari in Damboa local government area of Borno State. The Director, Defence Media Operations, Major General Edward Buba, who confirmed this in a statement, said the identities of the soldiers killed in action were withheld to allow administrative procedures to inform their families. According to Major General Buba, the terrorists had attempted to surprise troops and retaliate the recent killing of their commander and combatants by the troops. However, the terrorists were taken unaware when the troops on…

THE Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) declared yesterday that Nigeria is not at risk yet of the Human Metapneumovirus (HMPV) infection. In China, thousands of people, especially children, had been hospitalised due to the infection. The centre, apart from its advisory, also reintroduced COVID-19-like emergency protocols at the airports, borders and public health centres. It listed the measures taken as comprehensive situation analysis at Points of Entry (PoEs); development of an HMPV Entry Implementation Protocol as approved by the Health Minister Prof. Ali Pate and the identification of quarantine facilities for managing suspected or confirmed cases. NCDC Director-General (DG)…

DISENGAGED staff members of the Central Bank of Nigeria, who were laid off in a mass redundancy last year, have taken the apex bank to the National Industrial Court of Nigeria in Abuja. The aggrieved former staff members, in an originating summons filed on July 4, 2024, under the NICN Civil Procedure Rules 2017, raised several issues for the court to determine. Among other matters, the ex-CBN staff members are asking the court to decide whether they were denied their constitutional right to a fair hearing before and after their appointments were terminated. They claim that the CBN violated internal…

IN its quest to enforce integrity and rid its fold of fraudulent elements, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, dismissed 27 officers from its workforce in 2024. The officers were dismissed for various offences bordering on fraudulent activities and misconduct. Their dismissal, FOLLOWING THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE STAFF Disciplinary Committee of the EFCC, was ratified by the executive chairman, Ola Olukoyede. In a report, Olukoyede reiterated the commitment of the commission to zero tolerance for corruption, warning that no officer is immune to disciplinary measures. The report reads: “Every modicum of allegation against any staff of the commission would…

THREE Nigerian women, who were arrested and prosecuted for drug trafficking in Saudi Arabia have been discharged and acquitted after spending 10 months in detention. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman, Kimiebi Ebienfa, confirmed the development on Sunday, noting the importance of the diplomatic engagements that led to the women’s release. The women; Hadiza Abba, Fatima Umate Malah, and Fatima Kannai Gamboi were arrested on March 5, 2024, at Prince Mohammad bin Abdulaziz International Airport, Madinah. Their detention followed the arrest of two Nigerians who were found in possession of cocaine capsules weighing a total of 1.69 kilograms. The women…

THE Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) disbursed a total of N5.38 trillion to the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) between January and December 2024, according to figures obtained by The Nation. This amount represents an increase of about N1.46 trillion over the N3.92 trillion received by the states and the FCT in the previous year. The states received a total of N412.09 billion in January; N406.96 billion in February; N454.70 billion in March and N428.24 billion in April. A total of N463.04 billion got to them in May; N365.81 billion (lowest allocation for the year) in June…

FORMER President Olusegun Obasanjo has slammed the recent invitation the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited extended to him, describing it as disrespectful. The NNPCL had, through its spokesperson, Olufemi Soneye, invited the former president for a tour of the Port Harcourt and Warri refineries. The corporation’s invitation followed an interview on Channels Television on Thursday, during which the ex-president recounted failed efforts to privatise oil plants in the country. Obasanjo expressed frustration over the mismanagement of refineries, noting that despite significant expenditure since 2007, no results had been achieved. He explained that his successor, Musa Yar’Adua, rejected a $750m offer…

SOME residents of the Federal Capital Territory will experience a long period of power outages starting on Monday, January 6. This is due to an announcement by the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company that there will be power disruptions in several parts of the capital. The company said the power outage will occur due to the relocation of the 33KV DC Airport Feeder and 132KV Kukwaba-Apo Transmission Line Towers along the Outer Southern Expressway. A statement on its official X handle on Friday said the relocation operation would occur between January 6 and 21. The statement read: “Please be informed that…