Author: Farouk Abbas

THE body of the late Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Taoreed Lagbaja, has arrived in Abuja where he will be buried on Friday. The Nigerian Airforce plane NAF 918 carrying the body of the late COAS landed at the presidential wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja, at around 12:15pm. The remains of the late COAS left the Murtala Muhammed International Airport Lagos around 11am. The military top brass were on ground to receive the remains of the late COAS in Abuja, with military band playing to the loudest. Upon arrival at the Abuja airport, a guard of…

THE Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, on Thursday, sought for adjournment in the fresh case it instituted against the immediate past Governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, saying the 30 days window was still running for the summons earlier issued. The EFCC, however, admitted his co-defendants, Umar Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu, to administrative bail and prayed the court for extension of time for the 1st Defendant to appear. At the resumed hearing before Justice Maryann Anenih of the Federal High Court, Abuja, Counsel for EFCC, Jamiu Agoro, said the order of the court, given on 3rd October had not…

THE Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has withheld the international passport of the former governor of Delta State, Ifeanyi Okowa. Okowa was arrested by the anti-graft agency on November 4, 2024, over an alleged diversion of N1.3tn derivation fund. The N1.3trn amounted to a 13 per cent derivation fund from the federation account between 2015 and 2023. He was also accused of failing to render accounts of the funds as well as another N40bn he allegedly claimed he used to acquire shares in UTM Floating Liquefied Natural Gas. Okowa also allegedly bought shares of N40bn in one of the major…

THE National Security Adviser (NSA), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, has said the administration of President Bola Tinubu will prove to the so-called new terrorist group ‘Lukarawa’ in the North-western part of the country that things have changed, and that the group will be flushed out of Nigeria. News Point Nigeria reports that Ribadu made the statement while representing President Tinubu at the opening ceremony of the 2024 Comptroller-General of Customs Conference, on Wednesday, in Abuja. The NSA said that, without deferring to politics which would always be played, progress has been made in many sectors in Nigeria since President Tinubu was…

THE Defence Headquarters has said the new terrorist group, Lukarawa, has begun a recruitment process to bolster its fighting capabilities. News Point Nigeria reports that DHQ, however, said the military was aware of the group’s recruitment activities and working closely with other security agencies and the state government to halt the recruitment efforts. The DHQ had, last Thursday, confirmed the emergence of a new terrorist group known as ‘Lukarawa’ in the northern region, with operations in Sokoto and Kebbi states. The Director of Media Operations, Maj Gen Edward Buba, said the terrorists began incursion into the northern parts of Sokoto…

THE All Progressives Congress (APC) has dismissed as mere fallacy the servicing on the purported foreign and domestic debts by the embattled New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) government in Kano State it claimed were incurred by the administration of Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje. Former commissioner for Information and Internal Affairs in Kano state and Chief of Staff to the National Chairman of the APC, Muhammad Garba, said in a statement that the debt claim is misleading and a calculated attempt to shift attention from the myriads of political and financial scandals rocking the administration in the state. He stated that…

Urge EFCC To Halt Politically Motivated Witch-Hunt YOUTH Leaders of the All Progressives Congress have accused unnamed stalwarts of the party of being behind the persecution of former Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over alleged politically motivated reasons. The youth leaders from across the 36 states of the country and the FCT, under the aegis of APC Youth Leaders Forum (AYLF), wondered why those who had contributed immensely towards the development of the party as well as helped in securing the presidency which President Bola Tinubu enjoys today, have been singled…

THE Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Ltd, Mele Kyari, has reiterated the company’s commitment to resolving the country’s energy trilemma by ensuring energy security, sustainable growth and energy affordability. Kyari made the assertion at the opening ceremony of the 42nd Nigeria Association of Petroleum Explorationists (NAPE) Annual International Conference and Exhibition themed “Resolving the Nigeria Energy Trilemma: Energy Security, Sustainable Growth and Affordability” in Lagos, yesterday. Reacting to claims that NNPC Ltd is sabotaging the efforts of domestic refineries, Kyari said the NNPC Ltd is part-owners of the Dangote Refinery and stressed further that…

THE Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has summoned Nigerien national and bridegroom Ibrahim Mohammad, his family, and other guests mostly members of the Kano business community over alleged naira abuse at his wedding of Amina Babagana Zannah in Kano. News Point Nigeria reports that the invitation follows a viral video depicting individuals spraying naira notes at the event, drawing public attention and backlash as part of the agency’s ongoing campaign against currency abuse. A statement issued by Dele Oyewale, Head of Media and Publicity for the EFCC, confirmed the commission’s response to the incident. Initial reports mistakenly attributed the…

THE Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) has secured an agreement with Dangote Refinery to lift products directly. News Point Nigeria reports that IPMAN National President, Abubakar Garima, announced this in Abuja on Monday after a meeting of the National Working Committee of the Association. He said the partnership will ensure steady, and affordable supply of PMS products nationwide. Girima said After meeting with Aliko Dangote and his management team in Lagos, “we’re pleased to announce that Dangote Refinery has agreed to supply IPMAN with PMS, AGO, and DPK directly for distribution to our depots and retail outlets.” Garima…

THE Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has directed its members in states that are yet to commence the implementation of the new minimum wage to commence an indefinite strike, beginning from December 1, 2024. The directive is part of the resolutions of the NLC after its National Executive Council (NEC) meeting at the weekend. “The NEC notes with deep frustration the persistent delay and outright refusal by some state governments to implement the 2024 National Minimum Wage Act. This betrayal by certain governors and government officials across the country flies in the face of both legality and morality, as workers continue…

THE Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun has condemned alleged extortions by some officers of the force in some areas within the country, and has ordered severe punishment for corrupt officers. He referenced the case involving officers of the Zone 16 Zonal Headquarters, Yenegoa, identified as ASP Emmanuel Ubong, Inspector Nse Okon, Inspector Adiewere Collins, and Inspector Kuromare Marine. The officers were accused of extorting the sum of ₦10m from a group of young Nigerians. In a statement signed by the Force’s Public Relations Officer, ACP Olumiyiwa Adejobi on Friday, the police said the money has been recovered through the…

FRESH fuel scarcity looms as the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has thrown its weight behind threat by the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) to embark on a nationwide strike over the alleged use of military personnel to eject workers from the Oritsetimeyin oil rig. A statement signed by the NLC President, Joe Ajaero on Friday condemned the allegation against the military by the oil workers, adding that it stands solidly behind NUPENG. NLC threatened to escalate its response to the dispute should the breach of agreements and the use of military and other security agencies to…

THIRTY-TWO states in Nigeria owed a total of N933.32bn to contractors and retirees in 2023, according to findings. The findings are based on an analysis of data from the 2024 State of States report by BudgIT, a Nigerian civic organisation that focuses on promoting transparency, accountability, and effective governance, The 32 states with liabilities to contractors and retirees are Abia, Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Benue, Borno, Cross River, Delta, Ebonyi, Edo, Ekiti, Enugu, Gombe, Imo, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Lagos, Niger, Osun, Oyo, Plateau, Sokoto, Taraba, Yobe, and Zamfara. The report revealed that these liabilities…

A COALITION of 51 of anti-corruption groups has formally petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), seeking the immediate arrest and prosecution of Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, the former Governor of Kano State and current national chairman of the All Progressives Congress. The petition, dated November 4, 2024, and acknowledged by the EFCC on November 7, 2024, outlines numerous allegations of bribery and misappropriation against Ganduje. Ganduje’s tenure as governor from 2015 to 2023 has been marred by accusations of corruption, including a recent fraud charge filed by the Kano State government. This charge alleges that he conspired to divert over…

THE national grid has collapsed for the second time in three days, leading to blackouts in several parts of the country.  A check on the Nigerian System Operator’s portal (niggrid.org) showed that power generation dropped to zero megawatts at 11:30 a.m., affecting generation companies across the country. Some electricity distribution companies corroborated this on their social media platforms. “Please be informed that we experienced a system outage today 07 November 2024 at 11:29Hrs affecting supply within our network,” the Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC) serving parts of Lagos wrote on X. “Restoration of supply is ongoing in collaboration with our…

THREE oil marketers, AYM Shafa Limited, A. A. Rano Limited, and Matrix Petroleum Services Limited, have asked the Federal High Court in Abuja to dismiss a suit filed by Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals. The marketers, in a joint counter affidavit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/1324/2024, and dated November 5, 2024, a response to an originating summon filed by Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals, argued that granting the application of refinery would spell doom for the country’s oil sector. They emphasised that the plan to monopolise the oil sector is a recipe for disaster in the country. Dangote refinery in its originating summon…

A FEDERAL High Court in Abuja, on Wednesday, ordered the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission  (EFCC)’s lawyer, Abbas Mohammed, to confirm and report back to the court if an alleged misleading report on the court’s proceedings was from the Commission’s website. Justice Obiora Egwuatu gave the order after the defence lawyers in the money laundering trial of Ali Bello and his co-defendants accused the EFCC of publishing untrue accounts of what transpired in court on Tuesday on its website against their clients. Abubakar Aliyu, SAN, and Nureini Jimoh, SAN, who appeared for the defendants in the alleged N3 billion fraud,…

KOGI state Governor, Alhaji Usman Ododo on Wednesday mourned the passing of the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja, describing it as ‘a huge loss to the country as a whole’. In a press statement signed by the Commissioner for Information and Communications, Kogi State, Kingsley Femi Fanwo, on Wednesday, Ododo condoled with President Bola Tinubu and the Army on the untimely death of the army chief. The governor said the departure of the gallant and brave Army Chief was particularly sad at a time the fight against insecurity in Nigeria had gathered momentum, noting that the late…

THE Ministers of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari, his Science, Technology, and Innovation counterpart, Uche Nnaji, and Budget and Economic Planning, Atiku Bagudu, are some of the high-profile government functionaries expected to appear before the House of Representatives Committee on Renewable Energy on Wednesday. The Committee, chaired by the member representing Ogbaru Federal Constituency, Anambra State, Afam Ogene is investigating the utilisation of over $2bn investment and grants for the development of renewable energy sources in Nigeria from 2015 till date. The committee argued last week that despite the huge grants and investment in the sector, the power supply…