Author: Farouk Abbas

BANEX Plaza, an electronics and telecommunications gadget market in Abuja, is still under lock and key, Daily Trust can report. Our correspondent who visited the market on Monday morning found soldiers across the plaza. Some traders who assembled at a distance from the plaza were seen leaving after waiting for hours. None of them agreed to speak with our correspondents but they were heard lamenting the cost implication of having the plaza shut on a major day like Monday. Trouble started when thugs beat up some soldiers who had a minor disagreement with a trader in the plaza. The trader…

BANDITS in the early hours of Sunday abducted five people from Shagari Quarters, Dei-Dei in the FCT. Vigilante sources in the community told this newspaper yesterday that the attackers arrived in the area around noon and went straight to the compound of a senior customs officer, where they picked his wife, three of his children and a younger brother. “They spent more than two hours before proceeding to neighbouring Dakwa community. “The man used to work in Abuja, he is no longer around following his deployment to Lagos, though his family is still living in the compound,” the source added.…

THE Federal Capital Territory Police Command has deployed intelligence officers to Banex – an electronics and telecommunications gadgets market, in Abuja following a conflict that ensued between soldiers and some traders on Saturday. A viral video seen by our correspondent on X on Saturday showed a multitude of civilians overpowering some soldiers during a free-for-all fight at Banex. The Defence Headquarters, and the spokesperson for the Nigerian Army, Onyema Nwachukwu could not be reached for comments as of press time. Meanwhile, a trader who simply identified himself as Abdul, told our correspondent on Saturday that the conflict ensued over the…

KWARA State Police Command has arrested five health workers over alleged mysterious disappearance of umbilical cord and placenta of a newly born baby in Oke-Ero local government area. It was gathered that the incident happened at the cottage hospital in Iloffa last Sunday. The suspects, this newspaper gathered, who are currently being detained in Ilorin after interrogation on Thursday include one Dr Ajibola, nurses Rukayat Adeloye, Aishat Awolusi, Peace Alabi and Toyin Adewunmi, a ward attendant. Sources said it took efforts from elders of Odo-Owa community to prevent the restive youths from torching the hospital over the incident. Speaking on…

JUSTICE Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court Abuja, has refused to grant bail to an Executive of Binance Holdings Limited, Tigran Gambaryan. Justice Nwite held that Gambaryan is likely to jump bail if bail is granted to him. The company and its executive were arraigned on a five-count charge bordering on money laundering before Emeka Nwite, judge of a federal high court in Abuja. The defendants pleaded not guilty to the charge. Moving an application, Counsel to the Defendant, Mark Mordi, argued that the court had the power to grant bail to the defendant and impose conditions to ensure…

WIFE of Kogi State Governor, Hajia Sefinat Usman Ododo has enjoined parents in the state to instil sustainable environmental practices and climate change awareness in their children. The Wife of the Kogi state governor made the call in a message to commemorate the 2024 International Day of Families in the state. Hajia Sefinat who harped on the importance of the family in shaping habits pointed out that the family institution could be empowered to drive the campaign against pollution, indiscriminate waste disposal, and increase tree planting and recycling of waste products. The First Lady decried the huge devastation that has…

IN furtherance to the ongoing rescue operation and to sustain the onslaught against insecurity, the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun, has announced the rescue of an additional seven abducted students of the Confluence University of Science and Technology (CUSTECH), Osara, Kogi State. A statement by the Commissioner of Police, Kogi State Police Command, SP William Aya, on Thursday, said the development brings the total of rescued students to 21. Describing how its team rescued the students from their abductors, he said it deployed the air component of police security apparatus made up of a helicopter crew specially trained for…

SENATOR Magnus Abe on Wednesday said he worked hard to bring former Rivers State Governor and President Bola Tinubu together. In the build-up to the 2023 general elections, Abe dumped the All Progressives Congress (APC) after losing the Rivers State governorship primary to Tonye Cole. He pitched his tent with the Social Democratic Party (SDP) where he later emerged as the party’s flagbearer but eventually lost to the incumbent governor, Siminalayi Fubara of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Having returned to the APC after the 2023 election, Abe credited himself for the good working relationship Wike enjoys with Tinubu. “I…

THE Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), on Wednesday, arraigned a former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Godwin Emefiele for approving the printing of N684.5m notes at the rate of N18.96bn. Emefiele was arraigned before Justice MaryAnn Anenih of the Federal Capital Territory High court on four counts. He pleaded not guilty to the four counts when it was read to him. Moving his application for bail, his counsel, Mahmud Magaji, asked the court to grant him bail on self recognition and on the same grounds and conditions of bail already granted him by a sister court…

A FEDERAL High Court in Kano has granted an ex-parte order halting the proceedings of the two commissions of enquiry set up by the Kano state government to probe the administration of the state’s immediate past governor, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje. Recall that Kano state governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf last month inaugurated two judicial commissions of inquiry into cases of misappropriation of public property, political violence and missing persons between 2015 and 2023 when Ganduje, now the national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), governed the state. The commissions, headed by Justices Zuwaira Yusuf and Faruk Lawan, have since commenced…

THE Kogi State Government has announced the rescue of six more kidnapped students of the Confluence University of Science and Technology (CUSTECH), Osara, Kogi. The state’s Commissioner for Information, Kingsley Fanwo, in a statement on Tuesday, said the fresh number of rescued students brought the number of freed students rescued to 20. “Our data shows that there are four students yet to be found,” he added. He some of the kidnappers escaped with severe injuries during a gun duel with security agents. “Nine students had been rescued first while five others were found the following morning. The families of the…

THE Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Monday prayed the Kogi Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Abuja to dismiss a petition filed by the Social Democratic Party (SDP), and its candidate, Murtala Ajaka, against the victory of Gov. Usman Ododo. Gov. Ododo and his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), have also told the three-member panel of Justices, headed by Justice Ado Birnin-Kudu, to dismiss the petition in its entirety for being incompetent and lacking in merit. The trio, through their lawyers – Chief Kanu Agabi, Joseph Daudu and Emmanuel Ukala – stated this position while adopting their final…

THE Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced that it will start the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) in Edo and Ondo states where governorship elections would be holding later this year. The electoral body said that the CVR exercise in the two states is to enable eligible citizens who are not registered voters to do so. The INEC Chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, disclosed this during a meeting with the leaders of political parties held at the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja on Monday. The CVR in Edo and Ondo States will take place simultaneously from Monday 27th May 2024 to Wednesday 5th…

THE Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) will picket the office of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) and distribution companies (DisCos)’s premises nationwide on Monday over the hike in electricity tariff. “We write to inform you of the picketing action scheduled to take place in the offices of the NERC and Electricity Distribution companies (DISCOS) in all states, including the FCT,” the unions said in a joint statement by NLC’s Ag General Secretary Chris Uyot and his TUC counterpart Anka Hassan “The action will jointly take place on Monday, 13th of May, 2024 nationwide simultaneously.…

SOME of the abducted students of Confluence University of Science and Technology, Osara, Okene in Kogi State, have been rescued, the state government has confirmed. In a statement on Sunday, the Kogi State Commissioner for Information and Communication, Kingsley Fanwo, said the students were rescued safely by local hunters and other security agents. He did not disclose the exact number of students rescued but the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, SP Williams Aya, told our correspondent via text message that 14 students were rescued. The Commissioner said that the local vigilante men and security agents engaged the kidnappers…

KOGI State Governor, Ahmed Usman Ododo has vowed to secure the safe return of students of the Confluence University of Science and Technology (CUSTECH) Osara, who were abducted from the university campus on Thursday. Governor Ododo made this known when he visited the university campus on an assessment of the security situation in the wake of the security breach on the campus that led to the abduction of the students. Governor Ododo assured that every necessary step including non-kinetic measures have been activated to ensure the safe return of the abducted students. While assuring members of the university community of…

SOME unknown gunmen have reportedly shot dead a middle-aged man, identified as Khalid Bichi, in Maitama, Abuja, on Friday night. Bichi, said to be an employee of the Federal Inland Revenue Service, was reportedly killed by his attackers just before 9 pm while he was out to get food, the Guardian reports. He was reportedly shot multiple times. He was afterwards rushed to Maitama General Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. According to sources, Bichi was known for being active on social media with the username @Khalid Bichi and had connections with influential politicians. The deceased will be laid to…

THE Nigeria Police Force has insisted that the arrest of the Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ) reporter, Mr Daniel Ojukwu, is in strict compliance with legal protocols and procedures. Ojukwu, who spent 10 days in police custody, was arrested for allegedly violating the country’s Cybercrime Act, often criticized as a tool for censorship. The journalist’s arrest and subsequent transfer to the Nigerian capital of Abuja followed his report about alleged financial mismanagement of over N147 million ($104,600) involving a senior government official, according to his employer. His arrest was followed by calls from his colleagues, civil society organisations and others,…

– Adjourns To June 13, 2024 For Arraignment A FEDERAL High Court, Abuja, on Friday granted the application by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for the former Governor of Kogi, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, to appear in court for his trial. Justice Emeka Nwite, in a ruling, held that even if the arrest warrant was illegally obtained, the defendant (Bello) should have still shown up in court. The judge had, on April 23, fixed today (May 10) for the ruling on the ex-governor’s application to set aside the arrest warrant against him. The judge had on, April 17, issued…

FOLLOWING report of gunmen attack on the Confluence University of Science and Technology, Okene, the Kogi State Government has assured the students, parents and the good people of the state that the it is on top of the situation. The govt gave the assurance in a press statement signed by the State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Kingsley Femi Fanwo, made available to News Point Nigeria, Friday. According to the statement, immediately the report was received, the Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo activated the security architecture to track the kidnappers and ensure the abducted students are rescued and…