Author: Abimbola Daniels

PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu on Thursday arrived in Lagos State for the Yuletide. The president’s plane touched down at the Presidential Wing of the Muritala Muhammad Airport in Lagos at 3.55 pm. He was received at the airport by Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, other members of his cabinet, and a crowd of supporters, before boarding a chopper to Dodan Barracks in Ikoyi. The Nigerian leader will be joining the Christian faithful to mark the Christmas celebration.

THE Supreme Court on Tuesday reserved judgment in the appeals by the Labour Party and the Peoples Democratic Party challenging the victory of the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu. The apex court adjourned the matter for judgment after counsel in the matter adopted their briefs. Sanwo-Olu of the All Progressives Congress defeated the candidates of the LP, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, and PDP’s Azeez Adediran, to win the governorship election. Displeased with the outcome of the election, the LP and PDP candidates challenged Sanwo-Olu’s victory at the tribunal. The tribunal dismissed their petitions for lacking in merit. Challenging the decision at the…

THE Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu has approved payment of wage award and 50% of basic salary as a December bonus for all civil servants in the State. The Head of Service, Bode Agoro, disclosed this in a circular titled, ‘2023 End of Year Bonus and Implementation of Wage Awards,’ and dated 14 December 2023. Sanwo-Olu also approved the payment of 50% of basic salary as an end-of-year bonus for all political appointees and public servants, including employees of Local Governments and Local Council Development Areas, Lagos State Universal Basic Education Board (LASUBEB) and the Lagos Neighborhood Safety Corps (LNSC).…

THE Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation said it has paid an insured sum of over N1.7 billion to customers, following the revocation of licences of Microfinance Banks and four Primary Mortgage Banks. The Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, NDIC, Mr. Bello Hassan, said this at the 2023 NDIC Editors Forum on Saturday in Lagos State. This newspaper reports that the meeting had the theme, ‘Stocktaking of Deposit Insurance Practice: Assessing the Past, Evaluating the Present and Forecasting the Future.’ Hassan said, “Recall earlier this year that the Central Bank of Nigeria revoked the licences of 183 institutions comprising Microfinance Banks and Primary…

THE Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu says the state recorded zero bank robbery in four years, the longest period over the past 20 years. Sanwo-Olu said this on Tuesday at the 17th Town Hall Meeting on security organised by the Lagos State Security Trust Fund (LSSTF), linking the development to the continuous review of the State’s security architecture and surveillance measures, according to a statement by his chief press secretary Gboyega Akosile. “Celebrating a milestone in security as Lagos achieves four consecutive years of zero bank robberies, marking a significant improvement in safety across the state. “Our relentless efforts in…

DANGOTE Oil Refining Company says its plant is awaiting the second shipment of barrels of crude in three weeks after it received its maiden one million barrels on Friday. The company, in a statement, said the STASCO vessel sailed to the refinery’s single-point mooring, where it was discharged into the refinery’s crude oil from the Shell International Trading and Shipping Company Limited. This newspaper reports that the first crude feedstock for Dangote’s 650,000 b/d refinery has arrived in the country, according to SP Global quoting market sources and tanker tracking data. The analytical firm said the development indicated that fuel…

THE Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja has sentenced Wahab Hammed, a ward Leader of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in the Surulere Local Government Area of the state, to a one-year jail term or in the alternative a fine of N1m. Justice Ismail Ijelu sentenced the defendant after convicting him on a two-count charge of conspiracy and bribery. At his arraignment on Wednesday, the EFCC Prosecutor, Samuel Daji, told the court that on February 25, 2023, the defendant conspired with one Segun Ijitola (who is still at large), to corruptly pay bribe to voters during the 2023 Presidential and…

THE withdrawal of the management of pilotage from Integrated Logistics Services Nigeria Limited has cost the Federal Government $161m, Nigerian Ports Authority has disclosed. The NPA, in a statement on Sunday, said that the monies were lost due to the constraint of not having the requisite technology to monitor the operations. “After the expiration of the service boat management agreement, the authority took over the performance of the service through various departments and divisions. However, due to the constraint of not having the requisite technology to monitor the operations, the expected revenue dwindled and it resulted in the drastic reduction…

UBA, a leading pan-African financial institution, has won nine prestigious awards at The Bankers Awards 2023, solidifying its position as the leading financial institution on the continent. The awards were presented to the bank at a ceremony in London, United Kingdom, on Thursday. UBA was named the Bank of the Year Africa 2023, and its subsidiaries also emerged as the Bank of the Year in eight of the 20 countries where it operates in Africa. This is the second time in the past three years that UBA has won the regional award as the Best Bank in Africa. UBA’s Group…

THE Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja has summoned the acting Director-General, National Commission against the Proliferation of Arms, Light Weapons and Pipeline Vandalism (NATCOM), Mr Adejare Nurudeen Adegbenro, to appear before it following his failure to liquidate an alleged judgment debt. According to the summons, Adegbenro is the 3rd judgment debtor in an N2,016228,442.95 debt owed to the Judgment Creditor, Fundquest Financial Services Ltd. Justice Akinkunmi Idowu issued the summons in a November 8 ruling following an application by Fundquest Financial Services through its lawyer, Adetunji Adedoyin-Adeniyi of AAA Chambers. The judge adjourned till Monday, December 4 for further…

THE Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has withdrawn the money laundering charge filed against a former Attorney-General of Lagos State, Olasupo Shasore. Shasore was arraigned alongside his company, Middlesex Investments Ltd, on a 14-count charge of money laundering before Justice Inyang Ekwo, in November 2022. At the day’s proceedings, counsel for the EFCC, Bala Sanga, told the judge that the Attorney-General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi, has directed the anti-graft agency via a letter, to withdraw the charge. Counsel to Shasore, Olawale Akoni, did not oppose the application. Justice Ekwo subsequently granted the application and discharged the defendants. The…

THE Lagos State Police Command has arrested one Benjamin Ezeukwe for organising a fake sales promo reducing the price of Dangote cement and defrauding Nigerians. This was disclosed in a statement issued by the state’s Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin on Sunday. According to the statement, millions of Naira were lost by several customers who fell for the scam. Thus far, the investigation has shown that the suspect has committed multiple additional scams of a similar nature. After weeks of extensive investigation by officers of Region A Command of the State Command, Benjamin was taken into custody on October 19,…

THE Chairman, Board of Directors of Access Holdings Plc, Bababode Osunkoya, has died at the age of 61. According to a statement filed with the Nigerian Exchange Limited on Thursday night, Osunkoya died after a brief illness on Tuesday. The statement signed by the Company Secretary, Sunday Ekwochi, said, “Consequent upon the tragic event, the company now has a nine-member board comprising of six non-executive directors (two of whom are independent) and three executive Directors inclusive of the group chief executive officer.” The financial institution revealed that the board will announce Osunkoya’s successor subsequently. Osunkoya was on the board of…

LAGOS State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on Tuesday, said officers in the state have come out to show that there could be mistakes on some items in the records released by the Lagos State Public Procurement Agency (PPA). Sanwo-Olu spoke when he commissioned a newly built operational headquarters of the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) in Ikeja, the state capital. Recently, the Sanwo-Olu administration has faced criticisms over the spending of the government with the Deputy Governor, Obafemi Hamzat, refuting online reports that his office got over N2 billion for the supply of rechargeable fans and lights as well as…

THE appeal court in Lagos has affirmed the judgment of the tribunal, confirming the return of Babajide Sanwo-Olu and Obafemi Hamzat as the Governor and Deputy Governor of Lagos state. The justices of the court of appeal in a unanimous decision dismissed the appeal of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for lack of merit. The judgement was delivered by Justice Yargata Nimpa, Justice Samuel Bola and Justice Paul Bassey. More details shortly…

NIGERIAN rapper Oladipupo Olabode Oladimeji, popularly known as Oladips, is dead. The 28-year-old artiste died on Tuesday evening, two years after battling with an unknown ailment. This was disclosed in a statement by his management via his verified Instagram page on Wednesday. “We are saddened to inform the general public that Oladipupo Olabode Oladimeji, aka Oladips, passed away yesterday, Nov 14th, Tuesday evening, at precisely 10:14 pm. We are still in shock as we speak!” the statement read. “For over two years, he has kept his battles within himself. His body is now with his family, and funeral services will…

AFFILIATES of the Nigerian Labour Congress and Trade Union Congress of Nigeria in Lagos State, on Tuesday complied with the directive of the two labour unions to embark on an indefinite nationwide strike. The National Executive Council meeting of the labour unions, held on November 13, 2023, in Abuja, resolved to embark on the strike. The decision was due to the alleged failure of the Federal Government to address issues affecting workers, such as the minimum wage, insecurity, corruption, and poor governance. Also, both unions had made some demands, which the government had allegedly failed to address following the recent…

A DRIVER evading arrest by traffic officials on Monday morning killed two street sweepers on the Gbagada-Oshodi Expressway in Lagos State. Our correspondent, who was at the scene of the accident, gathered that the driver, whose name is unknown as of press time, was chased by officers of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) when the fleeing driver rammed into two members of the Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) at their duty post by the roadside. The situation led to a demonstration as passersby and motorists protested the killing of the street sweepers. Security agents including policemen have…

A PROMINENT journalist and Lawyer, Osa Director has sued the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, LASTMA, seeking damages to the tune of N100,000,000 (One Hundred Million Naira) and recovery of his $1,700 (One Thousand And Seven Hundred Dollars) and A52 Samsung Galaxy Handset. In the Suit Number ID/16108MFHR/2023 filed at the Lagos State High Court, Ikeja Judicial Division, Osa is seeking the enforcement of his fundamental human rights. According to him, on August 24, 2023, his car was unlawfully ambushed, forcefully seized from him, and driven to an unknown destination by two officials of LASTMA in company of two thugs…

FOREIGN airlines have disclosed that about 90 per cent of their $783m trapped funds have not been unpaid. The airlines stated this during a stakeholders’ forum convened by the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, in Lagos recently. According to data from the International Air Transport Association, as of August 2023, Nigeria accounted for a substantial $783m of airlines’ blocked funds. Despite recent efforts to alleviate the situation, the airlines said a significant portion of those funds remained inaccessible to them. The Chairman of International Airline Operators, Mr Chima Kingsley, emphasised that while international banks had received some…