NIGERIANS seeking admissions to foreign universities spent $340.84m to fund their application between January and June 2023, findings by this newspaper have shown. This figure is according to the Central Bank of Nigeria’s data on the amount spent on educational services under the sectoral utilisation for transactions valid for foreign exchange. The apex bank said that in April 2023, a total of $40.54m was spent on foreign education, while noting that $48.81m was spent in May 2023. However, in June 2023, there was a significant decrease as the bank stated that $32.61m was spent. When compared with $218.88m recorded in…
Author: Abimbola Daniels
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AN Assistant Superintendent of Police, Babatunde Ashifat, on Tuesday, narrated to the Ikeja Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court how a man, Jelili Lawal, raped a 79-year-old woman to death. The witness who was led in evidence in chief by the state counsel, Ms Bukola Okeowo, told the court that he received the case for investigation on January 2, 2019. Ashifat stated that the case was reported at their station by an officer who was on patrol. The witness further told the court that the policemen who reported the case were called by two ladies who saw the defendant allegedly…
LAGOS State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu has joined other South-West governors to visit his Ondo counterpart, Rotimi Akeredolu. The meeting was held on Tuesday in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital. Other governors in attendance were Dapo Abiodun (Ogun), Seyi Makinde (Oyo) and Biodun Oyebanji. This was disclosed in a statement by Akeredolu’s Chief Press Secretary, Richard Olatunde. Olatunde said the governors discussed national and other issues affecting the region and the people. However, Osun State governor, Ademola Adeleke, was conspicuously absent. Adeleke was not represented by his deputy, Kola Adewusi, neither was there any reason for his absence. At the meeting,…
THE Lagos State Government has sealed the Alaba International Market over poor waste disposal practices among others. This is according to the Lagos State Commissioner for Environment Tokunbo Wahab who tweeted this early Monday. “Alaba International Market, Ojo has been sealed up for poor waste disposal practices, failure to pay their waste bills, and gross environmental sanitation offences,” he wrote on X. More details shortly…
THE Lagos State Government has sealed a private hospital at Ago-Okota in the Oshodi-Isolo Local Government Area for taking unscreened and unlabeled blood and administering it to 23 unknowing patients. Dr. Bodunrin Osikomaiya, the executive secretary of the Lagos State Blood Transfusion Service (LSBTS), made this known in a statement released on Sunday by Tunbosun Ogunbanwo, the Director of Public Affairs for the State Ministry of Health. Osikomaiya stated that after receiving a tip from a concerned citizen, the LSBTS sealed the facility in coordination with the state Health Facilities Monitoring and Accreditation Agency. “Following the tip-off, and after thorough…
THE complaints of customers to five banks rose by 117 per cent to 6,865,217 year-on-year as of June 2023 from 3,156,704 complaints as of the same period in 2022, this newspaper can report. Financial claims arising from the various complaints in the review period stood at N326.11bn, up by 289 per cent compared with N83.78bn paid in claims in June 2022. The reviewed Lenders’ reports obtained from the Nigerian Exchange Limited include United Bank for Africa, Fidelity Bank, Access Holdings, Zenith Bank Plc and Guaranty Trust Holding Company. Customers’ complaints to UBA rose to 1,930,518 as of June 2023, from…
THE Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has recovered a combined sum of N27,184,357,524.52 and $19,084,419.33 from three different money laundering cases, as further efforts are being made by the anti-graft agency to recover more illicit funds. The anti-graft agency said it would soon make public, details of its ongoing probe of some former governors, ex-ministers, and several government officials across the federation, following the receipt of several petitions. This newspaper reports that the anti-graft agency is also carrying out ongoing investigations into some monumental procurement fraud involving some officials of the Federal Ministry of Power and the Ministry of Agriculture.…
JUSTICE Hakeem Oshodi of the Lagos State High Court in Ikeja, Lagos, on Wednesday, convicted two members of a group of pipeline vandals for the murder of seven operatives of the Department of State Service (DSS). The duo, Clement Ododomu and Tiwei Monday, were convicted after Justice Oshodi found them guilty of a 10-count charge of murder and possession of firearms contrary to Sections 223 and 298 (3) of the Criminal Law, Cap. C. A Vol. 3, Laws of Lagos State, 2015. The court found Ododomu (first defendant) guilty of conspiracy to murder, murder and possession of firearms with intent…
THE National Examinations Council, on Tuesday, released the results of the 2023 Internal Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination with a record of 61.60 per cent of candidates scoring five credits and above, including English and Mathematics. However, the examination council disclosed that 93 schools were found to be involved in whole-school (mass) cheating while 52 supervisors were recommended for blacklisting due to poor supervision, aiding and abetting during the examinations. The Registrar and Chief Executive Officer of NECO, Prof. Dantani Wushishi, disclosed this while announcing the release of the results of the examination. Wushishi said the erring schools would be…
NO fewer than 310 Lagos State citizens who went on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem have been evacuated after Palestinian group HAMAS’ Saturday morning surprise attack on Israel. Sharing photos of the indigenes at baggage reclaim Tuesday, presumably upon their arrival, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu posted on X, “I’m happy to announce that we have successfully airlifted and returned all three hundred and ten (310) citizens who went on pilgrimage to Jerusalem, Israel. “I want to thank you all for your concern and I must also express my joy to our Ministry of Home Affairs for a job well done. We pray…
THE Lagos State High Court sitting at the Tafawa Balewa Square annex, Igbosere, Lagos island has convicted and sentenced to death by hanging, a suspended Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), Vandi for the murder of Lagos-based lawyer Mrs Omobolanle Raheem. Justice Ibironke Harrison held that the prosecution, the Lagos State Government, has proven the case against the convict beyond all reasonable doubt. “The court finds the defendant guilty on one count of murder. You will be hanged by the neck till you are dead.” the judge held. On January 16, the Lagos State Government arraigned Vandi before the court for…
THE Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), the Federal Operations Unit, Zone A, Ikeja, said it intercepted eight trailer loads of foreign parboiled rice and others worth N1.76 billion in September. The acting Comptroller General of Customs (CGC), Mr Adewale Adeniyi, said this at a news conference on Friday in Lagos. Adeniyi said the seizures took place at various times and locations within the border corridors of the five South-West states. He added that the unit generated N72.8 million in revenue through meticulous documentary checks and the issuance of demand notices on those that paid lesser amounts than the appropriate customs duty.…
MANY petroleum products depots are currently deserted due to lack of products caused by foreign exchange rate volatility, as the landing cost of Premium Motor Spirit, popularly called petrol, has increased to N720/litre, oil marketers said on Thursday. Petroleum products’ dealers also stated that filling stations were shutting down daily in large numbers, as it was becoming increasingly tough to run the business. They said this could lead to widespread fuel scarcity in coming months. It was further gathered that the landing cost of PMS into Nigeria had increased to N720/litre, up from N651/litre in August this year. Speaking at…
THE Nigeria National Chess Championship (NCC) is the biggest and most important chess event in Nigeria. It is the determinant of the Nigeria National Chess Champion and the Nigeria National Women’s Chess Champion. Hundreds of players and thousands of visitors participate in this annual chess event which runs for eight days. Orchid-Lekki Chess Club (OLCC) hosts the Nigeria National Chess Championship on behalf of the Nigeria Chess Federation (NCF). In the last three years, the quality and influence of the Nigeria National Chess Championship has improved and grown significantly, leading to faster development of the sport in Nigeria. The championship…
THE Lagos State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal has affirmed the return of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu as the duly elected governor of the state. In a unanimous judgment read by Justice Mikail Abdullahi on behalf of the three-man panel on Monday, the tribunal held that the petition of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its governorship candidate Olajide Adediran lacks merit, and the same is accordingly dismissed. In reaching the verdict, the court first dwelt on the preliminary objections raised by the parties before considering the issues raised for determination. The tribunal entertained the question of whether it had the competence…
THE Lagos State Governorship Election Petition sitting in Ikeja has described candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the March 18 election, Olajide Adediran popularly known as Jandor, as “busybody”. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as winner of the election. Dissatisfied, Jandor and Labour Party’s Gbadebo Rhodes-Vovour had headed for the tribunal. While ruling on the petition of Jandor that Sanwo-Olu was not qualified to contest the election because he was improperly nominated and supported by his party, the tribunal held that it could not decide on…
THE Lagos State Governorship Election Tribunal is set to deliver judgment on Monday on the petitions filed by the governorship candidate of the Labour Party, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, and his counterpart of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Olajide Adediran, popularly known as Jandor. News Point Nigeria reports that, Justice Arum Ashom-led panel communicated this message to parties on Saturday. Rhodes-Vivour and Jandor are challenging the return of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and Deputy Governor Obafemi Hamzat of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the March 18 governorship elections in Lagos State by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). On August 12, lawyers…
AT least 34 people were killed when a contraband fuel dump burst into flames in southern Benin near the border with Nigeria, a government official said on Saturday. “A serious fire occurred in the town of Seme Podji,” Interior Minister Alassane Seidou told reporters. Seme Podji is a town bodering Nigeria. “Unfortunately we have 34 deaths including two babies. Their bodies are charred because the cause of the fire is smuggled fuel.” The minister said another 20 people were being treated in hospital, including some in a serious condition. News Point Nigeria reports that, Nigeria is a major oil and…
THE Assets Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) has advised the Chairman of Arik Air, Johnson Arumemi-Ikide, to present a reasonable debt recovery plan in order to recover the airline. Managing Director of AMCON, Mr Ahmed Kuru, gave the advice at a media interactive session in Lagos State. This newspaper recalls that AMCON, the special debt recovery vehicle of the Federal Government, took over Arik Air in February 2017. The take over was part of measures to “save” the airline from “imminent collapse” citing gross mismanagement by Arik owners, and debt above N300 billion. Arumemi-Ikide, in July had attempted to reclaim…
FORMER President, Olusegun Obasanjo, says he stands by his position on the Oyo State traditional rulers whom he accused of disrespecting Governor Seyi Makinde. Last Friday, Obasanjo, at the opening of the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology College of Agriculture and Renewable Natural Resources in Iseyin, Oyo State, stoked controversy when he humiliated monarchs in attendance at the event. He was angry that the monarchs failed to honour Makinde when he mounted the podium to speak. Obasanjo ordered all the traditional rulers to stand up, a development which has generated outrage across the country most especially in Yorubaland. The Oluwo…