FOUR states are currently experiencing power outages due loss of bulk power supply by the Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company. The affected states are Kaduna, Sokoto, Zamfara, and Kebbi. A statement by the Kaduna DisCo Head of Corporate Communications, Abdulazeez Abdullahi, confirmed the development on Sunday. According to Abdullahi, the power supply would be restored as soon as DisCo received bulk supply at load centres across its franchise. “The Management of Kaduna Electric wishes to inform its esteemed customers that it has lost bulk power supply hence the outage being experienced currently in Kaduna, Sokoto, Zamfara and Kebbi states. “Power supply…
Author: Abdullahi Maitama Sani
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THE Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has recovered over N30bn from the N37,170, 855,753.44 allegedly laundered in the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs under the former minister, Sadiya Umar-Farouk. Sources in the anti-graft agency, who spoke with our correspondent on Sunday, said the commission had also uncovered over N500m from the ‘taken funds’ associated with Umar-Farouk’s successor, Betta Edu, who was recently suspended by President Bola Tinubu. This newspaper had in December reported that N37,170,855,753.44 was transferred from government coffers and sent to 38 different bank accounts domiciled in five legacy commercial banks belonging to or connected with a contractor, James…
THE Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says it has suspended the ongoing rerun elections in specific constituencies in Enugu, Kano and Akwa Ibom States due to disruptions, irregularities and abduction of election officials. The affected areas are Enugu South 1 State Constituency, Enugu State, Ikono/Ini Federal Constituency, Akwa Ibom State and Kunchi/Tsanyawa State Constituency, Kano State. The electoral body disclosed this in a statement signed by its National Commissioner & Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumekun on Saturday. The decision came after INEC earlier said it was monitoring cases of thuggery and hijacking of electoral materials in these…
THE Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has recovered a total of N70,556,658,370.5 within 100 days, between October 2023 and January 19, 2024. Details of the recovery outlined in an EFCC document titled, ‘Operations and Recoveries’, was obtained by our correspondent on Wednesday. The document revealed that between October 2023 and January 19, 2024, the EFCC recovered N60,969,047,634.25, $10,522,778.57, £150,002.10, €4,119.90, making a total of N70,556,658,370.5 recovered by the anti-graft commission within the period. Within the same period, the EFCC received a total of 3,325 petitions, accepted 2,657 of the petitions, and secured the convictions of 747 persons for financial crime…
THE trial of Ahmed Idris, a former Accountant General of the Federation, on alleged N109 billion corruption charge, at the Federal Capital Territory High Court, has been adjourned to March 20 following completion of the cross examination of the first prosecution witness. Idris is being tried alongside three others by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for the alleged diversion of the said N109 billion. During the proceedings, the witness admitted that the former accountant general didn’t have a lawyer with him when his statements were taken during investigation by the anti-graft agency. The witness informed the court that…
THE high rate of insecurity in Abuja has continued, the latest being the attack on a house situated 200 metres close to a military base in Pambara, Bwari Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja. During the attack, one Aondo Ver, said to be a director in the Federal Housing Authority, was abducted. The bandits stormed the house around 12:30am on Thursday. The kidnappers reportedly gained access through the fence. As of the time of filing this report, the Army had yet to comment on the incident. This is coming days after gunmen broke into a home at…
THE Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has begin investigation on the controversial Nigeria Air deal sealed by ex-Aviation Minister, Hadi Sirika. “The EFCC is investigating that deal,” the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, revealed on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme on Wednesday monitored by News Point Nigeria. He said “there is a criminal investigation going on. I have called for the report”. Keyamo also said no local airline would be designated as national airline, adding that “we will established a proper national carrier”. Last August, shortly after he was sworn in as minister, Keyamo, a Senior…
THE Senate, on Wednesday, through its Committee on Banking, Insurance and other Financial Institutions, summoned the Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, Olayemi Cardoso, to appear before it on Tuesday next week to answer questions on the state of the economy and the free fall of naira in the forex market. The Committee, chaired by Senator Adetokunbo Abiru (APC Lagos East), met on Wednesday when the naira plummeted to N1,520 to a US dollar and resolved to summon the CBN governor on the way out. The naira at the official window on Tuesday, fell at an all-time low of N1,482…
TWO teenage sisters have been kidnapped by gunmen suspected to be bandits at Guita community, Chikakore in Kubwa, Bwari Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. This is coming barely eight days after the Chikakore community protested to the office of the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, over the terrible state of the major road linking their community which they described as one of the causes of serial kidnapping in the area. Our source gathered on Wednesday that the kidnappers returned last Sunday around 11:25pm despite the patrol of military men and policemen in the area. It was learnt that…
THE Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ola Olukoyede, has revealed that the anti-graft agency uncovered how a religious sect in Nigeria is laundering money for terrorists. This was as he also revealed that another religious body was found to be protecting a money launderer after some money suspected to have been laundered was traced to the organisation’s bank account. The EFCC boss made the revelation on Wednesday at the Musa Yar’Adua Centre, Abuja, during a one-day dialogue on “Youth, Religion, and the Fight against Corruption.” He noted that religious organisations, institutions, sects, and bodies, have been found…
THE Supreme Court has affirmed the election of Governor Ahmadu Fintiri as Governor of Adamawa State. Justice John Okoro who prepared and read the lead judgement on Wednesday dismissed the appeal by the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Aisha Dahiru. While dismissing her appeal for lacking in merit, the five-member panel led by Justice John Okoro held that the act of the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Hudu Ari, was an act of irresponsibility and criminality. Justice Okoro further held that it is the returning officer who must announce results, as this is to avoid chaos and anarchy.…
THE President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero, says most governors of the 37-Member Tripartite Committee On Minimum Wage are guilty of not complying with the proposed base pay structure. Vice President Kashim Shettima had inaugurated the committee in Abuja earlier on Tuesday, saying the decision was aimed at ensuring a decent living wage and in compliance with the existing National Minimum Wage Act of 2019 which will expire in a few months from now. Speaking on Tuesday on Channels Television’s Politics Today monitored by News Point Nigeria Ajaero said, ”Most of the governors in the minimum wage…
A SECOND Prosecution Witness, in the trial of a former Governor of Sokoto State, Attahiru Bafarawa, Kassim Yusuf, on Tuesday, recounted before Justice Yusuf Halilu of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Abuja, that the former governor diverted a staggering N4.6billion he received as security fund from the office of the former National Security Adviser (NSA), Colonel Sambo Dasuki. This was according to a statement by the spokesman for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Dele Oyewale. The EFCC is prosecuting Bafarawa on amended 25-count charges bordering on criminal breach of trust and diversion of public funds to the…
THE Federal Government on Tuesday inaugurated the 37-man Tripartite Committee on National Minimum Wage. The committee is to recommend a new National Minimum Wage for the country. Vice President Kashim Shettima who inaugurated the committee at the Council Chamber of the Presidential Villa Abuja, charged to them to ensure the timely submission of their recommendations. The Committee chaired by the former Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Goni Bukar Aji, is made up of members of the organised labour, the private sector and the federal and state governments. Shettima said the decision to set up the committee is…
AT least 1,500 members of staff of the Central Bank of Nigeria will on Friday resume at its Lagos office following their redeployment from the headquarters, this newspaper has learned. A source at the apex bank told our correspondent that the plan, though heavily criticised, was still in motion, and affected staffers would be resuming on Friday. “Yes, the plan is still on and they will resume work by February 2, which is the first week of next month,” an official said. The latest development comes on the backdrop of the decision of the new management to relocate some of…
THE Dangote Petroleum Refinery is set to import crude oil from the United States in the coming months, as the $20 billion facility intensifies moves to start pumping out refined products. Africa’s largest refinery’s move to import crude from the US is a sign of just how competitive American barrels have become in the global market, Bloomberg reported on Monday. The multi-billion dollar refinery is also reportedly expecting two million barrels of crude oil from Trafigura Group in February. The Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemical Project, a subsidiary of Dangote Industries Limited, is a 650,000 barrels per day crude oil…
THE Supreme Court has reserved judgment in the appeal by the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its governorship candidate, Aisha Dahiru, popularly called Binani, against the governor of Adamawa state, Ahmadu Fintiri. The tribunal and Court of Appeal had dismissed Binani’s petition challenging the victory of Finitiri in the governorship election held last year. The five-member panel led by John Okoro adjourned the matter for judgment after listening to the arguments of the parties involved in the matter. The main contention of Binani, through her counsel, Akin Olujimi, at the day’s proceeding, is that the controversial declaration by the Resident…
OWNING a private jet in Nigeria isn’t just for convenience, but also a display of wealth and affluence as many Nigerians ranging from politicians, to artists and also pastors have been known to acquire private jets. AMB reports that Billionaire businessman, Aliko Dangote tops the list and on an average, the maintenance of a private jet costs about $500,000 to $1 million (approx. N290 million – N580 million) per year yet people still pay this huge sum. There are also general checks that should be done on a private jet which include ‘C’ checks, software checks, fuel level, preflight, post-flight…
THE Commission of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) says it is yet to receive any direct formal notification from Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger Republic about their intention to withdraw from the Community. In a statement on Sunday, the Commission said it has been “working assiduously with these countries for the restoration of constitutional order. Burkina Faso, Niger, and Mali remain important members of the Community and the Authority remains committed to finding a negotiated solution to the political impasse”. “The ECOWAS Commission remains seized with the development and shall make further pronouncements as the situation evolves,”…
THE Federal Government, through the Ministry of Solid Minerals Development and the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission ( RMAFC), have resolved to strengthen collaboration to block revenue leakages in the mining sector. Speaking while welcoming the RMAFC chairman, Mohammed Bello, and his team to his office recently, the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Dele Alake commended efforts of the commission to boost revenue accruing to government coffers through mining operations. Bello in his remarks stated that the commission’s visit is hinged on pledging support for efforts of the Minister to transform the mining sector since assumption of office…