Following the allegations levelled against former Kogi State Governor Alhaji Yahaya Bello over alleged N80.2billion fraud, the State House of Assembly has called on the Economic and Financial Crime Commission to obey the rule of law and work within the ambit of law creating the Commission. This forms part of the resolutions during the House plenary on Tuesday. The lawmakers also resolved that the Tag ‘WANTED’ laced around the name and person of former Governor Bello be immediately removed. Other resolutions of the hallowed chamber read in part, “The EFCC, IGP, IMMIGRATION, NSA and other agenci ..read more

A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has admitted three documents in the bribery allegations against Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Support Midstream Company Limited, Mr. Akintoye Akindele. One of them showed that the N150 million allegedly transferred to the Investigating Police Officer, IPO, Ibrahim Sini, by Akintoye Akindele, was part payment for debt he owed Summit Oil International Ltd and not meant to bribe the officer as alleged. Trial judge, Justice Modupe Osho-Adebiyi, admitted the petition, which include a petition to the Inspector General of Police by Summit Oil Inter ..read more

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), on Tuesday, said it cannot take any action on the contentious Rivers State Caretaker Committee list because of an ex-parte order issued by the Federal High Court in Abuja restraining it from doing so. The National Working Committee (NWC) of PDP stated this after its “extensive deliberation” over the matter. Recall that the Rivers State governor, Siminalayi Fubara, had rejected the Rivers State Caretaker Committee list published by the NWC because it favoured his predecessor and Federal Capital Territory (FCT) minister, Nyesom Wike. The PDP caucus had last we ..read more

The paramount ruler of the Tiv nation, His Imperial Majesty, Professor James Ayatse, has announced a significant reduction in the total expenses surrounding traditional marriage among Tiv parents to N100,000 or less. This decision was made in response to the complaints of young people in Tivland about the skyrocketing bride prices and the associated costs of elaborate traditional marriage ceremonies. Arewa PUNCH investigations revealed that the high cost of traditional marriage, often reaching N500,000 or more, along with a long list of demands, had made it difficult for many marriageable youn ..read more

AN Oyo State High Court sitting in Ibadan has granted an order of mandatory injunction setting aside the selection and appointment of the Onifiditi of Fiditi, Oba Oyeleye Sakirudeen. The suit, marked IHOY/59/2013, was between the applicants, namely Samuel Ogunkunle and Bayo Oyewale and Oba Oyelere Sakirudeen, Ademola Akande, Depo Oguntoyin, Kunle Oniyitan, who are first, second, third and fourth defendants respectively. Others listed as defendants in the suit were the Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde (fifth), Commissioner for Justice (sixth), Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy M ..read more

The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ola Olukoyede, has revealed that endemic corruption in the Nigerian public sector is systemic. He also noted that saints would be contaminated if brought into the Nigerian public sector. Olukoyede made the development known on Tuesday while fielding questions from journalists at the EFCC headquarters, Jabi, Abuja. He commented on the alleged money laundering cases involving former Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, and suspended Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Betta Edu, among others. Olukoyede said, “There are things that we cann ..read more

A former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) governor, Godwin Emefiele approved the printing of N684,590,000 at the rate of N18.96 billion, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has alleged in a fresh charge filed at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). The charge, seen by our correspondent, alleged that Emefiele broke the law with intent to harm the public during his implementation of the naira swap policy of the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari. The anti-graft agency also accused Emefiele of unlawfully approving the withdrawal N124.8billion from t ..read more

A legal officer at the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, Kaduna Command, Paul J. Magga, has filed a suit at the Federal High Court, challenging the constitutionality of Article 9(3)(b) of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Constitution as amended in 2021. The provision in question restricts the positions of President, 1st Vice President, and General Secretary to only lawyers in private practice. Magga argues that this provision directly violates Section 42 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, which prohibits discrimination. He contends that every qualified memb ..read more

Rivers Governor Siminalayi Fubara has reshuffled his cabinet amidst the political crisis rocking the State. The Governor, in a statement on Tuesday night by the Secretary to the Rivers State Government, Dr. Tammy Danagogo, redeployed the Commissioner for Justice and Attorney-General of the state, Prof. Zacchaeus Adangor to the Ministry of Special Duties (Governor’s Office). Fubara also sent the Commissioner for Finance, Isaac Kamalu, to the Ministry of Employment Generation and Economic Empowerment. The Governor asked them to immediately hand over to their respective permanent secretaries. He ..read more

The National Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) Dr Abdullahi Ganduje has said no amount of sponsored impostors and illegal suspension can distract him from making the governing party the first choice for electorates. He noted that he was not moved by the recent purported suspension allegedly orchestrated by the Governor Abba Yusuf- led administration in Kano State. Ganduje spoke on Tuesday at the National Secretariat of the party when the Forum of APC State Chairmen paid a solidarity visit and passed a vote of confidence on him. According to him, the leadership of the party ..read more