Despite irregularities, 2023 poll reflected will of Nigerians - US report

The 2023 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices says the last general election in Nigeria reflected the will of the populace despite widespread irregularities. 

The report published by the bureau of democracy, human rights, and labour, US Department of State, highlights human rights practices and violations in different countries, including Nigeria.

The report stated that supporters of the All Progressives Congress (APC) suppressed votes in Igbo-dominated areas during the March 2023 governorship election in Lagos.

“National elections were widely reported to have reflected the will of voters, despite technical and logistical difficulties, and some irregularities,” the report reads.

How flight engineer averted another potential air disaster -Joe Abah

Joe Abah, a former director-general of the Bureau of Public Service Reforms (BPSR), has narrated how a ground engineer prevented another potential air disaster in Nigeria.

 

In a series of posts via X, Abah said he boarded the Ibom Air flight from Lagos to Abuja on Thursday morning.

 

He said as the aircraft prepared for take-off, there was a bang on the door from outside, which made the flight attendant to open the door.

 

“As she did, a ground engineer came in and those of us in front clearly heard him say “You can’t go. Your landing gear is bad,” Abah wrote.

 

Ologbondiyan to Yahaya Bello: Stop hiding, submit yourself to the law

Kola Ologbondiyan, former national publicity secretary of the Peoples Democratic (PDP), has urged Yahaya Bello, former governor of Kogi state, to “come out of hiding and submit himself to the law”.

 

Bello who has been declared wanted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for alleged money laundering, said through his counsel that his failure to appear before a federal high court in Abuja is due to fear of arrest by the anti-graft agency.

 

Speaking with TheCable on Wednesday, Ologbondiyan said Bello should listen to Nigerians who have asked him to submit himself to the law.

 

“He is left with only one choice and that is, he should go and face the law,” Ologbondiyan said.

 

Court strikes out suit seeking to reverse appointment of Hannatu Musawa as minister

A Federal High Court in Abuja has struck out a suit seeking to reverse the appointment of Hannatu Musawa as Minister of Art, Culture and Creative Economy by President Bola Tinubu.

Justice James Omotosho, in a judgment, held that the plaintiffs lacked legal right to file the suit.

Justice Omotosho also held that even where the plaintiffs were vested with legal right to file the matter, the suit itself lacked merit.

Tinubu had, on July 27, 2023, transmitted Musawa’s name, alongside other ministerial-nominees, to the Senate for confirmation.

ESN not harassing Northerners in Southeast – IPOB

The Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, on Thursday said the Eastern Security Network, ESN, is not harassing Northerners and Fulanis in the Southeast.

IPOB said there are Northerners going about their legitimate businesses in the Southeast without being harassed.

The group was reacting to claims by the Northern Elders Forum, NEF, that ESN was involved in mass killing of Fulani cow and Northerners.

Emma Powerful, the spokesman of IPOB, described NEF as bunch of hypocrites and crisis instigators who seldomly speak the truth.

Alleged procurement fraud: EFCC lawyer’s absence stalls Emefiele’s trial

The absence of lead counsel to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission EFCC, Mr Rotimi Oyedepo, on Thursday stalled the trial of former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Godwin Emefiele, in the procurement fraud charges brought against him by the Federal Government.

 

Oyedepo, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, had in a letter hinted that he would not be present in court due to another official engagement.

 

He requested for an adjournment of the trial till the date he suggested.

 

When the matter was called one I. D. Ahmed, who announced appearance for Emefiele, told the court that the lead counsel to the defendant had informed him of a letter from the prosecution for the adjournment of the matter.

 

Nigerian varsities promoting ethnic, religious biases – Bishop Kukah

The Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Matthew Kukah, has said that Nigerian universities are increasingly promoting ethnic and religious biases.

 

Kukah made this statement in an interview with Arise TV on Thursday.

 

The cleric criticized what he described as a worrying trend of declining diversity and meritocracy in Nigerian universities, particularly in Northern Nigeria.

 

“A mosque was constructed at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. I delivered a convocation lecture in Calabar three weeks ago. After my lecture, the Chief Imam of the University came to congratulate me.

Kanye West joins adult industry

 American rapper Kanye West is set to join the adult industry.

 

The billionaire business mogul announced the launch of his own p%rn company called Yeezy Porn recently.

 

There have been reports that West was venturing into the adult industry. He has now confirmed his entry into the adult industry.

 

On his Instagram story on Wednesday, Kanye West wrote: “Yeezy P%rn is cumming.”

 

Ondo APC guber aspirant, Akinterinwa finally honours EFCC invitation

An All Progressives Congress, APC, governorship aspirant in Ondo State, Wale Akinterinwa, has said he will honour the invitation of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Thursday.

Akinterinwa, who contested with 15 others for the party’s governorship ticket last Saturday, was invited by the anti-graft agency over financial misappropriation.

Reports earlier indicated that the EFCC was investigating Akinterinwa for allegedly mismanaging billions of Naira while serving as the Commissioner for Finance during late Rotimi Akeredolu’s administration.

The report alleged that he was invited some weeks ago by EFCC to interact on some allegations but was “too busy” to honour the invitation.

Alleged money laundering: Judge’s absence stalls Fayose’s trial

The absence of Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke in the alleged money laundering trial of a former Governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose, stalled the proceeding on Thursday at the Federal High Court in Lagos.

Justice Aneke was said to be on an official assignment.

The case has been adjourned until July 1 for the continuation of trial.

Recall that Fayose is being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, for alleged N6.9 billion fraud and money laundering.

FAAN diverts flights as fire breaks out at Lagos airport

Flight operations at terminal one of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) Lagos have been diverted by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to the D Wing following a fire outbreak at the facility.

 

Obiageli Orah, director, public affairs and consumer protection, FAAN, said the incident happened in the early hours of Thursday.

 

In a statement, Orah said at “05:29 hrs, smoke was detected billowing from the E54 Bridge, leading electrical engineers to immediately cut off power to the entire E Wing”.

 

“The Airport Rescue and Firefighting Services (ARFFS) team was quick to respond, arriving at the scene by 05:30 hrs. Initial suspicions point to sparks from an electrical unit as the cause, but a thorough investigation is ongoing to ascertain the cause of the fire,” she said.

 

Father arrested for ‘writing’ UTME for son

The Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) says cases of people having double national identification numbers (NIN) made impersonation possible in the 2024 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).

 

The statement from the exam body came after a father and his son were arrested for alleged impersonation in the ongoing UTME.

 

The father, whose name has not been disclosed, was said to have impersonated his son to help the latter pass the university entrance examination.

 

Ishaq Oloyede, registrar of the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB), confirmed the development in an interview on Wednesday.

 

Benue currently under siege, Akume remains my leader – Ortom

Chief Samuel Ortom, the immediate past governor of Benue State, has said the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, Senator George Akume, remains his leader and mentor in politics.

The former governor stated this during the celebration of his 63rd birth anniversary, organised by his former appointees in Makurdi, the state capital.

Ortom also claimed that Benue, under the current administration, is under siege, saying the state requires collaborative efforts of stakeholders.

He appealed to the state’s incumbent governor, Hyacinth Alia, to sheath his sword and work with Akume and other stakeholders to attract more dividends of democracy to the State.

Scores of inmates escape as heavy rains destroy prisons in Niger

Some inmates escaped from Suleja Correctional Facility in Niger State during heavy rainfall on Wednesday night which destroyed parts of the facility.

This is contained in a statement by the spokesman of the FCT Command of the Nigeria Correctional Service, NCoS, Adamu Duza, on Thursday morning.

“A heavy downpour that lasted for several hours on the night of Wednesday, 24 April 2024 has wreaked havoc on the Medium Security Custodial Centre, Suleja, Niger State, as well as surrounding buildings, destroying part of the custodial facility, including its perimeter fence, giving way to the escape of a total of 118 inmates of the facility,” he said.

He stated that the Service has immediately activated its recapturing mechanisms, and in conjunction with sister security agencies has so far rearrested 10 fleeing inmates and taken them into custody, while still in a hot chase to recapture the rest.

Queues return as fuel scarcity hits Abuja, five states

 Many filling stations were closed in Abuja and about five other states on Wednesday as the scarcity of Premium Motor Spirit, popularly called petrol caused heavy queues at the few outlets that dispensed the product.

 

Thousands of commuters in the Federal Capital Territory, Nasarawa, Niger, Gombe, Sokoto and Anambra states were left stranded at various bus stops due to the scarcity of PMS required by transporters to run their vehicles.

 

This led to a hike in transport fares in the affected states, as the few transporters who had petrol raised their rates.

 

It was gathered that the scarcity was due to a shortage in the supply of PMS to the nation’s capital and other states, as this led to the closure of filling stations in the affected areas.