Author: Lawal AbdulSalam Olawale

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in Wednesday brought formal charges against former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, for his alleged involvement in financial impropriety.

 

Emefiele was arraigned before Justice Maryann Anenih at the FCT High Court in Abuja, where he pleaded not guilty to four charges.

 

The charges against Emefiele stem from his authorization of the production of N684.5 million, costing N18.96 billion, during his tenure at the CBN.

 

The EFCC alleged that Emefiele knowingly disregarded legal instructions, causing harm to the public while implementing the naira swap policy under the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari.

Additionally, the anti-corruption agency accuses Emefiele of improperly authorizing the withdrawal of N124.8 billion from the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the Federation

The forum of 37 State Women Leaders of the All Progressives Congress and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have decried being abandoned by President Bola Tinubu despite working hard for his electoral victory in the last election.

 

Aggrieved leaders expressed their displeasure about their exclusion from the dividend of party politics during a solidarity visit to the National Chairman of the APC, Abdullahi Ganduje, at the party secretariat in Abuja on Tuesday.

The President of the forum, Patricia Yakubu, said they find it appalling that none of their people was found worthy of being compensated with an appointment or post-election reward from the presidency.

 

She noted that after the 2023 general election, they received only one bag of rice and a paper wrapper each.

Yakubu stated that regardless of their frustration, they were impressed with the Ganduje-led National Working Committee, hence passing a vote of confidence on the national chairman.

 

Speaking further, the forum appealed to the president and the leadership to consider all they sacrificed to ensure the party’s victory, saying they deserve to partake in the federal appointments.

The women leaders also accused the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, headed by Dr Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye, of sharing N50,000 in cash palliatives without extending them to any of their members.

 

She said, “We, the forum of 36 States women Leaders and the FCT have come to pay you a solidarity visit and unanimously say, we believe in you as the National Chairman of our great party. We unequivocally pass a vote of confidence on you and reiterate the fact that the 36 States women Leaders are solidly behind you and the National Working Committee of our great party.

But the state women leaders will want to advocate that we should be carried along in all the affairs about women in the states. We are closer to the party women at the grassroots, the largest voting bloc in the secular world. Our demography should not be neglected. Since after the elections, Your Excellency may note that only one bag of rice and one paper wrapper was given to the state women leaders from the national secretariat of the party.

 

“Nothing was given to us during Easter, the Ramadan fasting period, and Salah festivities. Even the palliatives distributed were not given to the women leaders for onward distribution to the grassroots, We party women waited and waited and waited to no avail very sad. Your Excellency respectfully, we wish to notify you that the Women Leaders sacrificed so much towards the victory of our great party during the 2023 elections.

Nigeria’s headline inflation rate rose to 33.69 per cent in April 2024 from 33.20 per cent in March 2024, according to the National Bureau of Statistics.

NBS gave the statistics in its latest report on consumer price index released in Abuja on Wednesday.

 

The latest figure represents represents an increase of 0.49 per cent over March inflation rate.

 

 

”In April 2024, the headline inflation rate increased to 33.69% relative to the March 2024 headline inflation rate which was 33.20 per cent.

 

Looking at the movement, the April 2024 headline rate showed an increase of 0.49% points when compared to the rate of March 2024,” the NBS reported.

A Nigerian man has been given a life sentence in the UK for killing his wife with a skateboard.

 

He had blamed his loss of control on medication.

According to BBC, Olobunmi Abodunde, 48, admitted to killing Taiwo Abodunde, who suffered “catastrophic brain injuries”, on 28 November last year”.

Abodunde must spend a minimum of 17 years in prison before he can be eligible for parole.

 

The court heard on 27 November, the day before Mrs Abodunde’s death, the couple had a domestic incident and Abodunde was arrested.

 

Ipswich Crown Court heard “a degree of ferocity” was involved in her death at the couple’s family home in Exning Road.

As part of bail conditions, he had been ordered not to contact his spouse.

 

The following morning, Abodunde travelled to the family home to retrieve a mobile phone at about 09:00 BST, the court heard.

 

Mrs Abodunde, a mother of three, had been working overnight as a health care assistant and had been on her way back home.

 

Prosecutor Stephen Spence KC told the court Abodunde was aware of his wife’s shift pattern and CCTV showed she had arrived back at about 09:12.

 

“Only the defendant now knows what happened,” Mr Spence added.

 

The court was told two officers had attended the property at about 09:20 to speak with Mrs Abodunde about the previous day’s domestic incident.

 

“The officers repeatedly knocked on the door and notified them of their presence but got no response or heard any calls for help,” Mr Spence told the court.

However between 40 and 50 “thuds” had been heard, believed to be Abodunde attacking his wife.

 

Officers were given clearance by senior police officials to enter the property at 09:45, the court was told.

 

“When they entered the front door, they immediately found the lifeless body of Mrs Abodunde with her skull smashed in,” Mr Spence said.

 

A postmortem examination found Mrs Abodunde had suffered “catastrophic brain injuries”.

 

She also had injuries that were consistent with her body being “stamped on” as well as being hit with a skateboard.

 

This had been found at the property covered in blood and fragments of skull. The court was told the victim had also been strangled.

 

As Mr Spence addressed the court, the defendant could be heard sobbing from the dock.

 

Nneka Akudolu KC, defending Abodunde, said there was “no other explanation as to why that level of violence was exhibited” other than medication her client was taking at the time of the murder.

 

She said this medication led him to “completely lose control with tragic and lifelong consequences for those who loved” Ms Akudolu.

 

Ibuprofen, vitamins and steroids were found in Abodunde’s blood following the incident, the court was told.

 

“Whilst it does appear that medication was taken, there would be no medical evidence to support that he was medicated with anything that would excuse or cause him to act in the way that he did,” Mr Spence said.

 

During mitigation, Judge Martyn Levett said it was also “surprising” why Abodunde had taken 30 minutes to find the mobile phone once in the house.

 

“It seems to me that he was waiting for confrontation,” he told the court. “There is no debate that there was not going to be confrontation in my view.”

 

Ms Akudolu said Abodunde “was a very well-respected man” both here in the UK and in Nigeria where the couple had previously moved from.

 

He had been a local councillor in Nigeria and had a local street in the country named after him.

The court heard the couple had a “history of frequent disputes over bills and money” with some “low-level violence” involved.

 

Ms Akudolu told the court that “not a day will go by that [Abodunde] does not regret the misery” that he has caused.

 

In his sentencing remarks Judge Levett described Mrs Abodunde’s killing as “ruthless, violent, savage and heartless”.

 

He told the court Abodunde had lied to officers telling them his wife had attempted to attack him with a knife the day before he murdered her.

 

Abodunde also claimed she had tried to beat him, but no evidence was found to substantiate this, the court was told.

As Judge Levett spoke, Abodunde could be seen from the dock with his head in his hands while sobbing.

 

Judge Levett said there had been “no self-defence at all” on Abodunde’s part and he had heard “no remorse other than sobs from the dock”.

 

Following the murder, Suffolk Police referred itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) due to previous contact with the couple.

 

It said earlier this month, two officers were advised they were being investigated for gross misconduct over potential breaches of the standards of professional behaviour.

 

Another officer is under investigation for breaches amounting to misconduct.

 

An IOPC spokesman said: “This does not mean disciplinary proceedings will necessarily follow. Our investigation remains ongoing.”

Unknown gunmen on Monday reportedly abducted dozens number of Dangote Cement workers.

 

According to People’s Gazette, several workers were shot during the assault.

 

The workers were returning from work Monday evening when they were ambushed by suspected bandits at Okpella in Edo, a town near Okene (Kogi state).

Other people are in the bush. My colleague has bullet wounds. A coaster bus filled with staff was attacked at Okpella. Kidnappers,” a witness said. “They kidnapped our whole staff bus. Kidnappers took our staff.”

 

Michael Odofin, a spokesperson for Okpella Cement Plc, confirmed the attack and abduction.

 

“I cannot give any details right now. The attack is still fresh. We have no one killed,” said Mr Odofin

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) on Monday picketted the headquarters of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC ,over the hike in electricity tariff from N65/kwh from 225kwh.

 

At the occasion in Abuja to kickoff the nation wide picketing, the President of NLC, Comrade Joe Ajaero,who lamented the hike, called on the Commission to immediately reverse the increased tariff without further delay.

 

Contributing,the TUC President, Comrade Festus Osifo, represented by the Deputy President of the Congress, Comrade Etim Okon, called on National Assembly to stop the move to remove labour matters from Exclusive List.

to him, the two labour organizations would continue to defend the rights of citizens against exploitation and injustice.

 

Responding, the Chairman of Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, Mr Sanusi Garba, promised Nigerians that the commission would look into the demands of the organized labour, pointing out that it does not intend to build new power plants but improve on the existing ones.

 

Our correspondent gathered that the picketing took place nation wide.

 

For instance in Maiduguri, Borno state, members of NLC and TUC converged at YEDC office, the major DISCO office, to express their dismay over the hike in electricity tariff.

 

Reacting to the development, the State Secretary of (TUC), Comrade Baba Mohammed, said the organised labour in the state had fully complied with the directive of the national officers, noting that no business activities would be carried out in the company throughout the day.

 

He lamented that workers could no longer pay their electricity bills because of the “exponential increase”, and called on the federal government to immediately intervene.

 

Comrade Mohammed threatened that if NERC and DISCOs refuse to revert to the old tariff, the Labour Unions would strategise to take further action.

 

In Kogi State, similar development came up as the state Chairman of NLC, Comrade Gabriel Amari, said the tariff increase underscored government insensitivity to the plight of ordinary Nigerians, who had been groaning under economic challenges occasioned by policies not favourable to them.

 

Comrade Amari,who led members of the Organised Labour to picket AEDC State and Regional offices in the state,called on the state government to look inward towards generating power for the people.

 

To drive home their demands, members of the labour unions displayed placards with various inscriptions such as “We Are Nigerians And Demand Equal Treatment; “No More Band ABC…; and Labour SAY No To Exploitation,” among others.

 

In neighbour Kwara State, members of NLC and TUC followed suit by picketing the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company, IBEDC offices in Ilorin, the Kwara State Capital, there by preventing the management and staff of the company from accessing their various offices to work.

 

The State NLC Chairman, Comrade Muritala Olayinka, lamented that the increase in electricity tariff had subjected poor Nigerians into more difficult times and untold hardship.

 

Feelers from other states of the federation indicate that similar development happened in those geo-political expressions

 

NLC and TUC assured that failure by NERC to reverse the hike would lead to continuous picketing in all its offices l and those of the DISCOs nationwide.

Troops of 6 Brigade/Sector 3 Operation WHIRL STROKE have successfully dismantled terrorist hideouts in Rugga, Sarti and Yade communities in Taraba state and in the process, recovered arms and ammunition

 

The troops,who disclosed this in a statement the authorities of the operation sent to the Director ,Army Public Relations,

Major General Oyenmma Nwachukwu in Abuja,said the effort was. In a coordinated operation aimed at eradicating terrorist strongholds in remote areas of Taraba State.

The statement reads in part:”During an aggressive patrol conducted by the troops of 93 Battalion Sub-Sector 3B OPWS, contact was made with terrorists who fled their base in the face of the troops’ overwhelming firepower.

 

“A thorough search of the terrorists’ hideout resulted in the seizure of 1 AK-47 rifle, a magazine containing 7 rounds of 7.6mm X39mm ball ammunition and 1 cartridge. “Additionally, a knife and two mobile phones belonging to the terrorists were also confiscated. “The troops are in pursuit of the terrorists to dismantle all criminal hideouts and ensure the area remains uninhabitable for unlawful activities.

“These successful military operations exemplify the Nigerian Army’s unwavering commitment to decisively combat all forms of criminal activities, reassuring the public of their safety and security as the farming season approaches in the state.

 

“The general public are therefore urged to continually provide the security agencies with timely actionable information about any strange movement in their area.

 

“In a coordinated operation aimed at eradicating terrorist strongholds in remote areas of Taraba State, troops of 6 Brigade/Sector 3 Operation WHIRL STROKE successfully dismantled terrorist hideouts in Rugga, Sarti and Yade communities, recovering arms and ammunition.

 

“During an aggressive patrol conducted by the troops of 93 Battalion Sub-Sector 3B OPWS, contact was made with terrorists who fled their base in the face of the troops’ overwhelming firepower.

 

“These successful military operations exemplify the Nigerian Army’s unwavering commitment to decisively combat all forms of criminal activities, reassuring the public of their safety and security as the farming season approaches in the state.

” The general public are therefore urged to continually provide the security agencies with timely actionable information about any strange movement in their area.

 

” Additionally, a knife and two mobile phones belonging to the terrorists were also confiscated.

 

“The troops are in pursuit of the terrorists to dismantle all criminal hideouts and ensure the area remains uninhabitable for unlawful activities.”

 

The troops urged the general public to continually provide the security agencies with timely actionable information about any strange movement in their area.

.