The Federal High Court in Abuja has remanded the leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS).
In a short ruling on Tuesday, the trial judge, Justice Binta Nyako ordered that Kanu be remanded based on an application that was brought by the Federal Government.
Justice Nyako ordered that Kanu should remain in custody till July 26 when his trial will resume.
The court proceeding took place barely 15 minutes after the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami(SAN), disclosed to journalists that Kanu had been arrested.
The IPOB leader was brought to court on Tuesday by heavily armed security operatives from both the DSS and the Nigerian Police Force.
Recalled that the trial court had, on March 28, 2019, issued a bench warrant for the arrest of the IPOB leader after it revoked the bail that was earlier granted to him.
Placing reliance on Section 352(4) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, ACJA, 2015, the court equally okayed Kanu’s trial in absentia.
Kanu, whose whereabouts was unknown since September 2017, was hitherto answering to a five-count charge FG entered against him and three other pro-Biafra agitators— Chidiebere Onwudiwe, Benjamin Madubugwu and David Nwawuisi.
Shortly after he was declared “missing”, trial Justice Nyako, on February 20, 2018, okayed separate trial for the other three defendants.
The IPOB leader, who has dual citizenship, was before his arrest on Sunday, reportedly sighted at various locations outside the country, including Jerusalem and the United Kingdom.
The leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has been apprehended by the federal government, News Agency of Nigeria reports.
The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice Mr Abubakar Malami announced this on Tuesday in Abuja, according to NAN
Mr Kanu, who left the country mysteriously after Nigerian soldiers attacked his country in Abia State had been under prosecution by the federal government for treason.
The Senate has confirmed the nomination of Kolawole Oladipupo as Executive Commissioner of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC).
The confirmation of the South West Zone nominee followed the presentation and consideration of the report of the Committee on Trade and Investment.
Chairman of the Committee, Senator Francis Adenigba Fadahunsi (PDP, Osun East), in his presentation, noted that the nominee satisfied the requirements of Sections 153 and 156 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, as amended.
He added that the nominee satisfied Section 5 subsection (1) of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act, 2018 and Order 121 of the Senate Standing Orders 2015, as amended.
He added that Alabi’s nomination for appointment by President Muhammadu Buhari was made in compliance with the provision of Section 5 subsections (1) and (2) of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act, 2018.
The lawmaker explained further that the nomination of the nominees for appointment as Chairman, Executive Vice-Chairman/Chief Executive, Executive Commissioners, and Non-Executive Commissioners of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) are made pursuant to Section 4(2) of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission Act, 2018.
According to him, Kolawole Alabi’s nomination became necessary following President Buhari’s assent to the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act, 2018 on 30th January 2019.
Popular Yoruba actress, Biodun Okeowo popularly known as Omoborty has taken to Instagram dismissed damaging rumours stating that she’s romantically involved with Dino Melaye whom she snatched from her colleague.
The actress in a long post on Instagram denied the report, noting that her alleged relationship with Dino was a misconception aimed at tarnishing her image.
In the long post she wrote;
Few days ago my attention was drawn to an audio recording circulating on social media which I also listened to myself, purportedly accusing me of being romantically involved with Dino Melaye. It was shocking to hear about insinuations of snatching him from my colleague and being in a romantic relationship with him.
Considering my current engagement with my businesses and acting career, I ordinarily would have ignored and keep mute about it. But I decided against such action as my silence would seemingly and inadvertently give it a semblance of truth…as silence is termed to mean consent.
I met Dino Melaye at a certain wedding ceremony in 2017 where we took photographs together just as I did with other guests and dignitaries at the party. Thereafter, I posted on my Instagram. Unknown to me posting a picture of myself and Dino only gave rumour mongers a field day to spread lies and unfounded allegations against me that I’m dating this particular man.
I unequivocally state and reaffirm that I am not and was never in any amorous relationship with him and neither am I in any form of entanglement with him.
I will appreciate it, if this settles any misconception, assumptions, innuendos and falsehood about my alleged relationship with Dino Melaye. At this point I will like to state explicitly that I am certainly not involved in any form of relationship with him whatsoever.
To all my BORTY Nations, I will never let you down. For now, my focus is on my kids, my man, my businesses and my acting career. I have set my face like a flint on that path. Thank you to all who reached out to me and believed in me.
The National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu, may drop his 2023 presidential ambition and throw his weight behind another candidate.
Olusegun Bamgbose, National Coordinator, Concerned Advocates for Good Governance (CAGG) made the claim while speaking to DailyPost on Tuesday.
According to the presidential hopeful, the former Lagos State Governor does not have the backing of the cabal running the current Presidency.
He stated that Tinubu knows that his presidential ambition may end his political career is he is not smart.
“The battle of who becomes the next President of Nigeria come 2023, has assumed a new dimension, as Tinubu considers pulling out of the Presidential race,” Bamgbose said.
“The truth of the matter is that Asiwaju Bola Tinubu has commenced vast consultation as per his ambition to be the next President of Nigeria come 2023.
“It’s becoming clearer to him that it may be an uphill battle for him to win the APC Presidential ticket, given the stand of the cabals that may not eventually favor him.
“In order not to be politically stranded and thereby become irrelevant, he has decided to come up with his plan B. Plan B is to support a candidate that will be acceptable to all Nigerians, be it from the South or the North.
“The APC National leader has come to realize that his presidential ambition may mark the end of his political career if he does not play the card well enough.
“He has come to embrace the reality that his political fortune can end abruptly, should he make a wrong decision.
“This has given serious concerns. He considers it a very big risk to confront the power that be in APC. No Northerner will be prepared to back Tinubu against the wish of Buhari.
“The general feeling among the top notchers in APC is that Tinubu has had enough, having produced the President and Vice President in 2015. They are not very comfortable with his ambition to take over from Buhari.”
The Federal Government of Nigerian has extended the deadline for NIN-SIM data verification to July 26, 2021.
The Director, Public Affairs Nigerian Communications Commission, Ikechukwu Adinde; and the Head, Corporate Communications, Nigeria Identity Management Commission, Kayode Adegoke, disclosed this in a joint statement on Monday titled ‘FG approves July 26 as NIN-SIM verification deadline as enrolment systems increase to 5,410 .’
According to the statement, the decision to further extend the deadline was made based on a request by stakeholders.
The Lagos State House of Assembly and the Speaker of the House Dr. Obasa on Monday ordered Local Government councils and Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) in the state to desist from extorting and harrassing operators of courier and logistics services in the state.
This was as the Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. (Dr) Mudashiru Obasa, emphasised that local government councils and LCDAs do not have the power to tax logistics and courier services. He said the power of the councils was limited to registration of bicycles as dictated by the constitution of the country.
Obasa said it was lamentable, especially as such acts affect ease of doing business “and it is very important that we do something about it.
“We have to make them understand that going out to disturb well-planned and organised businesses that stand to create employment for our youth especially with the rate at which students graduate with nothing much to do is not good at all.
“The services of courier services reduce poverty in the state and how much do they even charge?” Obasa asked.
“Local governments have nothing to do with the registration of motorcycles and tricycles. Operators of courier and logistics services should not be made to pay in all the local governments considering what they charge for their services” Obasa explained.
The Speaker Dr. Mudashiru Obasa reel out The House resolution that the local government councils should be aware of their limitations in this regard as well as stop using alleged touts and street urchins to collect revenues in other areas where they are legally empowered.
In the decision of the House which followed a motion earlier moved by Hon. Ganiu Sanni Okanlawon (Kosofe 1), the lawmakers further resolved to call on the Lagos State Government to direct the Commissioner for Transportation and other relevant agencies to ensure that operators of courier services and logistics are not harrassed by the local governments.
The House also directed the state Commissioner of Police to ensure that all extortionists in the state are apprehended.
“The House calls on Local Governments and LCDAs to desist from harrasing and extorting operators of courier and logistics services and restrain their traffic department from doing so.
“The Ministry of Information and Strategy should educate operators of Courier and Logistics Services and informed them about what is expected of them,” Okanlawon said.
Okanlawon stated that the laws and restriction orders on the ban of motorcycles in some areas in the state exempted the movement of motorcycles of courier and logistics services.
In his contribution, Hon. Bisi Yusuff said that the motion was timely and that the use of local government taskforce to deal with operators of courier services was an embarrassment to the state government.
According to Yusuff, some operators took some local governments to the court on the issue in the past and won.
Leader of the House, Hon. Sanai Agunbiade, said that courier and logistics services help people in different areas to interact with their customers.
Agunbiade added that the operation had a way of boosting the economy of the state and empowering the people through employment.
“The motion did not say they should not be regulated. A courier service should not pay from one local government to the other or else it would defeat the purpose of their business.
“The revenue should be centralised among the local governments. The House once passed a law to regulate collection of fees by local governments. The law stated that whoever is collecting levies for the local governments must be identified,” he suggested.
Hon. Lukman Olumoh (Ajeromi/Ifelodun 1) accused some of the local government officials of issuing out fake documents. He suggested that consultants should be employed for such activities.
Hon. Fatai Mojeed (Ibeju Lekki 1) stated that some of the riders of the bikes are graduates who have no other jobs, and that there have been many cries concerning the harrasment of courier and logistics operators by local government officials.
On his part, Hon. Abiodun Tobun (Epe 1) lamented that some of the courier services organisations do not live up to expectations.
“Some local governments use consultants and we cannot stop them because of their excesses. We must not throw the local governments out totally as they have a role to play as an arm of government,” he said.
Also speaking, Hon. Lanre Afinni (Lagos Island 2) suggested that the collection of revenue for the local governments could be centralised and shared among them, adding that multiple taxation affects the profit of courier services companies.
In his view, Hon. Moshood Oshun (Lagos Mainland 2) said that most of the local governments and LCDAs have traffic sections and that they charge exorbitant fines.
He urged that the traffic sections of these councils be looked into because they sometimes go the extreme of arresting and harrassing people.
Hon. Jude Idimogu (Oshodi/Isolo 2), who said he had personally experienced the harrasment of the touts, supported the motion.
Also supporting the motion, Hon. Setonji David (Badagry 2) said that courier operators play major roles in the state but that the local governments do not see it from this angle.
“Most of the receipts issued by the local governments are fake. We must ensure that the local governments limit themselves to what they ought to do.
“We have to find a way to stop the local governments from bothering the courier services since they are recognised by law. They also help transportation in the state as they help in distributing items,” he said.
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) will, on July 6, arraign Prof. Dibu Ojerinde.
The former Registrar, Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), will be arraigned at the Federal High Court, Abuja, for alleged N900 million fraud.
Justice Obiora Egwuatu fixed the date on Monday, after counsel to the ICPC, Ebenezer Shogunle, disagreed with the terms of the plea bargain application the defence counsel, P.A.O. Olorunnisola, SAN, had planned to file before the court.
The operatives of the anti-corruption commission had, on March 15, arrested Ojerinde, in Abuja, on allegations bordering on misappropriation of funds.
The commission said that the former chief executive officer allegedly committed multiple frauds while heading JAMB and the National Examination Council (NECO).
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has revealed that it is planning a massive reception for Zamfara State Governor, Bello Matawalle as he defects from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The Chairman, Publicity Sub-Committee of the organizing ceremony, and Zamfara Commissioner for Information, Alhaji Ibrahim Dosara said no fewer than 18 All Progressives Congress (APC) governors, national and state legislators, as well as other party chieftains, are expected to welcome Matawalle when he officially defects on Tuesday.
Speaking on Monday in Gusau with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Dosara said apart from the Governor, many other politicians and political office holders in Zamfara are expected to announce their defection from the PDP to the APC on Tuesday.
He said: “the Progressive governors will be led by the APC Chairman Extra-ordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) and Gov. Mai Mala-Buni.
“We are also expecting all our national assembly members as well as state legislators to declare their defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the APC during the occasion.
“Similarly, all the 14 local government caretaker committee chairmen who just finished their tenure, council members and teeming supporters will join the hundreds of thousands of the Matawalle loyalists, friends and supporters in our movement to our new party, the APC.’’
Also speaking, the Director-General, Press Affairs, to Gov. Mai Mala Buni, Mr Mohammed Mamman, praised the efforts of the Extra-ordinary Convention Planning Committee under the leadership of the Yobe State Governor, noting that three PDP governors have already joined the APC and others are still expected.
”With Matawalle joining the APC, it means Mala-Buni, as the Chairman of the Extra-ordinary Convention Planning Committee, has been able to convince three governors into the party.
“They are Dave Umuahi of Ebonyi, Prof. Ben Ayade of Cross River. This is also a confirmation that the APC is doing well both at the national and state levels under the purposeful, focused, and people oriented leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari,’’ Mamman said.
Meanwhile, in a statement on Monday, PDP’s National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbodiyan, said the opposition party is not bothered about the governor’s defection.
Ologbodiyan the governors and leaders of the party had met with the governor to convince him not to dump the party.
He added that the PDP has exhausted all means of dissuading Matawalle from leaving its fold.
According to Ologbodiyna, the governor is free to determine his political future, adding that the ultimate decision lies with the governor to make.
