Nigerians have decried restoration of all outstanding debts cancelled by MTN Nigeria.

Recall that early hours of Saturday, September 11, 2023, the telecom giant experienced a technical glitch that resulted in the temporary removal of debt from the accounts of subscribers who had borrowed airtime from the company.

Many subscribers upon checking their accounts, discovered that the money they had borrowed had vanished, leaving their balances at zero.

MTN later responded to the development saying it was due to a technical glitch, adding that the debts would be restored.

“MTN Nigeria Communications Plc can confirm a system glitch impacting balance enquiries. As a result, some customers may receive error messages showing that their balances have been cleared,” the network provider said

“This is not the case and all balances will reflect accurate figures once the problem is resolved. Our engineers are currently working to ensure this.

“Please accept our apologies. We regret the inconvenience.”

Meanwhile, the telecom giant seems to have cleared the errors and has restored the debts to subscribers as stated.

Several subscribers flooded X, formerly, Twitter, who thought the debt wouldn’t be restored have decried the development.

@Maliqifeoluwa said; “Mtn don restore my N2700 debt o.”

@P_____Cash reacted; “So nah Prank Mtn Dey do ??????? Eno go better for mtn generation ooo??”

@TobzyTruth_ said; “Check your balance now. Your MTN debts are back.”

@Dami4reign wrote; “E come dey pain me sey I no borrow airtime from MTN NG.”

A woman identified as Sughshater Ushahemba from Mbadyur council ward in Logo Local Government Area of Benue State faces allegations of poisoning her 11-month-old baby.

Reports from the community suggest that the woman allegedly administered a substance, suspected to be a chemical, to the baby early on Saturday.

According to sources, the woman claimed the baby developed a high temperature and passed away in the early hours of Saturday.

When attempting to bury the baby, she was reportedly apprehended.

However, the Information Officer for Logo LGA, Paul Pevikyaa, addressing journalists on Monday, mentioned that the woman had previously informed others that the baby fell ill at 12:31 am and passed away two hours later.”

He said, “When the woman was interviewed, she (the woman) said when they were asleep, around 12.31am, the baby started having high fever and that the body was so hot that she gave up within two hours.

“She said that the mistake she made was at day break, she failed to inform her neighbours of what happened in the night because there is a strong belief that when you have neighbours and when you are having difficulties at night, at least you can call your neighbours to help you and they can be your witness. But she never did that.”

The information officer, however, said that the woman later confessed to killing her baby because she was abandoned by the man who impregnated her.

“So when day broke, she now attempted burying the baby. The baby was 11 months old,” he said.

Pevikyaa added that the woman said she was impregnated by her boyfriend, and after she gave birth to a baby girl, the boy abandoned her with the child.

“She said she had been suffering with the child, and that was why she poisoned the baby by giving her a chemical that is used to spray grasses,” Pevikyaa said.

Meanwhile, the Police Public Relations Officer, Benue State Command, SP, Catherine Anene, confirmed the incident, saying the suspect is currently in custody.

The Minister of State for Environment and Ecological Management, Kunle Salako, has advised Nigerian youths to serve the country before making demands.

He made the statement on Sunday, November 12, at the Ayetoro-Yewa Day held in Ayetoro, Ogun State.

According to him, young people should contribute to building the nation by working hared wherever they are.

He added that the youth can expect the nation to serve them only after they have served Nigeria.

He continued that the youth need to understand that serving the country is a prerequisite for it to reciprocate.

Kunle Salako: “My advice, especially to the younger ones, is to prioritize serving our land before making demands of Nigeria. If you serve your land, your land will serve you.”

He promised that Ogun would enjoy the priority of attention from the Federal Government, especially from the Federal Ministry of Environment.

Veteran actor, Richard Mofe-Damijo, popularly known as RMD, has shared compelling insights into the compensation of actors in today’s Nollywood.

He made this known during a panel discussion at the Africa International Film Festival held during the week.

During the panel session moderated by actor, Enyinna Nwigwe, Mofe-Damijo expressed his willingness to support emerging talents.

He said, “If a student approaches me to star in a movie, I will even give the student money to shoot. If Enyinna Nwigwe tells me that he is working on his film, I will work with him based on the father-son relationship that we have.

“If a student comes to me, I will never charge. I have done free films for students, for young producers, and for young actors. What actors want is a structure. There is nothing wrong with you calling my agent.”

Addressing the financial aspect, he asserted, “There is no money that you will pay an actor in today’s Nollywood that we would consider as big money. We love the work so much that we are not able to work according to your budget.”

During the discussion, RMD echoed the sentiments of his fellow panellist, actress Shaffy Bello, where she emphasised the importance of respecting those behind the project.

He highlighted the industry’s collective passion for reeling out compelling narratives, adding, “Actors are all suckers for good stories. Once the story is good, you have got the attention of the actor.”

A performing artiste based in Osogbo, Osun State, popularly known by the stage name, Tola King, has reportedly died after a brief illness that started during a church concert on Saturday.

The Governor of Celestial Performing Artistes Association of Nigeria, in Osun State, Temitope Awosika, who confirmed the incident during an interview with PUNCH on Sunday, said Tola King was performing alongside his other colleagues at a concert organised by a Celestial church located in the Obalende area of Osogbo in the early hours of Saturday, when he suddenly took ill.

Awosika, who said he was contacted when the artiste took ill, further said Tola King was promptly attended to inside the church before he was rushed to an undisclosed hospital in Osogbo, from where he was transferred to another hospital in Ile-Ife at daybreak.

He further said, “Tola King was one of us in the Osun chapter. Saturday morning, I was called around 3 am, but I didn’t pick up the call. Around 5:30 am, I picked up the call. There was a concert at a Celestial Church in Obalende, Osogbo.

“The person that called me is one Evangelist Femi. The deceased and Femi were called to perform at the same time. Tola King performed for a while and dropped the microphone for Femi. After that, Femi said Tola suddenly held him from the back.

“He was immediately attended to as his breathing was at that point becoming heavy. Within 10 minutes, he was rushed to a hospital. From that first hospital, he was referred to another hospital in Ile-Ife. He was promptly attended to in that Ife hospital.

“Around 1:30 pm Saturday, his condition did not improve and by 2 pm, he gave up the ghost. He didn’t slump in the church. He was made to sit down when he took ill in the church. He was given first aid before he was taken to hospital.”

The CPAAN governor, who said the incident had thrown the association into mourning, charged people to lead a righteous life, as death remained a certain end for all creatures.

The Lagos State High Court sitting in Ikeja has sentenced cashier, Tunde Abdulramon, to five years’ imprisonment for his employer’s N64,420,900 to marry a new wife and also for opening the same kind of his employer’s business for his new wife.

Justice Raliat Adebiyi who handed down the sentence also ordered the convict to make restitution by returning all the properties he bought while in his employer’s establishment and also the money that he stole.

The convict was arraigned on August 19, 2013, on 11 counts which bordered on stealing and fraudulent false accounting, preferred against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

The offences committed contravened Sections 390 and 335 (d) of the criminal laws of Lagos State 2003.

Abdulramon’s duty as the cashier of Prime Grocers International Limited, a company selling wholesale and retail consumer goods located in the Oke Arin area of Lagos State, was to collect payments for invoices raised by sales representatives from customers, document them in his cash register and then lodge monies collected into the company’s designated bank account.

The convict, instead, was accused of deleting the invoices and diverting large sums of money paid by customers and lodgers until the company’s managing director discovered the fraud in 2012 after an audit of the computer software was collected following a tip-off that the convict had been deleting invoices.

Abdulramon committed the offences between January 2009 and 2012, when he was discovered to be defrauding his employer.

During the trial, the prosecution called six witnesses, including the complainant, Constance Obi, who told the court that she met the convict in 2002 when the company started importing goods for distribution.

She told Justice Adebiyi that Abdulramon was one of the casual labourers who discharged goods from the container, but that in 2004, he approached her for assistance and then he was permanently employed at the company.

The witness testified that the convict’s duty in 2004 included picking and packing goods for customers before he was promoted to a cashier.

Obi further testified that she received an anonymous call in November 2012, telling her to check the cashier in her store, Tunde Abdulrahmon, as he is a criminal because of some properties that he recently acquired, vehicles, and a new wife.

She also told the court that three days after she received the call, the convict came to her office to tender a resignation letter, which she refused to collect.

The complainant stated that it was thereafter that she checked the computer’s audit trail that filtered the convict’s identification and printed out a report that showed that he had been deleting invoices.

But the convict in his defence denied the allegations against him.

Delivering her judgment, Justice Adebiyi found the convict guilty.

She held that the evidence was that the complainant was unshaken and the prosecution was able to prove beyond reasonable doubt that the convict altered the company’s record.

The judge held that the convict was the mastermind in the deleting of all the invoices and diverting payments made by customers to both his personal and business accounts.

“Abdulramon took advantage of the level of the trust reposed by the chief executive officer of the company (complainant), the offence was also committed continuously and repeatedly for over a period of four years.

“The court finds the level of culpability of the convict to be high; as regards the harm caused, the court finds that the acts of the convict ought to have caused a degree of significant economic loss to his employer although the employer appeared not to have realised this for four years.

“The amount stolen was of significant value and the convict was also involved in conducting a similar kind of business to that of his employer, whilst still in employment therefore creating a conflict of interest,” the judge held.

“Tunde Abdulramon is hereby sentenced on counts one to nine, to two and half years and counts 10 and 11 two and half years, to run concurrently,

“The court hereby orders the disposal of properties acquired by the convict that was acquired with proceeds of the offence and payment of proceeds to the complainant,” Justice Adebiyi held.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), on Sunday, announced that fresh polls will be conducted in 59 polling units in the Ogori/Magongo Local Government Area of the state.
According to the electoral body, the fresh election will be held next Saturday, November 18, 2023.

INEC National Commissioner, Mohammed Haruna, announced this in a statement on Sunday night.

The statement reads, “Further to our Statement yesterday, we have received an update from our Kogi State office regarding the suspension of election in some locations in the State where result sheets were completed before the commencement of voting. The most critical incident occurred in nine out of 10 Wards in Ogori/Magongo Local Government Area (LGA).

“We received reports of similar and other incidents in Adavi (5 Polling Units in Okunchi/Ozuri/Onieka Ward), Ajaokuta (5 Polling Units in Adogo Ward), Okehi (1 Polling Unit in Eika/Ohizenyi Ward) and Okene (5 Polling Units in Obehira Uvete Ward). Results from the affected Polling Units have been accounted for in Form EC40G for the four LGAs.

“However, in the case of Ogori/Magongo LGA, only the result of Oshobane Ward II with eight Polling Units and 2,264 registered voters has been collated. Election in the other nine Wards (Eni, Okibo, Okesi, Ileteju, Aiyeromi, Ugugu, Obinoyin, Obatgben and Oturu) involving 59 Polling Units and 15,136 registered voters remain suspended. In line with Section 24(3) of the Electoral Act 2022 and Clause 59 of INEC Regulations and Guidelines on the Conduct of Elections 2022, fresh election will be held on Saturday 18thNovember 2023 in the affected Polling Units.

“The decision to hold fresh elections is subject to the Returning Officer’s determination of the application of the Margin of Lead Principle. However, this decision is without prejudice to our avowed commitment to follow the audit trail of personnel and materials to ascertain those who may have been complicit in undermining the process and apply appropriate sanctions where necessary.

“The Commission wishes to reiterate its assurances to voters in Kogi State that their votes will continue to count and their wishes respected.”

Many members of the National Assembly have received the big stick from the Court of Appeal after losing out in their election litigation battles.

Both the Senate and the House of Representatives are witnessing an unprecedented level of judicial verdicts, with a number of them shockingly sent packing after five months.

In this report, DAILY POST reviews the grounds for the removal of some of the members.

In the Senate, five lawmakers have so far been sacked by the Court of Appeal. APC lost seats and gained two seats. The PDP gained three seats but lost two, while the Labour Party lost one seat.

In the House of Representatives, no less than 12 lawmakers have been sacked by the Court. Out of the twelve sacked, eight of them are members of the PDP, three are on the LP platform and one from the APC.

On the gainers side, APC gained 8 seats, PDP has 2, NNPP 1 and APGA 1.

Elisha Abbo, Adamawa APC

The controversial legislator was sacked by the Court of Appeal in Abuja which declared Amos Yohanna as the winner of Adamawa North Senatorial District.

Yohanna cited electoral irregularities and manipulation of results, and the Court granted the prayer to sack the lawmaker.

Abbo, who was first elected in 2019 on the platform of the PDP, had a fair share of controversy, including the slapping of a lady in a sex toy shop in Abuja.

Darlington Nwokocha, Abia LP

The former minority whip of the senate has also gotten the big hammer from the court.

The Court of Appeal in Lagos sacked Darlington and declared Augustine Akobundu of the PDP as the winner of Abia Central Senatorial District.

The decision of the court further depleted the number of the Labour Party in the Senate. Darlington had won the election by a landslide by polling 92,116 votes against Akobundu’s 41,477 votes. But he fell to pre-election complications.

Abubakar Ohere, Kogi APC

Governor Yahaya Bello is currently represented in the senate by his archenemy, Natasha Akpoti-Uduagan.

Akpoti-Uduagan defeated Abubakar Ohere at both the election petition tribunal and the Court of Appeal.

The tribunal had in September sacked Ohere as the Senator representing Kogi West, but the lawmaker approached the Court of Appeal for redress. However, the court ruled against him.

Napoleon Bali, Plateau PDP

Napoleon Bali is one of the victims of the crisis rocking the PDP in Plateau State, as the Appeal Court continued to sack PDP lawmakers from Plateau State.

The court ruled that the PDP had no structure in the state prior to its primary elections. It therefore sacked Bali and declared Simon Lalong, a former governor of the state and Minister of Labour and Employment, as the Senator for Plateau South.

Mr Lalong will have to decide if he is going to the Red Chamber or sticking to his current job.

A High Court in Plateau State had ruled that PDP had no valid structure in Plateau State to nominate candidates for elections. But it seems the party ignored the ruling. Therefore, the Appeal Court has been sacking most of the candidates one after the other.

So far, the Appeal Court has sacked about six federal lawmakers from Plateau State.

Simon Mwadkwon, Plateau PDP

The minority leader was also affected by the PDP crisis in Plateau State. The Court of Appeal sacked him and ordered a rerun within 90 days.

The decision of the court followed a suit filed by Chris Giwa of the All Progressives Congress and Gyang Zi of the Labour Party.

It is unclear if the former Minority Leader would be allowed to participate in the re-run election.

House of Representatives

Simon Bagos, Beni Lar, Isaac Kwalu and Peter Gyendeng, Plateau PDP

The Court of Appeal in Abuja sacked the four of Simon Bagos, Beni Lar, Isaac Kwalu and Peter Gyendeng as members of the House of Representatives from Plateau State.

The four lawmakers are also the victims of the pre-election matter affecting PDP members from Plateau State.

The Court affirmed that the issue of party structure is both pre-election and post-election.

Chijioke Okereke, Enugu Labour Party

The Court of Appeal also sacked Chijioke Okereke of the Labour Party as the member representing Aninri/Awgu/Oji-River Federal Constituency.

The election petition tribunal had sacked Okereke as the winner of the election and declared Anayo Onwuegbu of the PDP as the winner of the election.

Okereke had approached the Court of Appeal for redress but the court affirmed the decision of the tribunal.

Stainless Nwodo, Enugu LP

The Court of Appeal also sacked Stainless Nwodo, a member representing Igbo-Etiti/Uzo-Uwani federal constituency of Enugu State.

The Court sacked the lawmaker over alleged certificate forgery and irregularities during the election and declared Martin Oke of the PDP as the winner of the election.

Dennis Agbo, Enugu LP

The Court of Appeal sitting in Lagos State also sacked Denis Agbo, the member elected on the platform of the Labour Party in the last election. He was representing Udenu/Igboeze North federal constituency of Enugu State.

The court ordered a fresh election within 90 days while ruling on a petition filed by the All Progressives Congress candidate, Dr Oby Ajih.

Emeka Nnamani, Abia LP

Emeka Nnamani was sacked as the member representing Aba North and South Federal Constituency over alleged certificate forgery.

The appellate court declared Alex Ikwechegh of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, as the representative of Aba North and South Federal Constituency.

Jingi Rufai, Adamawa PDP

Jingi Rufai, a member of the PDP was also sent packing from the House as the member representing Mubi North, Mubi South and Maiha federal constituency of Adamawa State.

The Court ordered INEC to give a certificate of return to Jaafar Magaji of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Musa Ilyasu Kwankwaso, Kano APC

Kwankwaso was also sacked as the representative of Kura/Madobi/Garun Malam federal constituency in the House.

The Court of Appeal asked INEC to give a certificate of return to Yusuf Datti, candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP).

The judgement further depleted the ruling APC in Kano State.

Yusuf Bashir, Kaduna PDP

The Court also sacked Yusuf Bashir of the PDP as the representative of Kauru federal constituency of Kaduna State.

The court declared Muktar Chawai as the member representing the constituency.

Jonas Okeke, Imo PDP

Jonas Okeke was also sent packing by the Court as the representative of Ehime Mbano/Ihitte Uboma, Obowo Federal Constituency in Imo State.

The Court declared Chike Okafor as the winner of the election.

Mohammed Salihu, Adamawa PDP

The Court sacked Salihu as the representative of Yola North/South federal constituency of Adamawa State. The former lawmaker was sacked over discrepancies in his certificate.

The appellant court declared Abubakar Baba Zango as the new member of the Reps.

The victory of APC’s Usman Ododo in the Kogi State governorship election has been congratulated by the Presidency.

Ododo emerged as the winner, defeating his rivals from the Social Democratic Party (SDP) Muri Ajaka, and Dino Melaye of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Returning Officer, Prof Johnson Urama, officially declared Ododo as the winner of the election on Sunday.

Ododo secured 446,237 votes, surpassing his closest rival, Murtala Ajaka of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), who scored 259,052.

President Bola Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy posted on X, expressing congratulations to the APC candidate for his victory in the Kogi governorship election.

The Edo State Police Command said it arrested the husband of a woman who allegedly committed suicide in Benin in the “Mummy Calm Down” viral video because of some issues that surrounded the alleged suicide.

The victim, Mrs Toluige Olokoobi Babalola, a mother of three, was alleged to have committed suicide by hanging herself with a rope in their apartment in Garick Layout, Ekhuan, Benin City, on November 8.

Speaking with City & Crime, the command’s spokesperson, Chidi Nwabuzor, said the suicide case was reported at the Evbuotubu Police Station on November 8, by the deceased’s husband, Lawal, that on returning from the market he met his son, Ifeo, crying and that he burst the door open and met his wife on a rope tied to the ceiling.

He further said, “The husband said himself and some neighbours rushed her to the hospital where she was confirmed dead.

“The DPO and the man went to the house and recovered the rope and alleged suicide note written by the deceased wife.

“The DPO moved the suspect to the hospital to check the body of the deceased to see if there was any mark of violence, and with due diligence, there was no mark of violence on her body.

“But there are issues surrounding the alleged suicide. The husband claims that the neighbours came upon his outcry and helped him to bring down the woman from the rope.

“But the neighbours said, ‘No, we didn’t know anything about losing the woman from the rope. When we came we met you lying on her crying’.”

He said based on the report from the DPO that there was no mark of violence on the deceased body, the Commissioner of Police (CP), Muhammed Dankwara, ordered an investigation into the matter.