A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Wednesday, October 23, ordered the release of Tigran Gambaryan, the detained Binance Holdings Limited’s executive, from Kuje Correctional Centre.

It was gathered that the presiding judge, Justice Emeka Nwite gave the order after the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)’s counsel, R. U. Adagba, informed the court of the decision of the Federal Government to withdraw the charge against Gambaryan.

Adagba, who held the brief of Ekele Iheanacho, SAN, premised the decision on Gambaryan’s deteriorating health and the diplomatic intervention.

Gambaryan was the 2nd defendant in the charge preferred against the cryptocurrency platform (1st defendant) by the EFCC.

The EFCC had, on April 8, arraigned Binance Holdings Ltd and Gambaryan before Justice Emeka Nwite of a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja.

They were arraigned on a 5-count charge bordering on alleged tax evasion, currency speculation and money laundering to the tune of $34,400,000 (Thirty-Four Million, Four Hundred Thousand United States Dollars).

Upon resumed hearing, EFCC’s counsel, Adagba, told Justice Nwite of the Federal Government’s decision to withdraw the charge against the detained employee of Binance because of his deteriorating health.

Adagba recalled that the case could not go on at the last adjourned date as a result of the health condition of the 2nd defendant which, she said, the government had managed effectively.

She, however, said that recently, the report they received from the NCoS, through the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA), indicated that Gambaryan’s health had deteriorated to the extent that he hardly walked without the assistance of a wheelchair.

Adagba said besides his ill health, Gambaryan needs to undergo surgery which would take some time and may impact the pace of the trial.

He stated further that the government had reviewed the case and had taken cognizance that Gambaryan, a U. S. citizen, was a mere employer of Binance Holdings Ltd, “whose status in the matter has no impact.”

The lawyer equally told the court that the prosecution had taken into consideration some critical diplomatic and international meetings by the Federal Government, hence, the need to discontinue the charge against the 2nd defendant (Gambaryan).

“I urged the honourable court to discharge the 2nd defendant accordingly in line with Section 108(1), (2)(a) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), 2015,” she prayed.

Lawyer to Binance, Olujoke Aliu, and Gambaryan’s counsel, Mark Mordi, SAN, did not oppose the application.

However, Mordi, who told the court that since one of the reasons for withdrawal of the case was that Gambaryan was just an employee of Binance, urged the court to make an order for his client’s acquittal and not a discharge.

Delivering the ruling, Justice Nwite granted Adagba’s application.

“It is hereby ordered as follows:

“That the application of the prosecution’s counsel is granted as prayed having reviewed the circumstances of the charge.

“That this charge is hereby struck out against the 2nd defendant (Gambaryan).

“That the 2nd defendant is hereby discharged.

“That an order of this honourable court is hereby made for the immediate release of the 2nd defendant from Nigerian Correctional Service, Kuje,” the judge ruled.

Shehu Sani, the social activist and former member of the Nigerian Senate, has condemned the plan by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike to chase away beggars from the FCT in Abuja.

Sani noted this in a post on his X handle on Wednesday.

“Chasing out Beggars from Abuja is like hiding our sickness instead of curing it Or hiding our laundry instead of cleaning it.

"The Abuja beggars don’t tarnish our image,they represent our hidden images that we don’t want the world to see.” he posted.

Recall that the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, had given street beggars in Abuja five days to vacate the city.

The ultimatum, announced on Tuesday, during the launch of a new access road project in Katampe District, aimed to address what Wike described as a national embarrassment.

Speaking at the ceremony for the construction of a road connecting Ring Road 1 to the Judges’ Quarters, Wike emphasised the urgency of removing beggars from the capital's streets.

He had declared that President Bola Tinubu’s government would take decisive action against those who remain after the Sunday deadline.

"Allowing beggars in every nook and cranny of the territory is an embarrassment to the government and the country," Wike said, urging families to take responsibility for their relatives who rely on street begging.

He had added that the FCT Administration was preparing to enforce the new directive starting from next week.

He said, "Yes, we are committed to improving infrastructure in Abuja, and security is a key focus. We cannot permit the presence of beggars throughout the area, as some may be involved in criminal activities or act as informants, which is particularly embarrassing for our territory and for visitors.

"We urge their families and relatives to assist in taking them off the streets. They have until Sunday to vacate the area," he further stated.

Pastor Umo Eno, the Governor of Akwa Ibom State, has announced N80,000 as the new minimum wage for civil servants employed by the state government.

In a statement issued by the Commissioner for Information, Ini Ememobong on Wednesday, the governor ordered for constitution of an implementation committee which would within one month come up with a report on how the wage increase will be executed.

The Head of the state Civil Service, Mr Effiong Essien will chair the committee while 15 senior government officials would serve as members.

The statement listed members of the committee to include: Chairman, State Civil Service Commission, Chairman, Local Government Service Commission, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Finance, Permanent Secretary, Department of Establishments, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Labour and Manpower Planning, Permanent Secretary/Solicitor General, Ministry of Justice, Permanent Secretary/Accountant General, Permanent Secretary, Local Government Service Commission.

Others include Permanent Secretary, Office of the Head of Civil Service, Director of Budget, State Chairman, Joint Public Service Negotiating Council, Secretary, Joint Public Sector Negotiating Council, State Chairperson, Nigeria Labour Congress, Akwa Ibom State, State Chairman, Trade Union Congress, State President, Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE).

The statement said, “The Governor of Akwa Ibom State, His Excellency, Pastor Umo Eno, has announced that the State Government will pay a new minimum wage of N80,000 for all state government employees.

“To ensure a smooth rollout of this policy, the governor has also constituted an implementation committee, which has been given one month to deliver its report on how the wage increase will be executed.”

Despite the decline of the Naira, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has noted that Nigeria's local currency is showing signs of stabilization under the leadership of President Bola Tinubu.

Currently at the parallel market, the dollar exchanges at over N1600.

This development according to the IMF was attributed to in interest rate hikes.

This was stated during the launch of its global financial stability report in Washington DC on Tuesday.

According to the IMF, the stability can be linked to the currency’s stability to the clearing of the foreign exchange backlog by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

“… in Nigeria, rate hikes and the clearing of overdue domestic central bank foreign exchange obligations have helped the naira show more signs of stability,” the IMF said.

It would be recalled that the CBN had announced the successful settlement of all verified outstanding foreign exchange (FX) obligations.

The Central Bank of Nigeria under Governor Olayemi Cardoso has continued to hike interest rates.

In August 2024, it was noted that the lending rate was increased to 31.75 percent by the Central Bank of Nigeria.

The apex bank further revealed that commercial and merchant banks would earn a 19 percent interest rate on deposits above N3 billion in its Standing Deposit Facility (SDF).

Devaluation of naira has been blamed in part for economic issues faced by Nigerians, including growing inflation for the import dependent economy.

Okuneye Idris, the controversial Nigerian crossdresser, who is popularly known as Bobrisky, has reportedly fallen ill while in detention at the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID) Annex, Alagbon, Lagos.

After spending the night in a police cell, Bobrisky was rushed to Falomo Police Hospital for medical attention.

A source confirmed the development, stating that he was transferred from the FCID to the hospital for treatment.

The source said, “Bobrisky complained of ‘breast’ pain and was rushed to the Police Hospital in the Falomo area of Lagos around 2:00 p.m. in an ambulance with the plate number LND 339L. He wore a black gown, covered his face with a shawl, and lay down in the ambulance.”

Bobrisky was taken into custody on Monday night by the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) following his arrest at the Seme border in Lagos during an alleged attempt to leave the country.

There are indications that he may remain in detention as detectives continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding his arrest. The FCID is expected to obtain a remand order for his continued detention.

A statement from the FCID regarding Bobrisky’s situation is expected later today.

NIS spokesperson, Kenneth Udo, confirmed the arrest, describing Bobrisky as “a person of interest.” He further stated that the NIS had intercepted him at the Seme border as part of their efforts to secure Nigeria’s borders.

Popular Nigerian actor, Ime Bishop, also known as Okon of Lagos, has condemned the growing popularity of plastic surgery among young women.

Bishop warned that changing one’s body goes against God’s original design.

The thespian questioned individuals taking on the role of “project supervisor” for God’s creation, stating that people are trying to improve upon perfection.

Speaking via social media, he encouraged individuals to appreciate and respect their natural beauty, which is created by God.

Bishop highlighted the potential risks and moral implications of plastic surgery while acknowledging personal autonomy.

According to him, “God create you finish, you decide on yourself, by yourself to be project supervisor for God. God create you finish, he submit the work for himself o. Eehhn and you take Gods work wey him don submit finish eehhn, you carry an you begin to mark, you put red biro, you mark, you say adjust the eyes, next time put more efforts on the waist, straighten the b*mb*m.

“You go Dey edit Gods work. After you say put more effort in the legs and eemm straighten the hips, no problem be correcting Gods work, you hear? Mmm it has consequences, in case you don’t know.”

Renowned comedian, Ali Baba has shared his encounter with former military leader, Gen Sani Abacha.

He explained that the encounter was a “near-death experience.”

Ali Baba revealed this on the Leadership Podcast with Stephen Akintayo.

He disclosed that the incident happened during Abacha’s presidency at an event in Abuja where he was tasked with introducing the Akwa Ibom cultural group.

He said, “The first close encounter I had with death was with Sani Abacha. When Abacha was President, Ernest Shonekan had been removed so I went to do an event in Abuja and it was time for the Akwa ibom cultural group to perform. At the time, Abacha was wearing one of those sunglasses that could be folded.

Ali Baba said he boldly asked Abacha to remove his sun glasses.

He said, “So then they started dancing I stopped them and faced Abacha, saying, ‘your excellency, sir, it’s almost 10; why are you wearing Dark shades? Don’t you want to see their performance? Remove this shade na.”

He said Abacha obliged, but the tension escalated when he noticed DSS officers heading backstage.

“He then removed the glasses and was talking to someone and when he kept the glasses I told the troupe to continue. As soon as they started, I saw the DSS officers going backstage to wait for God knows who o,” he added.

Fearing for his safety, he said he decided to sit next to Abacha instead of going backstage, where the operatives awaited.

“I went down the stage to where Abacha was and sat on the ground next to him. He made jokes of me and asked why I refused to go backstage and I said , ‘Don’t worry, sir, they can come and arrest me here,” he concluded.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has rejigged his cabinet with the appointment of seven new Ministers.

President sacked five Minister which include Uju-Ken Ohanenye as Minister of Women Affairs; Lola Ade-John as Minister of Tourism; Tahir Mamman as Minister of Education; Abdullahi Gwarzo as Minister of State, Housing and Urban Development; and Jamila Ibrahim as Minister of Youth Development.

Tinubu nominated Bianca Odumegu-Ojukwu as the Minister of State Foreign Affairs, while Nentawe Yilwatda as the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, officially bringing an end to the tenure of suspended Betta Edu.

The President also nominated Maigari Dingyadi as the Minister of Labour and Employment, Jumoke Oduwole as the Minister of Industry, Idi Maiha as Minister for the newly created Livestock Development Ministry, Yusuf Ata as the Minister of State, Housing and Urban Development, with Suwaiba Ahmad as Minister of State Education.

The President charged the newly appointed ministers to see their appointment as a call to serve the nation.

He added that all appointees must understand the administration’s eagerness and determination to set Nigeria on the path to irreversible growth and invest the best of their abilities into the actualisation of the government’s priorities.

President Bola Tinubu has carried out his much-anticipated cabinet reshuffle.

The cabinet reshuffle was announced on Wednesday after the weekly Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting, which took place at the Council Chambers of the State House in Abuja.

Naija News reports President Tinubu scrapped the Niger Delta Ministry as well as the Ministry of Sports Development.

He also merged the Ministry of Tourism with the Ministry of Culture and Creative Economy.

The cabinet reshuffle is the first to be carried out by President Tinubu since he assumed power as Nigeria’s leader in May 2023.

The President also sacked some Ministers, redesignated some, and appointed some others into his cabinet.

According to a statement from the presidency on Wednesday, President Tinubu sacked five Ministers, thanking them for their contributions to his administration and the governance of the country.

The sacked Ministers are:

1. Barr. Uju-Ken Ohanenye, Minister of Women Affairs

2. Lola Ade-John, Minister of Tourism

3. Prof Tahir Mamman, Minister of Education

4. Abdullahi Muhammad Gwarzo, Minister of State, Housing and Urban Development

5. Dr. Jamila Bio Ibrahim, Minister of Youth Development.

The list of Ministers reassigned to new portfolios are:

1. Hon Dr. Yusuf Tanko Sununu, formerly Minister of State, Education, but now Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty
Reduction

2. Dr. Morufu Olatunji Alausa, formerly Minister of State, Health but now Minister of Education

3. Barr. Bello Muhammad Goronyo, formerly Minister of State, Water Resources and Sanitation, now Minister of State Works.

4. Hon. Abubakar Eshiokpekha Momoh, formerly Minister of Niger Delta Development, now Minister of Regional Development

5. Uba Maigari Ahmadu, formerly Minister of State Steel Development, now Minister of State, Regional Development

6. Dr. Doris Uzoka-Anite, formerly Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, now Minister of State Finance

7. Sen. John Owan Enoh, formerly Minister of Sports Development, now Minister of State, Trade and Investment [Industry]

8. Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, formerly Minister of State, Police Affairs, now Minister of Women Affairs

9. Ayodele Olawande, formerly Minister of State for Youth Development, now Minister for Youth Development

10. Dr. Salako Iziaq Adekunle Adeboye, formerly Minister of State, Environment, now Minister of State, Health.