Justice Haleemah Salman of the Kwara State High Court has declared the five accused individuals responsible for the Offa robbery cases guilty of unlawful firearm possession, robbery with a weapon, and negligent manslaughter.

Justice Salman gave the verdict on Thursday while presiding over the case.

She sentenced the accused persons to death.

Naija News recalls that the Offa robbery incident happened in 2018.

Barely two years ago, a witness in the case, Shamsudeen Bada, accused men of the Intelligence Response Team (IRT) led by embattled DCP Abba Kyari of torturing him.

According to Baba, the police operatives tortured him to implicate former Senate President Bukola Saraki in the bank robbery.

The former Vice Chairman of Irepodun Local Government Area of Kwara State stated this at the Kwara State High Court.

He recounted his experience during the resumed trial of the suspects in the robbery case in Ilorin, the state capital.

Police had charged five suspects, Ayoade Akinnibosun, Ibikunle Ogunleye, Adeola Abraham and two others to court.

Naija News learnt that the suspects were charged with criminal conspiracy to rob the banks, murder of nine policemen and other citizens, and illegal possession of firearms.

Baba, during cross-examination in court, said while in detention, the Abba Kyari-led IRT operatives promised them they would be freed if they named Saraki as their sponsor.

Despite suffering a knockout loss in the fifth round of the IBF heavyweight showdown at Wembley on Saturday, former two-time heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua is set to earn significantly more than Daniel Dubois for the fight.

Reports from Sporty Salaries via GB News indicate that Anthony Joshua was guaranteed £6 million just for showing up, with potential earnings rising to an impressive £25 million depending on pay-per-view sales.

On the other hand, Dubois, who caused an upset by knocking out Joshua, is reported to have a guaranteed purse of £3.5 million, which could rise to £10 million.

The 34-year-old Joshua’s higher earnings are attributed to the attention and fan base he commands in the boxing world, despite the loss to his fellow Brit.

The fight reportedly drew a record crowd for a British boxing match, with Turki Alalshikh claiming an attendance of “more than 98,128” fans.

Following his fourth career defeat, Anthony Joshua took to his Instagram account to address his fans. In a video posted on Monday, he expressed gratitude to his supporters and emphasized his determination to continue fighting despite calls for his retirement.

He said, “We came up short, but we have got to look at all the positives, and that’s the mindset that we have to have—a positive one, always. Look at what we’ve achieved in the space of 11 years, and I want to thank everyone who’s been riding with me. What a rollercoaster journey! But you know what the problem is, is that it’s far from over yet.”

Meanwhile, Dubois’ victory has propelled him to the top of the heavyweight division, potentially setting up future fights with renowned boxers such as Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk. Additionally, a rematch with Joshua is also a possibility.

Former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, has accused the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) of attempting to tarnish his image.

Bello, in a statement on Wednesday by his media team, said the EFCC is desperately trying to nail him in order to please some persons with interest in the case.

The statement, signed by the Director of the media team, Ohiare Michael, said the procedural errors and blunders already committed by the EFCC are enough evidence to prove the desperation of the anti-graft agency.

He said the EFCC, by its actions so far, has shown it is not fighting corruption, but rather executing a political vendetta against Bello.

Michael specifically questioned the disposition of the EFCC last Wednesday when the former governor voluntarily submitted himself to the agency but was not interrogated or detained after four hours, only for EFCC operatives to launch an attack on the Kogi Government Lodge at night.

He said, “If the EFCC was truly interested in prosecution and not a deal by some unknown persons to humiliate the former governor and probably harm him for political reasons, would the agency not have taken him in on that day with a view to arraigning him in court on the next adjourned date?

“Why turn a money laundering allegation into an embarrassment for the whole country ostensibly to massage the ego of some collaborators?

“We want Nigerians to help us ask: What exactly does the EFCC want from former Governor Yahaya Bello?”

“His Excellency, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, will have his day in court. No one is contesting this. But it will be in line with the rule of law, not as prescribed by the EFCC.”

Michael charged the EFCC to stop dragging the name of President Bola Tinubu in the mud and face its core mandate of fighting corruption.

“The interesting thing is that the more the Commission issues press statements under tension, the more glaring this assertion becomes.

“It is, however, sad that an agency as important as the EFCC has now degenerated to the level of crafting press statements in rogue styles to satisfy the hirers of the gun.

“Even if he is striving hard to keep his shirt by satisfying some supposed benefactors, like some have insinuated, the EFCC Chairman must be reminded that we are a member of the global village.

“What the Commission should be doing now is self re-appraisal with a view to repairing whatever is left of its battered image and not still dragging the name of our President, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, in the mud with practices that are completely alien to the fight against corruption the world over,” he added.

The media office stated that Yahaya Bello is not afraid to appear in court but the law must be fully obeyed by the EFCC.

“We want to reiterate that former Governor Yahaya Bello has acted like a democrat by subscribing to the rule of law and by approaching competent courts of jurisdiction to protect him. He is never afraid of facing justice, hence his submission to the trials at various courts.

“The laws allow for representation and he has constantly been represented by his lawyers. As a Nigerian, he has the right to explore all avenues within the rule of law to protect his fundamental human rights. The EFCC cannot dictate to him, or anyone for that matter, how to go about this.

“Right now, it seems the only task before the EFCC is to execute a desperate hatchet job of destroying the former governor’s reputation and defaming him for no justifiable reason.

“But the EFCC must enlighten itself on the fact that former Governor Yahaya Bello remains innocent of the trumped up charges against him until proven guilty by a competent court of jurisdiction.

“As we write, many informed Nigerians, at home and abroad, cannot still understand why an anti-graft agency, which had declared the former governor wanted, would beg him to go after four hours, after voluntarily presenting himself at the EFCC office.

“The most disturbing aspect of the whole saga is that officials of the same EFCC that said the former governor could not be interrogated or detained because he came with a sitting Governor, went to the official lodge of the same sitting governor, while he was there, shooting sporadically, to forcefully arrest a man that had previously been in their office for over four hours!

“No matter how much the EFCC tries to call an albino a white man for Nigerians in this case, the truth is gradually being uncovered.

“Former Governor Yahaya Bello will fight to the end on the lane of constitutionality and will not succumb to the baits and traps of an Agency that has shown bias, contempt and a clear attempt on his life.

“We want to put it on record here again that former Governor Yahaya Bello is a respecter of the rule of law. He had, only all along, sought the enforcement of his fundamental human rights like any other citizen is entitled to.

“On the other hand, the EFCC, despite being a creation of the law, has demonstrated gross disrespect for the rule of law.

“This is evident in the agency’s bullying, oppressive and reprehensible tactics of disregarding valid orders in cases relating to perceived enemies of their “sponsors or paymasters” and choosing to obey orders when they concern those in the good books of their godfathers.

The statement further accused the EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, of using the office to fight a personal battle and, therefore, called on President Tinubu to investigate his actions.

“In this particular case, the EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, has shown clearly that he is either fighting a personal battle for reasons he must explain sooner than later or striving so hard to keep the trust of certain enemies of former Governor Yahaya Bello, who might have given him an assignment that he must execute at all costs.

“We sympathise with the Commission in this very trying time of a badly battered image, as Nigerians have become more aware that the so-called fight against corruption is not only selective, but also one that could damage the noble intentions of our dynamic President with respect to the all-important fight against corruption, and more importantly, the overall wellbeing of Nigerians.

“We call on Mr. President to please order a thorough investigation into the EFCC-former Governor Yahaya Bello face-off, since inception, with a view to unravelling the real motives of the persecutors.

“The chronology of events since April this year will reveal clear bias, intimidation, oppression, and total disregard for the rule of law by the Commission.

“We stress again that as of the time of the initial siege on the former Governor’s residence in April, the EFCC had no business there because he had a valid court order restraining such action, which had not been vacated. The Commission cannot also provide proof of a formal invitation to him.

“To set the records straight, the Court of Appeal only vacated that order a few weeks ago, which prompted our principal to present himself at the EFCC headquarters on September 18, even while still pursuing the enforcement of his fundamental human rights.

“If the EFCC was truly interested in prosecution and not a deal by some unknown persons to humiliate the former governor and probably harm him for political reasons, would the agency not have taken him in on that day with a view to arraigning him in court on the next adjourned date?

“In normal circumstances, the EFCC should not be the investigator and prosecutor at the same time. But the law allows it. It is, however, strange that the Commission has now assumed the position of the judge. We must remind them that this is Nigeria, and Nigeria belongs to all Nigerians.

“We implore the authorities to advise the EFCC Chairman to face his job as an investigator and refrain from allowing personal interests to continue to push him into avoidable blunders.

“The more the Commission issues controversial press statements on former Governor Yahaya Bello, the more the world is made to see the desperation to achieve an aim that is not clear yet. But the law is definitely stronger than their might.

“We salute the Kogi State House of Assembly for speaking up and we thank all Nigerians who have come to realize that there is more to this desperation by the EFCC to humiliate former Governor Yahaya Bello than they are telling the world,” the statement added.

The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has claimed that China could be taking over assets belonging to Nigeria.

The group gave the warning over an alleged Memorandum of Understanding, (MOU) signed between the Governor Peter Mbah-led government and Chinese companies.

They insisted that the MOU could lead to the seizure of Nigerian assets in the future if legal disputes over contentious land in Enugu are not properly resolved.

The rights group said it was deeply concerned that Mbah recently entered into agreements with some Chinese companies, allegedly giving away the ownership of ancestral lands in Ugwuaji Awkunanaw, despite ongoing litigation over the land.

Speaking via a statement signed by its National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, HURIWA warned that the governor was undermining the rule of law by signing away the land to foreign companies while legal cases were still pending.

The statement read in part, “Chinese companies could seize Nigerian assets internationally, such as embassy buildings in Beijing, if the court rulings favor the original landowners.

“The Enugu State Government should refrain from taking action on these lands until the legal disputes are resolved.

“If the governor proceeds with this transaction, Nigeria could face another embarrassing situation similar to that in Ogun State, where foreign companies confiscated Nigerian assets.

“Enugu State does not have any assets abroad, so it will be Nigeria’s international assets that will be at risk.”

HURIWA called on the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs to clarify whether the Nigerian President was aware of the MOU signed by the Enugu State Government with Chinese companies

The Presidency has confirmed that a cabinet reshuffle is on the horizon, indicating that up to 11 ministers could soon be relieved of their positions.

This development was shared during a media briefing at the Presidential Villa in Abuja by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.

Joining Onanuga at the briefing, O’tega Ogra, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Digital and New Media, did not provide a specific timeline for the reshuffle but hinted that an announcement could be made later this week.

Insiders who spoke with Guardian noted that the long-anticipated changes were postponed following the conclusion of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting on Monday.

“It’s true President Bola Tinubu has plans to reshuffle his cabinet, but I can’t say specifically whether that will be done before the Independence celebration on October 1,” Onanuga stated, emphasizing that the President initially appointed his ministers in August of last year.

Reports suggest that Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, is among those potentially facing dismissal. While the exact details remain unclear, it has been made known that a comprehensive review of ministerial performance is underway as pressure mounts from various stakeholders for a more effective cabinet.

The platform disclosed that former minister of works and housing, Babatunde Fashola is noted to have been identified as a likely replacement for Gbajabiamila. If he declines the offer, the current principal secretary to the President, Hakeem Muri-Okunola has been identified to fill the void.

The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy Wale Edun is expected to get a junior minister in the person of the Chairman, Presidential Fiscal
Policy and Tax Reforms Committee, Mr Taiwo Oyedele.

While decisive action is likely to be taken on the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Betta Edu, insiders note that the ministry might be scrapped due to the level of malfeasance and corruption perpetrated under the guise of intervention programmes.

Also, the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, Minister of State, Environment and Ecological Management, Ishak Salaco, Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Atiku Bagudu, Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Doris Anite, Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo and a few others may not be lucky in the imminent cabinet reshuffle.

According to those familiar with the imminent changes, some ministers may be moved to other ministries, while those found to have performed below par will be removed.

The insiders also noted that a minister who served under the Buhari administration will likely be returned to serve under the present administration.

The official confirmation of a cabinet shake-up comes after months of speculation since Tinubu’s first anniversary in office, as Nigerians grumble about the need for better governance performance amid economic challenges.

This is also happening against the backdrop of some ministers falling below expectations regarding his Renewed Hope agenda.

A year after President Bola Tinubu inaugurated his 45-minister cabinet, many Nigerians expressed displeasure with the team’s performance.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has officially presented the certificate of return to the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Monday Okpebholo, following his victory in the Edo State governorship election.

The presentation took place at the INEC headquarters in Abuja on Thursday, solidifying Okpebholo’s position as the elected governor.

Okpebholo emerged victorious in the election held on September 21, where he secured a total of 291,667 votes, defeating his closest rival, Asue Ighodalo of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who garnered 247,274 votes. Olumide Akpata of the Labour Party (LP) trailed in third place with 22,763 votes.

In this election, Okpebholo’s APC party made significant gains, winning in over 10 of the 18 local government areas, while the PDP managed to claim marginal victories in the remaining councils.

Notably, the APC dominated in two of the three critical senatorial districts within the state, reflecting a decisive shift in the political landscape of Edo.

Meanwhile, the PDP has rejected the results of the recent Edo State Governorship election, as declared by the INEC.

During a media briefing in Abuja on Monday, the Acting National Chairman of the PDP, Amb. Umar Damagum, expressed his party’s dissatisfaction with the outcome, asserting that the people of Edo State rightfully voted for the PDP’s candidate, Dr. Asue Ighodalo, and expect him to be announced as the governor-elect.

The House of Representatives on Thursday adopted a motion to investigate the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on the allegation of receiving ₦15 million from crossdresser, Idris Okuneye, popularly known as Bobrisky.

Social media influencer, Martins Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, alleged that Bobrisky, when convicted by the court for abusing the naira, allegedly served his jail term in a private residency and not the correctional center.

Following a motion titled ‘Urgent Need to investigate the disturbing allegation of corruption against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Nigerian Correctional Service‘ by Hon Patrick Umoh, the House resolved to set up a committee to probe the allegation against EFCC.

The motion by the Ikot Ekpene/Essien Udim/Obot Akara federal constituency member read in part:

“The House notes the disturbing and widely circulated publication emanating from Martins Vincent Otse (also known as VeryDarkMan) against critical Nigerian law enforcement institutions; the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Nigerian Correctional Service;

“Also notes the publication alleges that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) dropped money laundry charges against Idris Okuneye (also known as Bobrisky) upon collection of the sum of Fifteen Million Naira (15, 000, 000):

“Further notes that the publication alleges that Idris Okuneye, upon conviction for abuse and defacing of the Naira, by the court did not serve his time at the Nigeria Correctional Service, but was lodged outside the confines of the Service.”

The motion further “Urge the House to set up an ad-hoc Committee comprising of persons of unquestionable integrity to immediately probe the allegation and report to the House within 3 legislative weeks.”

Source: Terry Ikumi

The Take It Back Movement (TIB) has proposed holding a virtual meeting with the Lagos State Police Command instead of an in-person discussion, citing logistical challenges.

This proposal was outlined in a letter sent on Wednesday to the Assistant Commissioner of Police, State Intelligence Department, Jaiyeoba Joseph, by the group’s legal team, Inibehe Effiong Chambers.

Naija News reports that the letter follows an invitation from the police, delivered on Tuesday, which requested key members of the TIB, including National Coordinator Sanyaolu Juwon, to meet with the new Commissioner of Police, Olanrewaju Ishola, to discuss matters of national interest.

According to The Punch, an insiders from the TIB expressed concerns that the physical meeting could be used as an opportunity to arrest some of their members.

Despite these fears, police spokesperson, Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed the invitation and assured that the meeting was intended to be friendly, with no plans for any arrests.

He also noted that the upcoming October 1 protest would be a key point of discussion.

According to the letter from the TIB’s legal representatives, several members of the group’s leadership are currently out of Lagos and would find it difficult to attend a physical meeting at short notice.

As a solution, the TIB suggested that a virtual meeting would allow all participants to join remotely, making it easier to discuss the important matters at hand.

“Due to the short notice and the fact that several key members of the Take It Back Movement are currently out of Lagos State, attending the physical meeting may be impracticable.

“We respectfully propose a virtual meeting as an alternative, as this would enable all necessary participants to join remotely and contribute productively to the discussions,” the letter partly read.

However, the group also mentioned that if a physical meeting was essential, they would be willing to reschedule, suggesting early October as a possible time when all members could attend in person.

The planned October 1 protest, themed ‘FearlessInOctober,’ is aimed at highlighting economic challenges in Nigeria, with a particular focus on rising inflation and the ongoing fuel crisis.

Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja has postponed hearing on the money laundering case brought by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) against the immediate former Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello.

Naija News reports that Nwite picked October 30, 2024, for the next sitting on the suit.

This comes after Bello approached the Supreme Court to file an appeal aimed at overturning the arrest warrant issued by the trial court on April 17.

During the proceedings, Bello’s attorney, A.M. Adoyi, highlighted that the matter of the defendant’s arraignment is currently under appeal at the Supreme Court. He expressed the desire to bring the court’s attention to the appeal, referencing an affidavit of record submitted on September 23.

Adoyi further stated that it would be prudent to await the Supreme Court’s ruling on the pending appeal before proceeding with the arraignment to avoid nullifying the appellant’s appeal or undermining the authority of the Supreme Court.

In contrast, Kemi Pinheiro, counsel for the EFCC and a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, contended that the defence attorneys were treating the court as a venue for entertainment.

He noted that an appeal filed by the defendant regarding the method of service of the charges and the evidence presented to their counsel was dismissed by the Court of Appeal on August 28 of this year.

“The appellant shall not take any further step until he submits himself. But they took another step,” Pinheiro noted.

In opposing the Defendant’s applications, Pinheiro said, “they had three applications on this – two before your Lordship and one before the Supreme Court. I will now urge your Lordship to demonstrate audacity of coercive power on him.”

On the other hand, Counsel for Bello contended that the matter scheduled for today (Wednesday), specifically the arraignment, is currently under appeal at the Supreme Court by the defendant.

He requested that the court defer its proceedings until the Supreme Court renders its decision, emphasizing the importance of justice in this context.

Justice Emeka Nwite acknowledged the arguments put forth by the counsel and indicated that he would need to address the issues raised in due course.

He announced that he would adjourn the proceedings to deliberate on the matter.

Consequently, he set the next hearing for the 30th of October for both ruling and arraignment.

Last week, the former governor stated that he had complied with the Commission’s invitation, accompanied by Kogi State Governor Usman Ododo, but claimed he was neither interrogated nor detained. The Commission, however, countered this assertion, maintaining that he remains a wanted individual.

The EFCC subsequently attempted to apprehend the ex-governor by surrounding the Kogi Government Lodge in Abuja during the night of Wednesday last week, but the effort was unsuccessful.

An economist, Idika Kalu, has said the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) knows the right policies to take to grow the country’s economy, but they are not doing it.
Idika Kalu stated this while speaking in an interview with Arise TV on the new interest rate raised by CBN, on Tuesday.

He noted that raising interest rates and, at the same time, removing subsidies that could help the citizens was wrong policy. He argued that Nigeria’s economy cannot grow with such a policy.

Kalu said, “You see, in governance, you can’t remove subsidy for the poor and at the same time increase taxes and interest rate. You don’t do that. So if you have high interest rates and have high taxes, you can’t build an economy by that means. What builds an economy is production. And the Central Bank knows that it has policies that it can tweak to get the economy on a productive trajectory.”

Speaking on what policies the CBN can take to grow the economy, Kalu continued, “First, you have the stock of money supply. They can manipulate that. The interest rate, that is what they are doing and they have been doing for over 20 years. You have volume of credit. You have management of the exchange rate. And you have what we call final expenditure. That is like mentioned ways and means of the Central Bank. You see, what the nation is suffering from is that we are not productive. And government has policies, economic policies, that should, I mean, for people in authority, that’s what should interest them.

“One, the first is your economic development policy. That’s very important. Price stability is the second policy. Then you have healthy balance of payments. You have creating employment opportunities. And of course, the development of the financial institutions. These are key policies of government.”

The Managing Director of GABS Financial Services explained that the current economic and monetary policies of CBN were responsible for no low growth in sectors of the economy.

“So whether it is the monetary authorities or the fiscal authorities, they should address these problems. So economic growth and development, there are two things. Economic growth is that maybe a sector is contributing to national income.

“But when you talk of economic development, it means the various sectors in the economy are simultaneously contributing to national income, housing, education, transport, health, all contributing. And that is what builds standard of living of individuals. And we are not doing that. We only have maybe the oil. Manufacturing sector is comatose. Nothing is happening. The agric sector, nothing is happening,” Kalu stated.

Speaking on how the capital market would react to CBN’s new interest rate, he explained that “there is an inverse relationship between interest rates and bond or stock market prices.

“So when interest rate goes up, stock market prices come down. And so before you take such sensitive decisions, you should know the implication or the ripple effect in other sectors like the capital market. It is the capital market that really builds a nation because they can mobilize long-dated funds for economic development.”