At least 20 aspirants seeking elective offices in the forthcoming local government elections in Kano State have tested positive for multiple drugs by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).

The NDLEA commander in the state, Abubakar Idris Ahmad, confirmed this to Daily Trust on Tuesday in his office.

He said some of the aspirants tested positive for drugs opioid (codeine), THC (Tetrahydro cannabis, an active ingredient for cannabis sativa), benzodiazenpines and nicotine.

“So far 20 aspirants presented to us by the ruling party (NNPP) in the state have tested positive for multiple drugs test and the exercise is ongoing.

“Many of them tested positive for Nicotine as far as our test is concerned but is left for the electoral commission to decide if tobacco is drug or not because it is something you find even in kola nut,” Ahmad said.

He however said so far no female aspirant tested positive so far.

He explained that only NNPP had so far presented its aspirants for the drug screening ahead of submission of its candidates’ list to the Kano State Independent Electoral Commission (KANSIEC) which would finally conduct verification for all candidates.

The commission has fixed October 26 to conduct local government elections into 44 chairmanship and 484 councillorship positions by the 18 registered political parties.

Daily Trust reports that the KANSIEC Chairman, Professor Sani Lawal Malumfashi and his commissioners visited the NDLEA office on Monday.

Elon Musk is on track to become the world's first trillionaire by 2027, according to a new global wealth report.

Musk, 53, is currently the world's richest person with a net worth of $251billion, according to Bloomberg's Billionaires Index. However, a new report by Informa Connect Academy has revealed Musk's wealth has been growing at a staggering average rate of 110 per cent a year.

This means that if the Tesla CEO's wealth continues to climb at the same rate, he could be crowned the world's first trillionaire within the next three years, according to the findings.

The report titled The 2024 Trillion Dollar Club, puts Musk's Tesla business at a market value of $ 669.3 billion.

The company's growth rate is also impressively high, at 173.3 per cent according to Informa Connect Academy, which means Tesla alone could exceed $1trillion by as early as next year.

The academy's analysis suggested business conglomerate founder Gautam Adani from India would be second in line to achieve trillionaire status.

That would reportedly happen the year following Musk, in 2028, if his annual growth remains at 123 per cent.

Jensen Huang, chief executive of tech firm Nvidia, and Indonesian energy and mining mogul Prajogo Pangetsu are also predicted to become trillionaires by 2028, according to the findings.

Bernard Arnault, the LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton boss and the world's third-richest person with around $ 200 billion, is on track to snap a trillion dollars in 2030, the same year as Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg.

The top two richest companies valued by the growth report were Microsoft at $ 3.4 trillion and Apple at $ 2.5 trillion.

Both of the tech giants hit the trillion-dollar mark back in 2019 and 2018 respectively.

President Bola Tinubu has approved the commencement of 2024 National Honours Award to Nigerians and friends of Nigeria who have contributed to the development of the country.

Zaphaniah Jisalo, Minister of Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs, made this known at a meeting with management staff of the ministry on Tuesday in Abuja.

Mr Jisalo said that the Federal Government would also honour Nigerians who have distinguished themselves in their various fields of endeavours.

The minister explained that the forms and processes leading to the award of national honours were free of charge, adding that people should desist from paying for national honuours.

“By this information, the public is to watch out for calls for nominations and present individuals who have distinguished themselves by uplifting the nation and its people.

“This is in accordance with the National Honours Award Act 2004. The Act took retrospective effect from 1963, “he said.
NAN

Nigeria failed to defeat Rwanda in a 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier played in Kigali on Tuesday.

The match ended goalless between both countries.

However, the Super Eagles will feel aggrieved as they had what looked like a legitimate goal ruled out in the first half.

Victor Boniface’s header from a throw-in fell to Ademola Lookman who put the ball the net.

But the referee ruled it out.

Both sides saw their goalkeepers make fine saves to maintain the stalemate.

Nigeria lead Group D with four points, while Rwanda are in second spot with two points.

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has condemned the arrest of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) president, Joe Ajaero, and the invasion of the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) office by men of the Department of State Services (DSS).

Atiku said President Bola Tinubu’s level of oppressive control now imposed on Nigerians, civil society organizations and the media has surpassed the time of military dictators.

In a statement on Tuesday, the 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) accused President Tinubu of intimidating opposition voices.

He said, “The escalating assault on civil society and the media by the Bola Tinubu administration is profoundly disturbing. The level of oppressive control now imposed surpasses even the harshest days of military dictatorship.

“The recent arrest of Mr. Joe Ajaero, President of the Nigerian Labour Congress, en route to an official event, epitomizes this regime’s relentless campaign to intimidate and subdue organized labour.

“Just days prior, security forces detained a journalist, only to later claim it was a grievous error. What if the outcome had been fatal?

“Now, Tinubu’s regime extends its repressive grasp to encroach upon SERAP Nigeria, an action that stands as a grave affront to our democratic values. This siege is anathema to the principles of freedom and justice.”

Atiku admonished the President to channel his security agencies towards terrorists and bandits perpetrating violence across the country and stop inflicting suffering on Nigerians.

“It is imperative that Tinubu and his security apparatus redirect their fervour and intimidation towards the actual perpetrators of violence — terrorists and bandits — who are inflicting immeasurable suffering upon the Nigerian people,” Atiku added.

Nigerian musician and activist, Seun Kuti, has emphasized that mere protests are insufficient for achieving meaningful change, urging Nigerians to take more concrete steps towards transformation.

Kuti’s comments follow the recent nationwide #EndBadGovernance protests, which highlighted the growing discontent over national hardships.

In an interview on Channels Television’s Rubbin Minds, Kuti described protests as merely the initial phase of a larger movement.

“What I will say to Nigerians is that protest is not enough. I see protests as a child going to a loving parent complaining, ‘Oh, daddy, mummy, I don’t want to eat this,’ because the daddy and mummy care. But these people don’t care; that’s why I don’t preach protest only; I preach mass organisation because we the people must also organise ourselves for power,” he stated.

He stressed the importance of not only protesting but also showing readiness to replace current leaders with genuine representatives from the people’s side.

“It is not enough that we are protesting because we don’t like what they do, we must also send signals that we are ready to replace them. Not with another version of themselves like we did before, PDP to APC but with new people, representatives from our side of the divide to rule this country for our own benefit,” Kuti added.

Kuti called for a broader mobilization towards a more equitable system. “It is not enough that people want to protest. Protest is the begining of this dance. The real party starts when we begin to mass mobilise into a socialist to release this country from capitalism that we are experiencing,” he said.

The Federal High Court (FHC) in Lagos has embraced the digital world by inaugurating an online platform that enables the public to obtain affidavits directly from the court.

This initiative, spearheaded by FHC Chief Judge Justice John Tsoho, aligns the court with contemporary digital best practices on a global scale.

During a Friday visit to the Lagos division of the court, the court’s Deputy Chief Registrar, Godwin Long, facilitated a tour of the newly established ICT department, which Agwu Charles oversees.

Agwu provided an explanation of how the general public can utilize this new innovation.

“It is now a norm that the Affidavit for loss of items, age declaration, change of name, etc can now be done via portal.fhc.gov.ng and following the instructions.

“What you just need to do is to login to the site: portal.fhc.gov.ng,” Agwu explained.

DCR Longe further explained that, at the moment, the portal can only process Affidavits that are non-cases related.

“Affidavits filed to support a case are still done manually because of the peculiar disposition in such Affidavits.

He reiterated the need for people to be aware that henceforth, “they don’t necessarily have to be physically present to procure the type of Affidavits mentioned above,” he noted.

The 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, has said the problems of Nigeria are politicians who have decided to run the country aground and not the youths.

The Labour Party chieftain called on the media to remain strong in exposing the ills of politicians and leaders of the country. He reminded the media that they are the only voice of the voiceless in the country.

Obi said this on Monday as he paid a visit to News Central. He praised Nigeria youths as one of the most entrepreneurial people in the world.

The former governor of Anambra State stated that the rising cases of tribal and religious bigotry engulfing the country was a tool of underperforming politicians who lack the competence to deliver good governance.

Obi said, “We can’t build this country unless all of us make sacrifices and contribute in our own little way. The fourth estate is very critical because your voice, you are the voice of the voiceless. You are contributing, exposing the ills of all of us, because we are the problem.

“The problem of Nigeria is not the air we breathe, it’s not the food; it’s not our young people who are one of the most entrepreneurial, energetic people you can imagine all over the world.

“The problem of Nigeria is the politicians, and you have to help us to overcome that. You have to help us to overcome issues we have in this country. Whenever you hear us politicians talk about tribe and religion, it’s because we don’t have anything to show for our competence and capability. So we try to replace it by talk about tribe.

“So I urge you to continue to do the right thing for your country. We have no other thing except when we will have a country where nobody is left behind. A child of nobody can become the greatest.”

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC has revealed that bank executives are complicit in aiding money laundering in the country.

The Chairman of the EFCC, Ola Olukoyede while speaking at the 17th annual conference of the Chartered Institute Bankers of Nigeria, said the Commission will soon start prosecution of bank executives involved in corruption.

According to him, findings revealed complicity in money laundering, illegal forex sales and trading among bank officials. 

The EFCC boss said major financial fraud were conducted through the nation’s banking system.

He urged the CIBN to step up its regulatory functions to guard against fraud.

The Commission had recently asked the National Assembly to enact a law which supports the whistle-blower policy of the government.