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On hursday, a bill to amend the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) Act, 2007, and establish the FRSC Special Armed Squad passed a second reading at the House of Representatives.
If passed into law, the bill will allow the officers to carry firearms to perform their duties.
The bill, jointly sponsored by Abiodun Adesida and Olaide Muhammed of the All Progressives Congress Ondo and Oyo states, respectively, was unanimously supported by other lawmakers after a voice vote before being passed for a second reading.
According to the proposed bill, FRSC officers on the rank of deputy corp marshal will enjoy benefits attached to the rank, including retirement benefits.
The bill will also allow the officers to be solely responsible for traffic administration and safety management, preventing and minimising road traffic crashes on roads, supervising road users and regulating traffic.
They will also be empowered to clear obstructions and educate motorists and other members of the public on the proper use of the roads.
In another motion by Garba Ibrahim Muhammad, the House urged the FRSC to adopt technologically assisted enforcement, such as automatic vehicle local and automated traffic enforcement systems, advanced analytics and data platforms, amongst others, to carry out their operations.
The lawmakers adopted the motion and referred it to the House Committee on FRSC.
Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, has approved the payment of gratuities to the pensioners on the payroll of the Local Government Staff Pension Board who retired in 2011.
In a statement, the Commissioner for the Ministry of Local Government, Community and Chieftaincy Affairs, Monday Osaigbovo, said the governor has directed the State Pension Bureau to immediately commence the screening and payment of gratuities to pensioners who retired in 2011.
In August 2024, Obaseki approved the payment of gratuities to the pensioners on the payroll of the Local Government Staff Pension Board who retired in 2010.
“This is to inform the general public, especially Local Government Pensioners that his Excellency, the Executive Governor of Edo State, Godwin Nogheghase Obaseki has approved the payment of gratuity to pensioners who retired in 2011.
“By this directive, the Pension Bureau and 2011 retired Local Government Pensioners should take note,” the commissioner said.
The Federal High Court sitting in Lagos will on October 14 decide whether to grant bail to four journalists accused by the police of publishing false information about Guaranty Trust Holding Company (GTCO) Plc and its Group Chief Executive Officer, Segun Agbaje.
Justice Ayokunle Faji fixed the date after the police prosecutor, Emmanuel Jackson and the defence counsel, O A Afolabi, argued for and against the bail applications filed on behalf of the defendants.
The four men, Precious Eze, Olawale Rotimi male, Rowland Olonishuwa, and Seun Odunlami, were arraigned before the court on a two-count charge of cyberstalking and spreading false information by the Police.
The Special Fraud Unit, Milverton of the Lagos State Police Command had told the judge that the defendants, sometime in August 2024 in Lagos, conspired amongst themselves to commit a felony, to wit, cyberstalking and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 27 of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.). Act 2015 as amended in 2024.
The police had also claimed that the defendants knowingly sent false messages or publications in social media, through a computer or network to the general public as follows: ” EFCC, FRI’s storms GTBanks over Segun Agbaje’s N1 trillion scam” and ” Whistle Blowers expose Segun Agbaje Nepotism, power play, enrich him and sister, Kofo Dosekunni” among other publications to insult the Group Chief Executive Officer of Guaranty Trust Holding Company PLC, Mr Segun Agbaje or to cause criminal intimidation, annoyance, I’ll – will, needless anxiety, injury or hatred to him and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under section 24 (1) (b) of the Cybercrimes ( Prohibition/prevention, et. c): Ac,2015, an s amended in 2024.
They, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges.
At the resumed hearing of the case on Thursday, Afolabi urged the court to grant his clients bail in the most liberal terms, arguing that the offences they were charged with were bailable.
On his part, Jackson, asked the judge to dismiss the applications because the defendants are a ‘flight risk’ and were likely to tamper with the evidence in the case.
After listening to the lawyers, Justice Faji adjourned to October 14 for ruling, he also ordered that the defendants should remain in custody pending the determination of their bail applications.
Senator Oluremi Tinubu has come to the defense of her husband, President Bola Tinubu, amidst rising economic hardship in Nigeria, asserting that he should not bear the blame for the current situation.
This statement comes as Nigerians grapple with escalating prices following the removal of the fuel subsidy, which saw petrol prices surge from ₦198 to ₦1,030 per litre.
During an event at the Palace of Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, on Thursday, the First Lady emphasized that the Tinubu administration is still in its early stages and should be given time to implement its policies.
She stated that the administration is focused on addressing the nation’s challenges and fostering economic growth.
The fuel subsidy was abolished during President Tinubu’s inaugural address on May 29, 2023, with the President citing the policy as an impediment to Nigeria’s progress.
The decision, however, has sparked widespread criticism and discontent among citizens facing increasing financial strain.
Senator Tinubu was in Ife to inaugurate a hostel and a 2.7-kilometer road named after her, which were donated to Ọbafẹmi Awolọwọ University (OAU) by the Ooni of Ife.
She said, “We are just two years into our administration, we are not the cause of the current situation, we are trying to fix it and secure the future.
“We know that subsidy has been removed but with God on our side in the next two years Nigeria will be greater than this. Those who attempted removing subsidy before could not see it through. But with your prayers in the next two years, we will build a nation for the future.”
The president’s wife added that her husband is not greedy, thanking God for making him emerge Nigeria’s number one citizen.
“We give glory to God for our status, myself and my husband, we are not greedy but we thank God for what God has done for us. It is not common for rich people to get to this seat but I am grateful to God, we can not disappoint Nigeria and with the help of God, we are getting to the promised land in no distant time,” she said.
The First Lady, who disclosed that she graduated from OAU 41 years ago, donated ₦1 Billion to the university for its development and advancement.
While speaking, the Ooni of Ife lauded the Wife of the President for serving as role model to young ones since her days as First Lady of Lagos State.
The traditional ruler said, “I have been a keen admirer of Senator Oluremi Tinubu as a young man eking out a living in Lagos. One of my major attractions was the New Era Initiative especially as it concerns the One Day Governor in Lagos that is totally detribalised and provided opportunities to young secondary school boys and girls to become Governor in Lagos State. This has been a milestone and major inspiration for the younger ones to aspire and proper.”
The Ondo State Police Command has paraded one Mr Monday Chukwu, a 34-year-old resident of Akintola village in the Odigbo area of the state for allegedly stabbing his friend, Kefa Ofando, to death.
Chukwu was one of the twelve suspects arrested for committing crimes ranging from murder, robbery to arson.
The suspects were paraded before journalists at the Ondo State Police Command Headquarters in Akure, the state capital by the Commissioner of Police, Mr Abayomi Oladipo.
In his address to journalist, the CP noted that investigations revealed that late Ofando, aged 30, had borrowed the suspect the sum of two thousand Naira, which, when demanded a few days later, led to an argument during which the suspect stabbed the victim with scissors on his neck and the victim died from injury sustained.
Also among the 12 suspects is a 16-year old secondary school student, Precious Kolawole, who allegedly involved in the killing of a popular Akure based Caterer, Mrs. Adeniyi Iyabode, at her residence along Oda Road in Akure.
Oladipo noted that investigations had earlier led to the arrest of Precious’ accomplice, one 17 year old Philip Emmanuel, who in a voluntary statement, expressed their individual degrees of involvement in the dastardly act.
“The first Suspect, Precious Kolawole, claimed to have heard Mrs. Adeniyi talking about receiving a substantial amount of money through her bank account and, on the heels of this, recruited Philip Emmanuel, the second suspect, to jointly murder the victim gruesomely,” the CP said.
“Clinical investigation revealed knife wounds inflicted by Philip Emmanuel and machete cuts by Precious Kolawole, resulting in the death of the victim. It was also gathered that the victim successfully withdrew the sum of thirty thousand Naira from her account via her ATM card.”
Four persons who are members of a syndicate who specialise in stealing brain box of vehicles in Ondo State were also paraded. The Suspects confessed to the crime, saying that they spend just five minutes to remove any vehicle brain box.
The CP emphasised that, “The Ondo State Police Command in its commitment to tackling crime and maintaining public order, have in the past weeks made significant strides in apprehending suspects involved in serious offences.”
He urged members of the public to always be vigilant in detecting crime and fostering a safer environment for all, adding that the suspects would soon be charged to court upon conclusion of the investigations.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate in the 2023 election, Atiku Abubakar, has asserted that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is unconcerned about the hardship in the country.
The former vice president made this known while reacting to the recent petrol price hike.
Recall that the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPCL, adjusted the pump price of fuel from N897 per litre to N1,030 in Abuja, and from N855 to N998 in Lagos.
The increase in fuel had no doubt affected Nigerians as they continued to groan over the economic situation.
In a post via X on Thursday, Atiku stated that the haphazard approach of the administration of President Tinubu to fuel subsidy management is the reason for the economic crisis in the country.
Atiku noted that Tinubu’s silence to the current challenge in the country is worrisome.
He said, “The haphazard and disingenuous approach of the current administration to fuel subsidy management has been the reason we are in this current economic crisis in the country.
“As things stand, there will be no let up in the escalating inflation rate, which is drowning the material well-being of Nigerians. It is even more worrying that T-pain is undisturbed by the hardship in the country.”
T-pain is a play on the first letter of the president’s last name which is currently trending on social media, presumably with inspiration from American rapper Faheem Najm, who goes by the stage name T-Pain.
The 81 Division of the Nigerian Army has launched a probe into the death of a police officer in the Ojo area of Lagos State.
The Deputy Director of Army Public Relations, Lieutenant Colonel Olabisi Ayeni, announced this in a statement on Thursday.
Although did not indicate when the probe started, he regretted that a soldier attached to the Ojo Cantonment Barracks stabbed the policeman, Saka Ganiyu, to death.
“The incident, which is presently under investigation, escalated and resulted in the death of the policeman,” the statement read.
Ayeni stated that the soldier involved in the tragic event has been apprehended and handed over to the Military Police for investigation and disciplinary action.
“The soldier suspected to have committed the offence has since been apprehended and handed over to the Military Police for investigation and further disciplinary procedures.
“The incident is highly regrettable, given the Division’s commitment to the Nigerian Army Code of Conduct and Rules of Engagement.
“The Nigerian Army has continuously sensitized its personnel not to engage in activities that would tarnish its image and bridge the trust with other security agencies as well as the civil populace.
“The General Officer Commanding 81 Division NA commiserates with the family of the deceased and the Nigeria Police on this unfortunate incident.”
The Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, in a continued effort to tackle insecurity in the Northwest, has called on bandits’ informants to repent or be sent to their early graves soon.
The statement was made by the minister during an operational visit at security-threatened areas in Sokoto State, including Gundumi, Hawan Durum village, Isa and Sabon Birni Local Government Areas on Thursday.
The visit was in line with the directives of President Bola Tinubu to crush bandits in the Northwest.
Matawalle said that so far, the operation has recorded massive success, with the killings of several notorious bandits kingpin in the axis.
Some of the villages around this axis have been deserted by the residents over the years due to the heightened rate of insecurity.
The Minister called on the people of the town to fear God and assist the Federal Government in this fight, saying that the informants are the major contributing factor on insecurity in the axis.
He encouraged troops to continue the good work they are doing and assured them of Federal Government’s maximum support.
The Delhi High Court has granted an Indian couple the right to use the frozen sperm of their late son, Preet Inder Singh, for surrogacy.
Surrogacy is an arrangement in which a woman agrees to carry and deliver a child for another person or couple, who will become the child’s parent(s) after birth.
It is often used as a solution for individuals or couples facing infertility, medical complications, or other barriers to conceiving and carrying a pregnancy to term.
BBC reported on Wednesday that this landmark ruling followed a four-year legal struggle after a hospital refused to release the sperm.
The couple expressed their joy, stating, “We were very unlucky, we lost our son. But the court has given us a very precious gift. We would now be able to get our son back,” Preet’s mother, Harbir Kaur, told the BBC.
Harbir Kaur and her husband, Gurvinder Singh, initiated legal proceedings after Ganga Ram Hospital in Delhi refused, in December 2020, to release the sperm stored in its fertility lab.
Their 30-year-old son, Preet Inder Singh, was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma in June 2020 and admitted for treatment.
“Before he began chemotherapy, the hospital advised him to store his semen as the treatment could adversely affect the quality of his sperm,” Gurvinder Singh explained. Preet Inder, who was unmarried, agreed, and his sperm sample was frozen on June 27, 2020.
He passed away in early September of the same year.
Months later, when the grieving parents sought access to the sperm, the hospital denied their request, prompting the couple to turn to the Delhi High Court.
In their plea, the couple, now in their 60s, assured the court that they would raise any child born using their son’s sperm, and in the event of their death, their two daughters had undertaken responsibility for the child.
Justice Prathiba Singh ruled that under Indian law, there is no prohibition against posthumous reproduction if consent has been given by the sperm donor.
She noted that, in the absence of a spouse or children, Preet Inder’s parents were entitled to the sperm under the Hindu Succession Act, as they became his legal heirs.
The couple’s desire to use the sperm was driven by their wish to continue their son’s legacy.
Quoting Indian Express on Thursday, Hindustan Times reported that the judge, referencing the Hindu Succession Act, ruled that parents are entitled to their deceased son’s sperm as they are “Class-1 legal heirs.”
“He loved his sisters and was much loved by his friends. He is the screensaver on my phone. I start my day by looking at his face every morning,” Ms Kaur shared while declining to release a photo due to privacy concerns.
The family plans to keep the surrogacy within the family, with a relative offering to be the surrogate. Under Indian law, commercial surrogacy is illegal.
According to their lawyer, Suruchii Aggarwal, while the case is rare, it is not without precedent.
Meanwhile, TodaysFamilyLawyer on Thursday reported that last week, the judge ruled in favour of the couple, stating that “Indian law does not prohibit posthumous reproduction if the deceased has given consent.”
She acknowledged that “as Preet was unmarried and had no children, his parents became his legal heirs under the Hindu Succession Act and were entitled to access the sperm sample.”
The Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture, NACCIMA, has expressed its concern over the recent increase in petrol pump prices.
The National President of the association, Mr Dele Oye, made this known in a statement on Wednesday in Lagos.
Oye said that the prices, which had reached N998 and N1,030 per litre respectively, were placing a strain on businesses and households across the country.
He spoke on the potential economic consequences of the price hike, warning that the increase could lead to higher transportation costs, exacerbate inflation and severely impact small and medium-sized businesses.
According to him, the decision, influenced by several underlying factors, warranted careful examination of its potential repercussions on the economy, particularly in the realms of pricing for goods, services and transportation.
“With transportation costs directly tied to fuel prices, this increase will serve as a catalyst for higher freight charges.
“Given that fuel is a primary driver of inflation, the rise in petrol prices will exacerbate the already high inflation rate in Nigeria.
“Households will find themselves paying more not only for fuel, but also for everyday goods and services, prompting a vicious cycle of rising costs and economic hardship.
“The recent fuel price increase will have a profound impact on micro and nano businesses, many of which rely heavily on petrol generators to power their operations,” he noted.
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Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, has shared his preference for traditional Orisa worship over Christianity and Islam, citing a deeper personal connection and the non-violent nature of African spirituality.
In a recent interview with CNN’s Larry Madowo, Soyinka expressed that his faith in Orisa worship resonates more profoundly with him compared to the faith practices found in Christianity and Islam.
Soyinka emphasized that Orisa worship, as one of the indigenous African religions, promotes creativity and peace, distinguishing it from other faiths he has encountered.
He remarked on the importance of cultural heritage and the rich traditions associated with Orisa worship, asserting that these practices encourage a harmonious existence devoid of violence.
Soyinka said, “I was fortunate to be born in two worlds – the Christian world and traditional Orisa worshippers. My grandfather, until he – poor man – also got converted – he was an Orisa person and a chief, and his (grandfather’s) side (of Orisa) fascinated me a lot more.
“For me, it (Orisa worshipping) was more artistic, creative, and also more mysterious. I don’t find much of the mysterious in Christianity and even less in Islam and that is for a simple reason that I didn’t grow up in a Muslim environment.
“Orisa is open, and very ecumenical and that is why these foreign religions were able to penetrate it and even distort the truth. Because of the generosity of this spirit (Orisa), it is not violent. It is one of those African religions which eschew violence.
“I don’t believe in the Islamic or Christian God and for the adherents of these religions if that makes me an atheist, so I say, I am an atheist. I insisted that all human beings have a certain spiritual core in their being, I believe myself to be a more spirit-sensitive person.”
The literary icon also revealed that he said he doesn’t like to watch anything adapted from his life or works.
He said, “Let me put it this way, turning anything in my life into what other people can watch pains me. It makes me extremely uncomfortable. It’s wrong to say it’s terrific, let me just say I’m detached from it.
“It takes me a while to bring myself to watch me.”
The Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN) has expressed regret over the failure of Dangote Refinery to disclose the exact price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS).
This lack of transparency has raised concerns among stakeholders in the petroleum sector.
Despite initial expectations that the commencement of petrol sales by Dangote Refinery would help alleviate the rising cost of fuel in Nigeria, the anticipated benefits have not materialized.
Since the indigenous refinery began operations, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has continued to act as the intermediary, purchasing petrol from Dangote and selling it to other retailers.
In a recent appearance on Channels Television’s breakfast program, The Morning Brief, PETROAN President, Billy Gillis-Harris emphasized the need for improved communication between Dangote Refinery and the retail sector.
Gillis-Harris said, “As I speak to you this morning I don’t know what the Dangote price is all about. At this point in Dangote’s campaign into Nigeria, retail outlet owners like us should be able to know this is how much Dangote is willing to sell to us and we have kept that shrouded in secrecy up until now.
“NNPC came out and gave us a price template, that also did not tell us what is the exact price input from Dangote. So, we would encourage Dangote to open up space of communication, talk with all the stakeholders, get valuable inputs from everybody because it is a business that involves Nigerians, retail outlet owners like us, marketers and different consumers.
“So, there should be some level of business transparency even if it is a private business which we are so proud of that
Some Nigerian soldiers, who were attached to the Ojo Cantonment Barracks, have been accused of killing a policeman.
The soldiers, led by a yet-to-be-identified colleague, who was accosted for driving against the traffic around Volks Bus Stop, along the Ojo Iyana Iba Road area of Lagos State reportedly stabbed the policeman, Saka Ganiyu, to death.
PUNCH Online reports that the soldier, who was not wearing his uniform, while driving an unregistered T4 Volkswagen commercial bus against the traffic, was stopped by policemen on enforcement duty at Volks Bus Stop.
Angered by the action of the policemen, it was learnt that an altercation ensued and the soldier contacted some of his colleagues, who reportedly trooped out of the Ojo Cantonment Barracks and attacked the policemen.
A document chronicling the circumstances surrounding the soldiers’ attack on the policemen indicated that Ganiyu sustained varying degrees of injury during the attack and was rushed to the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital for urgent treatment.
“However, the injured Inspector (Saka Ganiyu) later died in the hospital while undergoing treatment. The corpse was deposited at the hospital’s morgue for preservation and autopsy.
“Meanwhile, the Commander 9 Brigade, Ikeja Cantonment, has been contacted and the erring soldier was taken into custody at their base,” the document read.
It was gathered that the identity of the soldier was yet to be revealed by the military authority as a thorough investigation by the homicide detectives had been initiated to ensure justice for the policeman.
The state Police Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundenyin, did not respond to calls and had yet to respond to a text message sent to his mobile phone as of the time of filing this report.
The spokesperson for the 81 Division Nigerian Army, Olabisi Ayeni, when contacted for a reaction, said, “Let me do my findings and get back to you.”
He had yet to get back to our correspondent as of the time of filing this report.
Thirteen repentant members of the deadly terrorist group, Boko Haram have reportedly fled with rifles and motorcycles handed to them by the Borno State government.
Premiumtimes reports that the 13 are among thousands of former Boko Haram fighters and their families who had surrendered to the government and were enlisted to join the military in fighting the ins-urge.
The escapees attached to the military operatives in Mafa fled their camp between the 1st and 2nd of September.
The report quotes Malik Samuel, a researcher with a deep understanding of jihadi groups in northeastern Nigeria and the Lake Chad Basin region, as saying that eight ex-fighters first escaped from the camp on September 1 before five others followed suit the next day.
He said the escapees called Abdullahi Ishaq, a special adviser to the government on security matters, threatened to unleash more violence.
After their escape, the jubilant terrorists reportedly released a video brandishing the rifles.
The state government is yet to react to this development.