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Bayo Onanuga, spokesperson to President Bola Tinubu, has suggested that Peter Obi, former presidential candidate of the Labour Party, LP, is a bitter person.
Onanuga made the expression in a post on his X handle on Monday, while sharing another post on Obi by Nwachukwu Chigozie @chigozie0102.
Chigozie in his post called Obi ‘chief mourner’, saying he (Obi) woke up and went to Canada to ‘practice demarketing of Nigeria.’
“Chief mourner woke up, wore his usual mourning clothes and went to Canada to practice his market to market demarketing of Nigeria, while he was at it, the Mayor of the town got hold of the Mic and started singing the praises of Nigeria, Lagos in particular. The bitter loser didn’t know when he joined his hurriedly assembled crowd to start clapping for the mayor.”
The statement might have stemmed from Obi’s recent visit to Canada, where he criticized the failure of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, server during the last presidential election.
The former Anambra State governor also complained that the current administration, alongside its agencies, had resorted to calling him names and organizing town hall meeting for him.
However, the spokesman to the presidency quoted the post on his personal X handle, writing: “Bitter Obi”.
Lagos State Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Dr Oluyinka Olumide, stated that 80 per cent of buildings in Ibeju Lekki have no approval.
He disclosed this in a recent interview with newsmen.
He said, “Just last week Thursday and Friday, myself and the team were in the Ibeju Lekki and Epe axis and you would agree with me that anybody passing through that corridor would see a lot of estates marked. We went there, and I can tell you that from what we saw, over 80 per cent of them do not have approval.
“The procedure to get approval is first to get the planning information, as to what those areas have been zoned for. In this case, what we have is agricultural land, and people now go to their families to buy agricultural land. Of course, those lands would be sold because those families do not know the use such land would be put to.
“The next thing to do is the fence permit. If you missed the earlier information on not knowing the area zoning, at the point of getting the fence permit, you would be able to detect what the area is zoned for. After that, the layout permits a large expense of land follows.”
Olumide noted that a layout permit cannot be obtained if it is not zoned for the purpose it was designed for or for the purpose it was being requested.
“So, you can see all these layers, but people still go ahead to start advertising. Some have even gone to the extent of displaying the sizes they want to sell. Imagine someone in the diaspora who wants to send money without any knowledge. Then, no approval is eventually gotten. Even if they pass the assignment and the survey to them, we would not grant the individual permit, because that area is not zoned for that purpose,” the commissioner explained.
In the same vein, the Chief Executive Officer of Octo5 Holdings, Jide Odusolu, said Lekki Peninsula’s masterplan got distorted post-2010 due to rapid development, with newer estates sidestepping old regulations.
He said, “The Lekki peninsula had a master plan which was originally launched when Bola Tinubu was the governor and updated under Babatunde Fashola. Almost all large estates along the Lekki corridor, especially those developed between 2000-2008, have approved layout plans. It was obligatory and rigidly enforced by the state government.
“However, starting in 2010, the plans became distorted with accelerated development, and many of the smaller schemes that sprung up deliberately sought to avoid the large infrastructure burdens carried by the legacy era developments.
“I am sure investigations with developers such as UPDC (Pinnock Beach), Trojan Estate, Aircom (Northern Foreshore), Cityscape (Buenavista), Howard Roarks (Lake View) and Octo5 (Ocean Bay) will reveal how they all spent huge sums providing infrastructure with zero support from the government while still paying punitive taxes.”
According to Odusolu, the government weaponised planning and titling for internally generated revenue, and that disincentivises compliance, leading to chaotic development.
Meanwhile, the Managing Director of Fame at Oyster & Co. Nigeria, Femi Oyedele, said most of the estates had layout plans that were not coordinated to form a planned city.
He noted that the communities that were not planned were the historic settlements that the government excised in the scheme.
“To do Lekki better, those estates which have been approved on the west and east arterial roads, which go down to Awoyaya on the east side and to Akodo on the west side of Lekki-Epe Expressway, must be demolished to make way for the planned roads.
“The kind of restoration done to Abuja by Nasir El’Rufai must be done in Lekki. Lekki Peninsular and Victoria Island have a population of over 3 million people. Glasgow has a population of less than 2 million people with twice the roads of Lekki Peninsula,” he enunciated.
The Naira depreciated by N130 against the United States dollar at the parallel foreign exchange market on Sunday.
A Bureau De Change operator, Mistila Dayyabu, disclosed this in an interview.
He noted that Naira dropped to N1,420 per dollar from N1,290 in less than 48 hours at the parallel market.
“The Naira depreciated to N1,420 per dollar on Sunday at the parallel market due to high demand. We buy at N1,410 per dollar and sell at N1420 as of Sunday. It was N1290 per dollar on Friday,” told DAILY POST.
Recalls that the Naira appreciated at both the official and parallel foreign exchange markets on Friday.
The Naira has continued to experience fluctuations in foreign exchange despite the Central Bank of Nigeria’s interventions.
From March 26th to April 26th, 2024, the apex bank released FX thrice to Bureau De Change operators.
Financial expert Kalu Aja said CBN’s intervention was the reason for the appreciation of the Naira from March to mid-April 2024.
The Mundubawa country home of former governor Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau has been gutted by Fire, destroying the sitting room of his second Wife, Halima Shekarau.
Although the fire was suspected to have started from the kitchen, the actual cause could not be immediately ascertained.
Officials of the State Fire Service struggled to put it off.
A source close to the family told our correspondent that the fire started from the inner kitchen.
He said, “we thank God the fire only affected one of Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau’s sitting roomm and already the Fire Service officials are working to quench it.”
The spokesperson of the State Fire Service confirmed the Incident.
“We are still at the house and you know I cannot comment on anything now because we are still trying to make sure that the fire didn’t spread to other places”, he added.
Popular comedians like AY Makun, Seyi Law, and MC Lively were among the personalities who attended the dedication ceremony of Atunyota Akpobome, also known as Ali Baba’s triplets.
The event, which took place on Sunday in Lagos, brought together Ali Baba’s friends, family, and professional acquaintances.
The dedication started with a church service at the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Christ The Lord Central Parish in Lekki.
The service was followed by a reception at an event centre on Hakeem Dickson Street in Lekki Phase 1, Lagos.
Ali Baba had on April 1 announced that his wife, Mary was delivered a set of triplets.
Many, however, did not believe the information which they tagged April Fools’ message.
Other guests at the event included Chigul, Bunmi Davis, Ajebo Comedian, and Adebola Williams.
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The value of Nigeria’s currency in circulation has risen to N3.87tn at the end of March.
According to the latest money and credit statistics on the website of the Central Bank of Nigeria, the currency in circulation was N3.87tn, higher than N3.69tn in February and N3.65tn in January.
However, currency outside banks have also increased progressively during the first quarter, growing from N3.28tn in January to N3.41tn and N3.63tn in February and March, respectively.
The data revealed that over 90 per cent of currency in circulation is held outside of the banking system, indicating Nigerians are holding more cash.
In their personal statements, one of the members of the Monetary Policy Committee of the CBN at their March meeting, Muhammad Abdullahi, posited that the apex bank had identified high currency outside banks as one of the monetary drivers of the country’s inflation.
He said, “From available data, prices of domestic food items remain the major driver of headline inflation because of supply shortages and high cost of logistics and distribution.
“While this cannot be directly influenced using monetary policy tools, the bank’s response to the drivers of headline inflation is targeted at addressing identified monetary drivers such as money supply growth,
exchange rate depreciation and Currency-Outside-Banks, the combined impact of which will dampen inflationary pressure significantly.”
In January 2024, at the height of the currency redesign policy, currency in circulation stood at N1.386tn with the percentage of the cash outside the banks standing at 57 per cent at N792.184bn.
By February, the cash outside banks rose to N843.311bn, representing 85.9 per cent of the N982.097bn that was in circulation.
It dropped further in March to 85.8 per cent with N1.445tn of the N1.683tn CIC, outside the banking system.
The Ogun State Police Command has arrested a 40-year-old male worshipper identified as Abiola, otherwise known as Aro, who was accused of defiling a 14-year-old minor (name withheld) at the Olorunloba Mosque restroom located on Ondo Road in the Ijebu-Ode area of Ogun State.
Before Saturday’s incident, the suspect had been a member of the mosque for more than 15 years, according to information obtained exclusively by PUNCH Metro.
Following the completion of the afternoon Muslim prayer in the mosque, our correspondent learnt that the incident happened on Saturday, March 4, 2024, at about 2:20pm.
Based on the information provided to the police officers at the Igbeba Division, the survivor claimed that she needed to relieve herself and went to the mosque’s bathroom to pass the stool.
She, however, explained that she heard a knock on the door shortly after she entered the restroom.
The survivor further claimed that she was startled when she opened the door and discovered Aro standing by it, even though she had assumed the knock was from her younger brother, who had also come for the prayer.
She told the police that she was trying to find out why Aro was in the women’s restroom when she surprisingly saw him by the door. He was said to have then allegedly shoved her back into the restroom and forced her up against the wall.
A police source who was privy to the report but craved anonymity because he was not authorised to speak with the press told our correspondent that despite the survivor’s cries and pleas, Aro removed her pants violently and pinned the teenager to the toilet wall before having carnal knowledge of the girl.
A police document exclusively made available to PUNCH Metro on Sunday about the report of the incident partly read, “As a result of what Aro did, the survivor started bleeding uncontrollably from her private parts. She went back home to report the matter to her guardian, who took her to a general hospital in the area for medical attention.”
Following the suspect’s arrest, he was detained, according to the state Police Public Relations Officer, Omolola Odutola, who also informed PUNCH Metro that the case would be forwarded to the State Criminal Investigation Department for additional investigation.
“The suspect has been arrested and detained for alleged defilement. He will be transferred to the State CID in Abeokuta immediately after the preliminary investigation is completed,” Odutola stated via a WhatsApp message on Sunday.
A related incident occurred on April 26, 2024, according to PUNCH Metro report, when the command detained two brothers, Olamijuwon Noibi and Lukman Olatunbosun, for suspected gang rape in Oke-Eri, Atan-Ijebu.
One of the suspects had tricked the survivor into coming to their apartment, where he allegedly assaulted her sexually and threatened to kill his younger brother, Olatunbosun, with a knife after he refused to take part in the crime.
Noibi was said to have also filmed the moment his brother was allegedly having unlawful sexual intercourse with the survivor.
The Nigerian government plans to impose stricter rules on cryptocurrency platforms to defeat the Naira against the dollar in the foreign exchange market.
The development comes as the Director General of Nigeria Securities and Exchange, Emotomtimi Agama, will meet with local and international crypto exchanges on Monday.
Blockchain Industry Coordinating Committee of Nigeria, BICCoN, chair, Lucky Uwakwe disclosed this in a statement.
The planned regulations became necessary after the Nigerian government lifted the suspension on cryptocurrency in December 2023.
“Everyone’s presence and insights are invaluable as we collectively navigate the regulatory terrain and strive toward fostering an environment conducive to innovation and growth within the blockchain and cryptocurrency sector,” he said.
The meeting comes amid the continued clampdown on Binance, OctaFX, and other cryptocurrency platforms based on the undermining of Naira in the forex market.
Recall that barely five days ago, the Central Bank of Nigeria stopped OPay, Palmpay, Kuda Bank, and Moniepoint from onboarding new customers over allegations of accounts being used for illicit foreign exchange transactions.
Governor of CBN, Olayemi Cardoso, in a briefing at the 293rd meeting of the Monetary Policy Committee, said $26 billion was funnelled through cryptocurrency without a trace.
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency have intercepted 511 jumbo sacks of cannabis sativa weighing 4,752kg concealed in the gas tank compartment of a truck along the Abuja-Abaji highway.
The agency in a statement on Sunday by its spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, said the operatives on a stop-and-search operation along the highway on Wednesday, May 1, intercepted the 40-ft gas tanker marked RBC 77XG and upon a thorough search discovered the sacks.
Babafemi added that four suspects were arrested in connection with the seizure.
The statement read in part, “NDLEA operatives on a stop-and-search operation along Abuja-Abaji highway on Wednesday, May 1 intercepted a 40-ft gas tanker marked RBC 77XG and upon a thorough search discovered 511 jumbo sacks of cannabis sativa weighing 4,752kg concealed in the gas tank compartment of the truck.
“The consignment was loaded into the tanker in Ondo State and meant to be delivered in Abuja for further distribution. Four suspects: Efe Abel Mikel, 39; Ebigide Cyril, 29; Ejechi Monday, 41; and Friday Benson Chukwudi, 39, have been arrested in connection with the seizure.”
Babafemi stated further that the agency smashed an international drug syndicate with networks in parts of Nigeria, South Africa and Thailand.
According to him, no fewer than five members of the cartel were arrested in a two-week intelligence-led operation in Lagos, Abia and Anambra states following the seizure of their illicit drug consignments at the NAHCO import shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos.
He said, “The unravelling of the drug cartel started on Sunday, April 20, when their cargo of four big suitcases arrived at the NAHCO shed on an Airpeace airline flight from Johannesburg, South Africa. After days of close monitoring and investigation, the first suspect, Umeh Chisom Peter, was arrested on Wednesday, April 24, after he showed up to pick up two of the suitcases containing Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis owned by a Thailand-based member of the syndicate, Obum Michael. The consignment of four parcels was concealed in false bottoms of the two suitcases, while the four suitcases contain a total of 17.6 kilograms Loud and drug candies.”
He added that another member of the syndicate, Mrs Chinwendu Uche Ugbe whose South Africa-based husband, Aloysius Uche Ugbe, sent some of the consignments, was traced to Anambra State where the NDLEA officers arrested her on Saturday, April 27, while attempting to collect the drug parcels sent to her by her husband.
“Two other suspects: Onyejiakor Francis Chimezie and Nnaji Valentine Chukwukere, with links to the cartel, were also arrested in parts of Lagos on Monday, April 29. Their arrest led to another operation in Abia State where Mrs. Chinazo Osigwe was arrested when she was to pick up some of the parcels containing Loud and drug candies sent by her husband, Osigwe Chidiebere Anthony, who is equally operating from South Africa.
“While two suspects: Aminu Umar, 25, and Anas Umar, 22, were arrested with 207.1 kilograms of cannabis sativa in their house at Unguwan Rimi, Basawa, Samaru, Zaria, Kaduna State on Monday, April 29, Bashir Umar, 35, was nabbed at Ladanai, Hotoro area of Kano on Friday, May 3 with 194 bottles of codeine syrup,” the statement added.
Breaking away from usual pet choices, the woman has opted for a different kind of bond with her scaly pals. Her decision to keep and care for such a large number of snakes has sparked both curiosity and debate. 
Her home has been transformed into a cozy haven for her snake buddies, with special homes built just for them. Visitors are amazed not only by the number of snakes but also by the strong bond between the woman and each one.
However, the woman's choice of companionship has not been without its challenges. Despite her assurances of safety and responsibility, concerns have been raised regarding the potential risks associated with housing such a significant number of large snakes in a residential environment.
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The Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate in the 2023 election, Peter Obi, has explained why the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, servers failed to work effectively for the transmission of results during the 2023 presidential election.
Naija News reports that Peter Obi while addressing the issues of the 2023 elections in Canada over the weekend, said the ‘establishment of criminality’ caused the INEC servers not to work during the general elections.
The former Anambra State governor stated that there were a number of glitches during the election result transmission, but Amazon testified that no glitches were recorded globally on the day of the presidential election.
Peter Obi added that people must intensify engagement with all the stakeholders to make the system work.
He said: “Where did we go wrong in the last election? We didn’t go wrong anywhere. We did the right things.
“But as I can always tell people: when you bring a change, you fight all those who live off the old order. They don’t go away; they gang up. And don’t think it’s a straight race to remove an establishment.
“It’s a long-distance journey anywhere in the world. Go and check anywhere, whether you are looking at what happened in India, with Mandela in South Africa, or America. No change has happened overnight, it takes time.
“I urge all of you, if you really want change, we have just begun. We just have to continue from where we are.
“Yes, there might be one or two things we will correct, those things we will correct. I assure you we are correcting them without naming them. It’s not going to be easy.
“The INEC server was the same as the establishment. The server would not work because it was the establishment that made it so it wouldn’t work. It’s ours to continue to say that it would work. But there was no glitch.
“Amazon came and said there was no glitch. Amazon glitch is noticed globally – it’s recorded globally. And at that period, we brought down an Amazon person who said this is the number of glitches we have had since inception.
“And there was none that it reported that day. We know it didn’t occur. It was the glitch of the establishment criminality that was in the system. And we must one day make it work.”
Nigerians who are looking to change their National Identification Number data must provide supporting documents and complete the requisite paperwork at a designated National Identity Management Commission office.
The prerequisites for modifying National Identification Number (NIN) data may differ depending on the nature of the alteration required.
It’s important to note that the specific requirements may vary based on the type of modification needed (e.g., name change, date of birth correction, etc.) and the policies set forth by the NIMC.
However, the general criteria include:
1. Submission of the completed NIN modification form, obtainable from the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) office or downloadable from their website.
2. Presentation of the original NIN slip for verification purposes.
3. Provision of supporting document(s) corresponding to the modification type (e.g., birth certificate, marriage certificate, court order, etc.).
4. Verification of identity using a recognized proof (e.g., passport, driver’s license, permanent voter’s card, etc.).
5. Confirmation of citizenship or residency status through acceptable documentation (e.g., birth certificate, passport, naturalization certificate, etc.).
6. Recent passport-sized photograph for record purposes.
7. Capture of fingerprints at the NIMC office.
8. Signing the modification form with a valid signature.
9. Payment of the applicable modification fee, if required.
10. Completion and signing of a consent form for minors or individuals under legal guardianship.
Meanwhile, the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), had announced the decision to launch a new National Identity Card with payment and other social service features.
The New National Identity card would be delivered in collaboration with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Nigeria Inter-bank Settlement System (NIBSS).
The UK government has stated that only international students enrolling in Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) programs can bring their dependants to the country.
The British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Richard Montgomery, revealed this information during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Abuja.
He explained that the change in educational policy earlier this year aimed to reduce the influx of foreign students bringing dependants into the UK.
The diplomat highlighted that the substantial increase in dependants was straining many universities, prompting the introduction of these changes.
Montgomery emphasized that the restrictions do not extend to all categories, clarifying that individuals pursuing long-term research degrees, such as a PhD or doctorate, remain unaffected.
The envoy said, “Those coming to the UK for doctorate can still bring their dependency but if you are coming to the UK with a study visa for an undergraduate degree, or short term master’s degree am afraid the rules have been changed.
“People need to understand why this change was brought in, and it is a sensible change because we have a large higher education sector and most of these universities are in towns across the country.”
Five suspected kidnappers who abducted a pastor’s wife and two other persons have been arrested after their victims identified one of them.
The victims had escaped when the kidnappers slept off while taking them to their den.
It was gathered that the effect of hard drugs taken by the kidnappers made them to fall at sleep.
Names of the suspected kidnappers were given as Garuba Mumuni aged 27, Yusuf Tale aged 21, Kabiru Muhammed aged 16, Shaibu Umar and Adamu Mohammed aged 22.
Police said the suspects were arrested by men of the Ofosu Division after the victims identified one of them.
The police said: “A case of kidnapping was reported at Ofosu Division, that a pastor’s wife and a member were kidnapped in the church while the third victim was kidnapped while picking snails at the farm. The victims however escaped from their assailants at different dates after they had taken hard drugs and slept off.
“Through Intelligence, on the 1st of May, 2024, five amongst the six kidnappers were arrested by men of Ofosu division and have been identified by the victims as part of the gang that abducted them.