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There was a heavy security presence on Monday, November 4, at the Oyo State High Court at Ring Road, Ibadan, as the former Chairman of the Park Management System’s (PMS) Disciplinary Committee, Alhaji Mukaila Lamidi, popularly known as Auxiliary, was brought for trial.
Security around the court premises was tight, with patrol vans positioned strategically and a mix of uniformed and plain-clothed officers from the police and Amotekun Corps stationed at key areas.
This heightened security underscores the gravity of the charges against Auxiliary, which include armed robbery, murder, attempted murder, and illegal possession of firearms, notably an AK-47 assault rifle and two SMG rifles with magazines.
The charges, outlined in a 17-count charge sheet, fall under the Robbery and Firearms (Special Provisions) Act, CAP RII, Vol.14, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
The case, numbered i/74c/2024, is being heard before Justice Olabisi Adetujoye in Court 5.
Auxiliary’s arrival in court was closely monitored, with Executive Assistant on Security to Governor Seyi Makinde, Cmpl Sunday Odukoya (rtd), also present.
Proceedings are expected to commence shortly, with the trial drawing widespread attention due to Auxiliary’s high-profile role and the serious nature of the charges.
Controversial cross-dresser Idris Okuneye has reportedly departed Nigeria just days after being released by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The embattled cross-dresser shared a video of himself aboard what appeared to be a plane, revealing a screen that hinted at his destination. In the video, he announced that he was traveling on a first-class ticket.
“See you soon, Nigeria. This girl bought a first-class ticket three times; that’s over 30 million. Raise the bar for this girl,” he declared.
In another video featuring a picture of his international passport, he remarked, “That passport disfigured my picture.”
Bobrisky’s departure comes on the heels of his recent arrest by the EFCC. His legal troubles began in April 2024 with a six-month sentence for naira abuse, but reports indicated he spent only three weeks in Kirikiri Prison before being discreetly relocated.
In September, tensions escalated when social media influencer Martins Otse, known as VeryDarkMan, released an audio recording that purportedly featured Bobrisky discussing bribing EFCC officials to dismiss money laundering charges.
On Thursday night, Bobrisky was stopped and removed from an Amsterdam-bound KLM flight at Murtala Muhammed International Airport while attempting to travel to London.
[Vanguard]
First Lady Oluremi Tinubu and Nuhu Ribadu, national security adviser (NSA), will reportedly lead a national prayer on the multifarious challenges bedevilling the country.
According to Daily Trust, the 7-day event titled ‘Seeking the Intervention of God in Nigeria’s Affairs’, is organised in conjunction with Christian and Muslim leaders.
Segun Afolorunikan, director-general of the national prayer forum (NPF), reportedly announced the initiative during a press briefing on Sunday in Abuja.
Afolorunikan said the prayer will help the country overcome its challenges, noting that “unity is crucial for finding lasting solutions”.
“By the end of this prayer session, we believe that with God’s wisdom, our leaders and citizens will find the strength to confront our common enemies,” he said.
The NPF DG said the prayer sessions will take place at significant venues.
Afolorunikan noted that Christians will meet at the National Ecumenical Centre for a week-long intercession.
He said Muslims will gather at the national mosque in Abuja for seven days, with 313 persons expected to recite the Quran 2,191 times.
The NPF boss added that extensive consultations have taken place, including meetings with leaders from the national mosque, the president of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), and traditional leaders like the Sultan of Sokoto.
[TheCable]
Nigerians rank among the world’s top social media users, with 2024 data placing the country fifth globally for average daily time spent online.
According to figures from Cable.co.uk and We Are Social in 2024, posted by World of Statistics on X on Sunday, Nigerians spend an average of 3 hours and 23 minutes per day on social media.
Leading the list is Kenya, where people spend the most time on social media, at 3 hours and 43 minutes daily. South Africa follows closely with 3 hours and 37 minutes, Brazil at 3 hours and 34 minutes, and the Philippines at 3 hours and 33 minutes.
Nigeria’s average of 3 hours and 23 minutes places it just behind these countries in social media engagement.
Other countries with high social media usage include Colombia (3:22), Chile (3:11), and Indonesia (3:11). Saudi Arabia and Argentina round out the top ten with daily averages of 3 hours and 10 minutes and 3 hours and 8 minutes, respectively.
In comparison, some countries record lower social media engagement, such as Ghana with 2 hours and 43 minutes, Egypt with 2 hours and 41 minutes, and Thailand with 2 hours and 30 minutes.
Among European nations, Portugal (2:23), Romania (2:20), and Italy (2:17) rank lower on the list, indicating that social media usage varies significantly by region.
Full list:
Kenya – 03:43
South Africa – 03:37
Brazil – 03:34
Philippines – 03:33
Nigeria – 03:23
Colombia – 03:22
Chile – 03:11
Indonesia – 03:11
Saudi Arabia – 03:10
Argentina – 03:08
Mexico – 03:04
Malaysia – 02:48
Ghana – 02:43
Egypt – 02:41
Thailand – 02:30
Bulgaria – 02:26
Vietnam – 02:23
Portugal – 02:23
Romania – 02:20
Italy – 02:17
National Drug Law Enforcement Agency operatives have seized drug consignments valued at ₦4.4 billion hidden in the lavatories of an Ethiopian Airlines aircraft.
The drugs, according to a statement on Sunday by the NDLEA spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, were discovered during the post-landing cleaning of flight ET900 from Addis Ababa to Lagos on October 29, 2024.
Babafemi stated that the drugs were wrapped in nine polythene bags and concealed in the waste collectors in the two rear lavatories of the aircraft.
He added that at least 30 suspects are being questioned in connection with the drugs uncovered.
Babafemi said, “The attempt by members of an international drug syndicate operating between Brazil, Ethiopia, and Nigeria to smuggle into Lagos a total of 845 wraps of cocaine weighing 18.72 kilogrammes has been thwarted, with the consignments recovered by NDLEA operatives at Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA, Ikeja.
“The drug consignments, worth ₦4,492,800,000 in street value, were recovered from two lavatories of an Ethiopian Airlines aircraft during the post-landing cleaning of flight ET900 from Addis Ababa to Lagos on Tuesday, October 29, 2024.
“The illicit drug consignments were wrapped in nine polythene bags and concealed in the waste collectors in the two rear lavatories of the aircraft, from where they were recovered after the MMIA Strategic Command of the NDLEA was alerted to the strange objects. No fewer than 30 suspects have so far been questioned in connection with the seizure.”
He added that “investigations revealed that the seized drugs were transported from Brazil to Ethiopia by ingestion and excreted in Addis Ababa by a group of couriers. Other traffickers then attempted to smuggle them into Nigeria through Lagos airport before their plan was thwarted with the cooperation of the airline’s authorities and other airport stakeholders.”
Meanwhile, Babafemi said drugs concealed in body cream containers and artworks were also recovered by the agency’s operatives.
He said, “In a similar vein, attempts by drug trafficking syndicates to export 2.928 kg of cocaine, cannabis, and tramadol 225 mg, concealed in body cream containers and pieces of artwork to Australia, the United Arab Emirates, and the United Kingdom through courier companies in Lagos were also blocked by NDLEA officers from the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation, on Monday, October 28.”
At the Apapa seaport in Lagos, Babafemi said NDLEA operatives intercepted 754,000 pills of tapentadol and acetaminophen 225 mg worth ₦525 million in a targeted and watch-listed container from India during a joint examination with Customs Service officers and other security agencies, among others, on October 29, 2024.
Some Nigerians have taken to social media to react to the recently disclosed petrol prices from Dangote Refinery.
Recall that Dangote Refinery revealed its petrol prices following claims by the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) and the Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN) that they import petrol at cheaper rates.
In its reaction on Sunday, the refinery disclosed that its petroleum products are sold at N990 per litre for truck distribution and N960 per litre for ship distribution.
In a statement released on Sunday night and signed by Anthony Chiejina, Group Chief Branding and Communications Officer, the refinery stated that it adheres to the pricing benchmark set by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), adding that it offers a lower price for sales into ships.
The statement has, however, continued to elicit various reactions from social media users. While some question why it took so long for the refinery to disclose the prices of its products, others believe the amount is high, given that the refinery is located in Nigeria.
Reacting to the development on X, a user, @AdekunlePhilip wrote, ”Dear Dangote, N990/litre for PMS is not in any way considerate to Nigerians who had high hopes in the completion and kick-off of your refinery. We expected nothing more than N500/litre. If you will not treat us with preference, then let us buy from importers in one peace.”
Another user, @EEneremadu tweeted, “Why should Dangote sell at 960 into ships? Are we importing it. NNPCL price of 970 into ships includes freight etc but Dangote doesn’t include freight so why should it be almost same price.”
@EbenzAd wrote, “You’re selling at N990 per litre like the imported one. Is that not wickedness? What’s the need of having a local refining then? Is it to beat down price to assist the common man. We hope an imported one come in and is sold lesser than yours.
In his words, @SamuelI10540458 wrote, “990 for trucks is on the high side sha. Dangote can do better.”
“Finally, the price is out. Why are you hiding the price before.” @Femijohnson2 opined.
Reacting to the pricing on Facebook, a user, Idorenyin O. Atti wrote, “I have never believe in Dangote making anything easy for Nigerian, he is a business man, out to make his profits, i hate it when he present things as if he is helping Nigerians. He just want to monopolize oil just as he is in charge of cement etc.
Marketers should be free to buy fuel anyway of their choice. What is he crying about?”
Another user, Lawrence Obika wrote, “Your price is too high, you can now get crude oil direct from NNPC with Naira, what are we getting in return?”
“This is too much to be considered or adopt as a price. In addition with the loading, truck and other expenses on a liter will cost the retailers nothing than 1300 per liter to consumers. Pls put the masses to consideration, you’ll simply make your money in due time why we’re also hoping to see in you in another field to develop Nigeria,” Prince Excel Teekay Adeyinka opined.
The Presidency has said that Nigerians rejected the ideas of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s ideas in the 2023 elections.
This comes as the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 election spoke of what he would have done to tackle the problems of Nigeria if he had been elected president.
But in a response by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to President Tinubu (Information and Strategy) said Atiku would have plunged the country into a worse situation.
The statement read: “We have just read a statement credited to former vice president Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, in which he tried to discredit President Bola Tinubu’s economic reform programmes while pushing his untested agenda as a better alternative.
“First, Alhaji Atiku’s ideas, which lacked details, were rejected by Nigerians in the 2023 poll.
“If he had won the election, we believe he would have plunged Nigeria into a worse situation or run a regime of cronyism.
“Abubakar lost the election partly because he vowed to sell the NNPC and other assets to his friends. Nigerians have not forgotten this, nor would they be comforted by Atiku’s antecedents when he ran the economy in the first term of President Olusegun Obasanjo’s government between 1999 and 2003.
“As vice president, Atiku supervised a questionable privatisation programme. He and his boss demonstrated a lack of faith in our educational system, and both went to establish their universities while they allowed ours to flounder.
“Talk is cheap. It is easy to pontificate and deride a rival’s programmes even when there are irrefutable indices that the economic reforms yield positives despite the temporary difficulties.
“Despite the futile attempt to hoodwink Nigerians again in his statement, it is gratifying that the former Vice President could not repudiate the economic reforms pursued by the Tinubu administration because they are the right things to do.
“His advocacy for a gradualist approach only showed that he was not in tune with the enormity of problems inherited by President Tinubu.
“It is so easy to paint a flowery to-do list. It is expected of an election loser.
“President Tinubu met a country facing several grave challenges. Fuel subsidies were siphoning away enormous resources we could ill afford, and there was criminal arbitrage in the forex market.
“No leader worth his name will allow these two economic disorders to persist without moving to end them surgically.
“While advocating for gradual reforms may sound appealing, Tinubu took measures that should have been taken decades ago by Alhaji Abubakar and his boss when they had the opportunity.
“Alhaji Abubakar calls for empathy and a human face to reforms. We have no problem with this as it resonates well with our administration’s focus. President Tinubu has consistently emphasised the need for compassion and protection of the most vulnerable.
“The administration has prioritised social safety nets and targeted support for those affected by recent economic transitions.”
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has arraigned Hauwau Gimbiya Mukhtar Abdulkarim, the serving Provost of the Federal College of Education (Technical) (FCET), Gusau, alongside Abdullahi Boyi, a lecturer with the Sokoto State College of Education (SSCE) Sokoto on alleged certificate forgery.
The duo were arraigned on a six-count charge, registered as charge No. SS/213c/2024, before Hon. Justice Muhammad Aliyu Sambo at the Sokoto State High Court.
ICPC accused the two defendants of forging an appointment letter and subsequent use of same for application for the position of Provost at the Federal College of Education(Technical) Gusau, Zamfara.
They were also accused of making false statements to the officers of the ICPC in the course of investigation which is an offence under Section 25(1) (a) and punishable under Section 25 (ii) (b) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000.
Count one of the charges reads: “That you Hauwa’u Gimbiya Mukhtar Abdulkarim (F) and Abdullah Boyi (M) sometimes in the year 2023 or thereabout at Sokoto within the Jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, conspired to do an illegal act to wit: forgery of a letter of “Notification for Appointment” to the Post of Chief Lecturer on COMPCASS 14 with effect from 1st January 2017 and you thereby committed an offencecontrary to section 59(1) and punishable under section 60(2) ofthe Sokoto State Penal Code Law,2019.”
Both defendants however pleaded ‘not guilty’ to all six charges when read to them by the Court’s Registrar.
Counsel for the defendants, Dr. Muhammad Mansur Aliyu and Mr M.S Diri SAN respectively moved for applications for bail on behalf of their clients.
They requested the court to consider reasonable terms for bail citing the defendants’ “established positions and cooperation during the investigation.”
Counsel to the ICPC, Mr. Suleiman Ahmad did not oppose the bail applications.
Hon. Justice Sambo, after considering the applications, granted bail under specific conditions designed to ensure the defendants’ continued presence throughout the trial proceedings.
The bail conditions require each defendant to provide two sureties who are permanent residents of Sokoto State, with each surety signing a bond of one million naira (₦1,000,000).
Following the granting of bail, the ICPC prosecutor requested a date for trial to commence, emphasizing the Commission’s preparedness to present witnesses and evidence in support of the charges.
Hon. Justice Sambo adjourned the matter to 21st November 2024, when the hearing is set to begin.
The prosecution is expected to call witnesses and introduce material evidence to substantiate the allegations as contained in a statement signed by Demola Bakare, Ag. Director, Public Enlightenment and Education/Spokesperson for the Commission made available to Journalists on Sunday.
A Chief Magistrate Court in Wuse Zone 2, Abuja, has sentenced ‘Professor’ Jide Josiah Jisos to six months in prison for impersonation during the 2019 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
The sentence was handed down by Chief Magistrate Honourable Justice Folashade Oyekan on October 24, 2024.
Jisos was apprehended by officials from the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) while monitoring the UTME at Brix Academy in Abuja.
According to a statement from JAMB’s Public Communication Advisor, Dr. Fabian Benjamin, Jisos falsely presented himself as a representative of a non-governmental organization (NGO) with the intention of overseeing the examination.
His ruse was exposed when he was questioned by the leader of the monitoring team, who sought clarification about his presence.
Unable to provide satisfactory answers, Jisos was arrested and handed over to security personnel for further investigation.
During interrogation, Jisos admitted that he had no affiliation with any NGO and had entered the examination hall to assist his daughter in taking the UTME.
In addition to the six-month prison sentence, he was given the option to pay a fine of N100,000.
This case underscores JAMB’s ongoing efforts to maintain the integrity of the examination process and discourage fraudulent activities associated with academic assessments in Nigeria.
Don’t Play Politics By Telling Lies From The Pit Of Hell – Aiyedatiwa Blasts Ajayi Over ₦1.2bn Security Votes
AFOLABI
Ondo State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, on Sunday, denied receiving N1.2 billion as security votes for the state.
He stated in Akure, the state capital during the Ondo State governorship election debate organised by Channels Television and its partners.
Aiyadatiwa, who is seeking election in the November 16 governorship election under the All Progressives Congress (APC), accused his Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Agboola Ajayi, of telling lies to the whole world about the monthly security allocations.
“You don’t just play politics by coming here to the whole world that somebody is drawing N1.2 billion as a security vote. That is a lie from the pit of hell,” he said, without divulging the exact amount he gets as security votes.
The governor explained that every spending done in government has a budgetary provision for it, arguing that his administration will act above the budget.
He directed the PDP governorship candidate to crosscheck his information before giving out inaccurate information that can be misleading to the public.
“The budget is being published; it is on the net. You will see the appropriation for security votes and other expenditures, both capital and recurrent.
“What he is saying is not true. How can you say that during the Edo election week, I withdrew N1.2 billion? Am I the one contesting for the election? I am surprised you can’t say the truth,” he said.
Ondo Security
During the debate, the governor said the state government has beefed up security to ensure that lives and properties are safe.
He explained that after the deadly attack by gunmen in the Owo area of the state, the local security network, Amotekun, has augmented the efforts of the police and other security agencies.
According to the governor, Ondo State is one of the safest states in the country as lives and properties are safe.
“I can tell you that the people of Ondo State, not just Owo, feel more secure right now because, after that attack, security is one of the mandates of the government.
“We also brought out the initiative that led to the creation of our homegrown security network Amotekun because we believe that conventional security at the time could not handle the security challenges that we faced in Ondo State,” he added.
More...
Police Arrest 17 Nigerians, 113 Chinese, Malaysians, Other Foreigners For Cybercrimes, Hacking
AFOLABI
Police operatives have arrested 130 suspects for cybercrimes and hacking.
This was made known in a statement released on Sunday by the Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Muyiwa Adejobi.
He disclosed that the Inspector General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun has ordered a thorough investigation into possible security threats and networking.
Adejobi said the arrest was made during a coordinated raid on a building at the Next Cash and Carry area of Jahi, Abuja, where the suspects were reportedly using computers and other sophisticated devices to facilitate criminal activities.
The statement read: “The Nigeria Police Force has arrested 130 suspects comprising 113 foreign nationals (87 males and 26 females), primarily of Chinese and Malaysian origin, and their 17 Nigerian collaborators (4 males and 13 females) for their alleged involvement in high-level cybercrimes, hacking, and activities that threaten national security.
“This strategic operation was conducted through a coordinated raid on a building at the Next Cash and Carry area of Jahi, Abuja, where the suspects were reportedly using computers and other sophisticated devices to facilitate criminal activities.
“The operation which was led by the Assistant Inspector-General of Police for Zone 7 Headquarters, Abuja, AIG Benneth Igweh, on Saturday, 2nd November 2024, comprised officers of the Nigeria Police Force Zone 7 Command Abuja and the National Cyber Crime Centre (NPF-NCCC).
“We are investigating the matter and scientifically analysing the exhibits recovered from them. The suspects will be charged to court upon conclusion of our investigations.
“We will update the public on the outcomes of our investigations as and when due.”
Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, has appealed to those whose properties were demolished as a result of the ongoing Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road project to show understanding with the Bola Tinubu administration.
Umahi said his properties have been demolished for some road projects in parts of the country.
He spoke on Sunday when he held a public engagement in the Victoria Island area of Lagos with stakeholders and homeowners whose properties were affected by the project.
The minister was accompanied by federal lawmakers inspecting ongoing infrastructure projects across the nation.
Umahi said, “While the case is going on, we plead for your cooperation so that whatever the court says, we will obey. But please, let nobody take laws into his or her hands.
“I plead with you if you are offended by me or the ministry, please accept our apology. The coast highway must be on land and where there are issues like cables, we will do a flyover or refinery, we will do a flyover.
“In Port Harcourt, my property was also involved in the construction of East-West Road, totally demolished. In Aba, my property was also involved.
“Please, bear with me and know that we have nothing to benefit or hide.”
The minister said the final designs would be produced, insisting that the shoreline belongs to the Federal Government. “The beachside is not your land, the beachside belongs to the Federal Government,” he said.
The minister also said compensations would be paid to those whose houses were brought down.
The Lagos-Calabar Superhighway, estimated to cost about N15 trillion, is designed to connect Lagos to Cross River, passing through Ogun, Ondo, Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers, and Akwa Ibom states, before culminating in Cross River.
The project, which has caused some buildings to be demolished, has attracted a barrage of intense criticisms from many Nigerians who strongly felt that the timing of the project was wrong but Umahi said the project is in the best interest of Nigerians.
Dangote Refinery has disclosed the price of its petrol, saying that it sells at N990 per litre in trucks and N960 per litre into ships.
The disclosure follows the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) and Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN) claim of importing the products at cheaper rates compared to that of Dangote.
The marketers had in an earlier interview claimed that they are buying at cheaper rates abroad while calling on Dangote Refinery to engage stakeholders.
But in its reaction, the refinery said that it is only substandard products that can be imported at cheaper rates than its own products.
In a statement released Sunday night and signed by the Group Chief Branding and Communications Officer, Anthony Chiejina, Dangote Refinery noted that it followed the pricing benchmark by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), adding that it went lower in pricing for selling into ships.
It reads, “Both organisations claim that they can import PMS at lower prices than what is being sold by the Dangote Refinery. We benchmark our prices against international prices and we believe our prices are competitive relative to the price of imports.
“If anyone claims they can land PMS at a price cheaper than what we are selling, then they are importing substandard products and conniving with international traders to dump low-quality products into the country, without concern for the health of Nigerians or the longevity of their vehicles. Unfortunately, the regulator (NMDPRA) does not even have laboratory facilities which can be used to detect substandard products when imported into the country.
“Post deregulation, NNPC set the pace by selling PMS to domestic marketers at N971 per litre for sale into ships and at N990 for sale into trucks. This set the benchmark for our pricing and we have even gone lower to sell at N960 per litre for sale into ships while maintaining N990 per litre for sale into trucks.
“In good faith, and in the interest of the country, we commenced sales at these prices without clarity on the exchange rate that we will use to pay for the crude purchased.
“At the same time, an international trading company has recently hired a depot facility next to the Dangote Refinery, to use it to blend substandard products that will be dumped into the market to compete with Dangote Refinery’s higher quality production.
“This is detrimental to the growth of domestic refining in Nigeria. We should point out that it is not unusual for countries to protect their domestic industries to provide jobs and grow the economy. For example, the US and Europe have had to impose high tariffs on EVs and microchips to protect their domestic industries.
“While we continue with our determination to provide affordable, good quality, domestically refined petroleum products in Nigeria, we call on the public to disregard the deliberate disinformation being circulated by agents of people who prefer for us to continue to export jobs and import poverty.”
The two focal candidates for the November 16, 2024 governorship election in Ondo State on Sunday locked horns at the governorship debate in Akure, the state capital.
Though the electoral umpire published the names of 17 parties to produce candidates for the poll, analysts have narrowed the battle royale to a two-horse race.
The two candidates — Agboola Ajayi of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the incumbent Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa of the All Progressives Congress (APC) — both have a common history as deputies to the late Governor Rotimi Akeredolu.
While Ajayi deputised the late Akeredolu during his first term, Aiyedatiwa was the late governor’s righthand man during his aborted second term.
The debate which started at 7 pm on Sunday is organised by Channels Television in partnership with the Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room and the UK International Development.
According to the latest data from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), 2.053 million registered voters will participate in the election.
The electoral umpire also said 64,273 Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVCs) were collected by voters in the state out of the 89,777 cards delivered to the state.