Mohbad’s Mother Pleads With President Tinubu, Nigerians Over His Father’s Stand Against Burial
AdminOlumiyi, the mother to the late singer, Ilerioluwa Aloba, popularly known as Mohbad, has alleged that the father of the deceased is behind the reason he is not buried.
According to Mrs Olumiyi, the police had released the body of the late singer but were waiting for his family to come to take it for burial.
Naija News gathered that Olumiyi revealed this in a viral video on Tuesday.
She called on President Bola Tinubu and Nigerians to appeal to the father to collect the remains of the singer from Lagos State Police Command.
According to her, Mohbad’s corpse has been released since the completion of the autopsy by the pathologist assigned by the police.
She said, “Nigerians, I cry to you to help demand the release of my son’s corpse. I pray that you will not witness your children’s death too.
“Mohbad’s corpse has been released since the completion of the autopsy, but his father has refused to let his corpse be released for burial despite me begging him repeatedly.
“I went to the Lagos State Commissioner of Police last week, and he told me that Mohbad’s remains had been released before now, questioning why we are letting his body waste away and if we are happy that he’s dead.
“All of you that have gone to exhume Mohbad’s body should wake up now and insist that he be buried. It is not like I have not been willing to voice out since but I leave everything to God. All the things the father has been saying are also left to God.”
Recall that Joseph Aloba, the father of the late singer, had warned that nobody should collect his son’s body for burial without his authorisation.
Veteran Nollywood actor, Hanks Anuku, has disclosed he is currently battling with depression.
The thespian lamented that he drinks a lot because of his state of mind.
Naija News reports that Anuku has been in the news with reports and clips of him raising concerns about his appearance and well-being.
Opening up on his predicament in a video via his Instagram page, the veteran actor explained that he drinks due to depression but does not take hard drugs.
The actor stated that he has been jobless and unable to care for his kids.
According to him, “Yes, depression makes me drink but I never take hard drugs, I don’t take hard drugs at all.
“Out of depression, I did not have a job for years, I was thinking about my children, their school fees and their welfare among other things and you know what it is like when it gets to that point.
“I call it a breaking point, I was broken to pieces and I had to go drinking and that is it.”
Watch the video below,
Media
Police operatives attached to the Suleja Area Command in Niger State have arrested two suspects after they allegedly attempted to swap an Automated Teller Machine (ATM) card belonging to a female victim at a commercial bank in the town.
According to a statement by the state Police Public Relations Officer, Wasiu Abiodun, the victim discovered the suspects were attempting to swap her ATM card and raised the alarm but the suspects immediately zoomed off.
The police patrol team subsequently trailed the vehicle and was intercepted at the old NEPA roundabout in Suleja Town. However, while the driver identified as David Therma abandoned the vehicle and escaped, the suspects, one Aver Wase and Godwin Deor, were arrested.
The police spokesman said, upon interrogation, the suspects confessed that they both left Lokoja for Zuba in Abuja and met Therma, who was said to have taken the vehicle from the driver of a ride-hailing service in Abuja.
The suspects claimed that they were graduates of educational technology from Benue State University and that they had been carrying out such nefarious activities for the past five months.
They reportedly confessed to withdrawing about N170,000 from other victims’ accounts in Nasarawa State, of which about N90,000 was withdrawn through victims’ cards in Lokoja.
However, the attempt in Suleja was not successful, they were quoted as saying.
The items recovered from the suspects included a Toyota Corolla vehicle with registration number YAB-267 CW, nine ATM cards, one POS machine and a flash drive.
The suspects are undergoing further investigation at the State Criminal Investigation Department Minna, and efforts are ongoing to apprehend Therma, who is still at large.
Czech Republic coach Jaroslav Silhavy said Monday he was stepping down, only minutes after watching his side clinch automatic qualification for Euro 2024 with a 3-0 win over Moldova.
“Even though we are happy now, we had already decided before the game not to continue,” the 62-year-old coach told Czech Television in a post-match interview.
Silhavy took up the role in 2018, leading his team to the quarter-finals of Euro 2020 before failing to qualify for last year’s World Cup in Qatar.
The Czechs have now secured a spot at next year’s Euros in Germany but he has come under fire for the team’s lacklustre performances in Group E where they finished second behind Albania, winning only four out of eight games.
The Czech team was also hurt by last weekend’s scandal as West Ham defender Vladimir Coufal and two other players were sent home after spending Saturday night at a night club.
“The pressure was enormous, beyond comprehension at times. It was one of the factors behind our decision,” said Silhavy.
A former defender, Silhavy’s future was put in doubt after the Czechs crashed to a 3-0 loss in Albania in October.
The Czech Football Association did not fire him but trimmed his contract until November 30, with an option to continue if the Czechs qualify for Euro 2024.
Saturday’s party, however, was another nail in his coffin as Coufal, Aris Thessaloniki defender Jakub Brabec and Sparta Prague striker Jan Kuchta were photographed in a night club two days before the Moldova game.
The players apologised, but football pundits slammed the poor atmosphere in the team, pointing a finger at Silhavy.
The coach himself said the affair was “a big disappointment” as all three had been in the starting line-up for last Friday’s 1-1 draw with Poland in Warsaw.
“I won’t say whether I was successful or not,” Silhavy said on Monday.
“You can see we have done some work, we have been working here for more than five years and there’s nothing we should be ashamed of.”
He said he would travel to Germany as a fan.
“Germany is near (the Czech Republic). We will definitely go and cheer for the boys.”
AFP
Sanwo-Olu Allegedly Approved Millions For Renovation Of Lagos Commissioner Of Police Residence Days To Election
AdminThe Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu allegedly approved N24.5 million for the renovation of the official residence of the Commissioner of Police in the state.
The approval for the project executed by Omay Engineering Services Ltd was dated February 6, which was a few days before the February 25 general election.
The opposition parties in the state had accused security agencies of working with non-state actors to intimidate their supporters and suppress votes in some areas of the state.
The approval was disclosed in the Public Procurement awards carried out by the state government in the 2nd and 3rd quarters of 2023.
Aside from the money spent on renovation, the state Ministry of Justice paid N200 million to four Senior lawyers to represent Sanwo-Olu and Hamzat in pre-election matters.
The state also released N20.8 million for the decoration of the venue for the political delegates’ congress.
However, the money was approved on June 26, more than three months after the 2023 general elections.
The sum of N6.1 million was approved in July for the provision of furniture items at the Campaign office, GRA, Ikeja. Political commentators said it is wrong for taxpayers’ money to be used to fund political activities.
The government also approved N152 million for the restoration of the water supply at Iduganran Palace the official residence of the Oba of Lagos.
Operatives of the Nnewi Vigilance Service in Anambra State have arrested over 30 suspected internet fraudsters, known as Yahoo boys, and kidnappers during a raid in the area.
It was gathered that the raid led to the arrest of some young girls who were allegedly being exploited while charms, mobile phones and dozens of SIM cards were recovered from the suspects.
A commander of the group who preferred anonymity said the suspects had been handed over to the police for further investigation and prosecution.
He said the facilities housing the suspects had been sealed by the Vigilante Group for further investigation.
The state’s Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Ikenga Tochukwu, confirmed the incident, saying that investigation had commenced into the matter.
“The command has received the suspects and interrogation has commenced,” he said.
The Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Obafemi Hamzat, has distanced himself from the claim by the Public Procurement Agency that his office got N2 billion to purchase rechargeable fans, rechargeable lights and fridges.
Hamzat in a memo addressed to the Director General of the procurement agency, said the approval for the project was N2 million.
He also claimed that his wife got N2.5m each for her monthly outreach to indigents and empowerment programme as against the N30m captured by the agency.
Naija News had earlier reported that the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, and his deputy, Hamzat, have come under criticism for approving N7.5 million to replace liquid fragrance in Sanwo-Olu’s office and N2 billion to purchase rechargeable fans for the office of Hamzat.
Hamzat, however, in a memo signed by Director, Finance and Account, Tola Ekemode, on behalf of the Permanent Secretary in the office of the deputy governor, said the report by the agency was untrue, mischievous, fake, and unfounded.
Ekemode said, “It is important to state that truly, the office did get approval and awarded the provision of supply items (rechargeable fans, rechargeable lights and fridges) for the sum of =N=2,017,840 (Two Million, Seventeen Thousand, Eight Hundred and Forty Naira) as against the =N=2,017,840,000 (Two Billion, Seventeen Million, Eight Hundred and Forty Thousand Naira as reported by Doherty in his purported letter.
“In addition, the report that the office through the Wife of the Deputy Governor spent =N=30,000,000 monthly for outreach to indigents is inaccurate as the amount stated covered the whole year. It is =N=2,500,000 per month. Same for the Empowerment programme by the Wife of the Deputy Governor which also =N=2,500,000 per month as against =N=30,000,000 monthly reported.”
He called on the agency to take immediate action in addressing the issue by giving the general public a true account of what was approved.
“The Office of the Deputy Governor wishes to state in unequivocal terms, for your immediate action and the attention of millions of readers that the report is untrue, mischievous, fake, and unfounded.
“We are compelled to write this letter due to the inaccuracies it conveyed; as the story was completely different and not a true reflection of what we have in our records. Also, we would not allow some individual(s) and journalists with mischievous inclination to bring the personality and name of the Deputy Governor, his wife, and the office to disrepute.”
The withdrawal of troops by Niger from the Multinational Joint Task Force at the border with Nigeria was due to financial sanctions on Niger by the EU, AU, the UK governments as well as other donor organizations, Daily Trust gathered.
A source familiar with the issue said: “The sanctions had affected their (Sector 4) operations. The EU provides the funding so due to the sanctions the EU will not be able to pay the Niger contingent.
“Also, when they are deployed the MNJTF helicopter goes to Niger to pick them to Ndajemena but due to the sanctions, they cannot go and pick them up. Even if they come, the EU won’t be paying.
“So officially, MNJTF have not withdrawn from the frontline, and at the same time, there is little they could do because their funding was cut off by the EU. The problem has to do with sanctions.”
“When commanders finish their tour of duty at the MNJTF, Niger may not be able to deploy another commander because MNJTF cannot go to Niger to pick them and even if they do, no funding due to sanctions,” Our source explains.
Recall that the major financial partners of the multinational joint task force, EU, UK, AU, and ECOWAS have announced several sanctions on Niger, cutting financial support following the military take over.
The Sanctions meant to mount pressure on the military government includes freezing of Assets, fund restrictions, shutting down of borders, suspension of imports and exports, power supply cuts and the shutting down of the West Africa’s regional central bank, BCEAO among others.
In separate reactions to Daily Trust report, the Spokesman of the multinational joint task force, Abubakar Abdullahi and Director, Defence Media Operations, Eward Buba, both denied the withdrawal of Niger from MNJTF.
“Note that, Niger is responsible for Sector 4 of the MNJTF that is located in Diffa. The communication channel between the Sector and HQ MNJTF has been less than perfect. This is obviously, due to the political situation,” Buba told Daily Trust Sunday.
The senior military officer, however, noted that the Defence Headquarters was hoping that things would improve as tension continues to calm down.
[DailyTrust]
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has recalled how a political party, the Peoples Democratic Party he belonged to in 1998 lost a local government election in Ogun State because he rejected plans to bribe the police and personnel of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Obasanjo said party leaders had told him that there should be money allocated for the police and INEC, saying he rejected the proposal on the belief that INEC officials and policemen are government workers earning salaries monthly.
The former President spoke in Abeokuta on Monday at a high-level consultation he organised on ‘Rethinking Western Liberal Democracy in Africa’.
The African leader had told politicians and professors at the debate that he is not always comfortable with the phrase, ‘Nigerian factor’, when discussing democracy and other issues affecting development.
According to him, he came across the ‘Nigerian factor’ slang when the nation held the first local government election and his party lost because politicians said be refused to take cognisance of the Nigerian factor while planning for the election.
“When things go wrong, you said the Nigerian factor. The first thing I learnt in politics was this thing called the Nigerian factor.
“In 1998, we had the first local government election. We had parties, and here in Abeokuta, we met in my office and they came up and said, ‘look, this is money for INEC, money for police.’ At a stage I said, ‘what nonsense! Is the police not being paid, and INEC too?’
“They said ‘that’s how we do it. I said ‘you cannot do that.’ So, they didn’t do that. And of course, we lost all the local governments. We lost all. And then they came to me and said, ‘Baba, you see? If you had allowed us to do it the way we used to do it, we would have won’. And I felt guilty.
“During the next election, which was the State Assembly, I just stayed in my house. I said ‘well, do whatever you want to do, I will not be part of it’. So, I didn’t even go. But, the result was the same. One of the people who got money didn’t even distribute it to where he was supposed to distribute it,” Obasanjo recounted.
The octogenarian emphasised that the Western liberal democracy being practised in Africa has not really taken human nature and the African situation into full account.
While saying it is time to be realistic, the Balogun of Owu said a hungry person will sell his vote for just N1000.
“When you are hungry, whatever anybody tells you cannot go in. Poverty is a great enemy of democracy. Ignorance or lack of education is a great enemy of democracy. And we seem to be deliberately fomenting poverty and lack of education,” he stated.
[DailyPost]
Colombian superstar Shakira will pay a fine of over 7.3 million euros ($7.98 million) as part of a deal with Spanish prosecutors to avoid trial for tax fraud, a Barcelona court said Monday.
Under the deal, announced at the start of what would have been the trial of the 46-year-old singer, Shakira also agreed to receive a three-year suspended sentence.
Under the deal, announced at the start of what would have been the trial of the 46-year-old singer, Shakira agreed to receive a three-year suspended sentence and to pay 7.3 million euros ($7.98 million) in fines.
Prosecutors had accused the superstar of defrauding the Spanish state of 14.5 million euros ($15.7 million) on income earned between 2012 and 2014, charges Shakira had denied, saying she only moved to Spain full-time in 2015.
The singer, who wore a pink suit and sunglasses, did not speak to the throng of reporters as he entered and left the Barcelona courthouse, but in a statement, she said she had agreed to settle for the sake of her two sons, Milan and Sasha.
“I need to move past the stress and emotional toll of the last several years and focus on the things I love – my kids and all the opportunities to come in my career, including my upcoming world tour and my new album,” she said in the statement issued by her lawyers.
“I admire tremendously those who have fought these injustices to the end, but for me, today, winning is getting my time back for my kids and my career.”
The case centred on how much time the singer, whose hit singles include “Whenever, Wherever” and the 2010 World Cup song “Waka Waka”, spent in Spain between 2012 and 2014.
Spanish authorities alleged Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll — dubbed the Queen of Latin Pop — spent more than half of that period in Spain and therefore should have paid taxes in the country.
They say she moved to Spain after her relationship with former FC Barcelona star defender Gerard Pique became public in 2011, but maintained official tax residency in the Bahamas until 2015.
More...
Telecom companies in Nigeria have decried the N200 billion debt owed by the banks for the Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) provided by telecom operators.
According to them, the debt, coupled with the 52 taxes, could cripple their operation in the country if the federal government does not intervene.
The companies under the aegis of the Association of Licenced Telecom Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) disclosed that the ICT sector was not immune to harsh operating environment, yet, they pay more taxes than any sector of the Nigerian economy.
The chairman, ALTON, Engr. Gbenga Adebayo, told LEADERSHIP that telecom operators are facing threats to investment, sustainability, and industry expansion due to the fact that sub-nationals are forcing them to comply with tax and levy requests that lack legal foundation, and they have been subjected to repeated taxation.
Adebayo enumerated a number of the levies and taxes, including the ecology tax for gaseous emissions, the sewage, sanitation, and public convenience levies for base stations, the fumigation levies—which are levied annually on rights of way (RoW) renewals and the fire service levy—as well as the fumigation charges that states require base stations to pay.
Adebayo, however, argued that in order to address the ongoing problem of multiple taxation in the Nigerian telecommunications sector, including the removal of the excise duty on telecommunications services that is currently suspended, the industry must work with the presidential committee on fiscal policy and tax reforms.
On the N200 billion debt, ALTON chairman. at a stakeholders’ forum in Lagos, averred that though the regulator is intervening, but it is at a slow pace, as the banks are yet to pay the USSD debt owed to telecom operators, which has now risen to N200 billion from N120 billion in June.
“Telecom operators have not been able to get commercial banks to agree they will pay the accumulated debt from USSD charges they were yet to remit. In September, Umar Garba Danbatta, former executive vice chairman of NCC, had said the deposit money banks agreed to pay the debt. He didn’t, however, say when it will be paid,” he recalled.
He explained that the banks did not pledge to pay or when they planned to pay; they only acknowledged the existence of a debt, adding that, “The debt had grown to N200 billion while they were waiting to make their payment.”
Recall that operators threatened to disconnect the USSD service of banks in June, 2023, a development that would disrupt transactions activities across the financial system and impact millions of users.
In his response, the executive vice chairman, NCC, Dr. Aminu Maida, promised to create a more conducive environment for investment in the sector, even as he promised to inject new thinking into how the Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF) would be leveraged to bridge the digital divide in the country.
He assured operators of the federal government’s support.
“The federal government of Nigeria sees the ICT sector as a critical sector of the economy and I have the assurance from the government that we will get all the support. However, we have to pay back by ensuring that the economy grows,” he added.
The EVC however tasked operators on Quality of Service (QoS), while affirming that he will not tolerate any excuses in that regard.
[Leadership]
The immediate past President of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari, has recalled some controversial events that occurred under his administration.
In an interview after stepping down as Nigeria’s leader approximately half a year ago, the former President expressed his support for the contentious naira redesign policy during the final stages of his tenure.
He emphasized that his endorsement aimed to safeguard his integrity and to convey to the Nigerian populace that achieving success requires perseverance and dedication, without any quick fixes.
Naija News reports that Buhari stated these while appearing on a state-owned Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) program on Monday night where he argued that Nigerians were a difficult set of people to govern.
According to him, most of the citizens know the right thing to do but would mostly refuse to do so, because they think they know better than the person on the saddle.
When asked about the integrity of many of his aides during his eight years in power, Buhari said “It is their problem “, querying what people who criticized him fiercely had done at their levels to fight corruption.
I Could Have Ran Out Of Nigeria
Speaking further during the interview, the former president reiterated that his administration tried as much as possible to be accountable.
Buhari said he was still being ‘harassed’ by people who throng his home daily, noting that if the border with a nearby country had not closed, he would have run out of Nigeria by now.
He added, however, that he was glad he now wakes up anytime he likes. The former president said he doesn’t miss anything after leaving government.
“God allowed me to serve my country, but I did my best. But whether my best was good enough, I leave for people to judge, “ he stressed.
When asked whether he achieved what he set out to achieve after trying to be president four times, Buhari acknowledged the insecurity in Borno State and the northeast when he took over, saying that Boko Haram had been largely degraded at the time he was leaving government.
“Nigerians are extremely difficult. People know their rights. They think they should be there, not you. So, they monitor virtually your every step. And you have to struggle day and night to ensure that you are competent enough,“ he said.
The former president also said he was too preoccupied with local matters to be bothered with foreign issues as president. He said his biggest challenge was securing the country.
Buhari said he did not try to compete with Nigeria’s wealthy class by acquiring land, houses, and cars during his time as Nigeria’s leader, explaining that it was the reason he was “living in peace” after exiting government.
Trap
Buhari alleged that there were many attempts to set a trap for him by some individuals who presented him with certain opportunities, but that he avoided the trap because he knew that once they knew he had been compromised, they would take advantage of the situation to milk the country.
He added that they would rather become his boss. He stated that God helped introduce technology in 2015 which enabled him to win the poll because God had seen the grueling pains he experienced after each loss during the times he contested for the presidency.
“Instead of people expressing sympathy, people laughed at me because I didn’t have money, because I couldn’t buy influence in any form, either from influential people or others. And I said ‘God dey’. And he sent the Permanent Voter Card (PVC). Meaning you now have only one vote,“ he stated.
Naira Redesign Policy
Commenting further on the controversial naira policy, Buhari said: “Whether Nigerians believe it or not, we are an underdeveloped country. And in that sort of situation, there’s materialism and sometimes ruthlessly they didn’t care how they made the money.
“I still feel that the only way I could deprive these people was just to make sure that my integrity became unquestionable…I think as a developing country we still have a long way to go.
“The motivation (for introducing the policy) was to try and make Nigerians believe that there is no shortcut to successful leadership.”
Besides, he explained that he wasn’t shocked that he was taken to court by governors from his party at the time to reverse the policy.
[NaijaNews]
Muslim and Christian supporters of the Peoples Democratic Party in Nasarawa State on Monday, commenced a seven-day joint prayer session for the party’s governorship candidate, David Ombugadu, ahead of the Appeal Court judgment on the sacking of Governor Abdullahi Sule.
Naija News recalls that the Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal had, on October 2, 2023, sacked Governor Sule of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and declared Ombugadu winner of the March 18 governorship election in the state.
Delivering the judgment via Zoom, the Chairman of the three-member tribunal, Justice Ezekiel Ajayi, nullified Sule’s election and held that the petitioners (Ombugadu and the PDP) duly proved their petition before the tribunal.
Speaking with journalists in Lafia, the state capital, the participants said the seven-day prayer session is also an opportunity to ask for God’s protection on the appeal court judges from any evil influence while they discharge their duties.
One of the prayer group leaders, Suleiman Abdullahi, expressed confidence that justice would be served at the appeal court.
He said, “Allah is the creator of the universe. He neither discriminates nor fail in his promises. So, the moves to change the wishes of the people against the overwhelming mandate given to those they want will not stand.
“We genuinely gave our mandate to the PDP candidate, Dr David Ombugadu, to ensure a positive change in Nasarawa State. We will continue to pray to Allah because we know that he will listen to our supplications and do his will in Nasarawa State.”
Another participant, Rev. Emmanuel Bako, said the will of God will prevail, and those insisting on taking the mandate of Ombugadu will be put to shame.
He said, “God Almighty is always ahead of every principality. The will of God shall prevail and shame those people insisting on taking the mandate given to David Ombugadu in Nasarawa State.
“The axe of God is waiting for anyone challenging his power and will in this case. It is said in the Book of Isaiah 58:11 that ‘The Lord will guide his people, satisfy their desire and make their bones strong. They shall be like a watered garden, like spring water, whose work does not fail.”
One Igwe Ambrose, a 65-year-old landlord, has been sentenced to double life imprisonment for sexual assault by the Ikeja Sexual Offenses and Domestic Violence Court in Lagos State.
This was revealed in a statement released Monday and shared on the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency’s X account.
Naija News reports that the landlord allegedly committed the offenses at Shagari Estate in Ipaja between January and June of 2021.
“Ambrose was found guilty of inserting fingers into the private parts of his tenant’s children. The survivors are aged seven and 11. He was arraigned on a four-count charge bordering on sexual assault by penetration and indecent treatment of a child,” the statement read.
The landlord was described by the judge, Abiola Soladoye, as a “dirty old man” who touched and fingered the survivors’ breasts while feigning to assist them with their schoolwork.
Soladoye sentenced the defendant to life in prison for counts one and two, and seven years each for counts three and four.