Queen Tobi Philips, the wife of the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, has shared adorable maternity photos.

Recall that Ooni announced the arrival of their twins, a boy and girl, in a post via his Instagram page on Saturday, alongside a photo of him and his wife.

The monarch revealed that his wife and their twins were doing well, to the glory of God.

However, on Thursday, Tobi took to her Instagram page to express appreciation to God for their bundle of joy, adding that God gave her double for her trouble.

She wrote, “God Said “Watch Me Do This!” ???? ✨ Agbanilagbatan Gave Me Double For My Trouble”

President Bola Tinubu says lawmakers who alleged that the 2024 budget had been embellished did not understand the arithmetic of the appropriation act.

Tinubu spoke on Thursday night, during an iftar gathering of members of the senate, at the presidential villa.

Iftar is a meal taken by Muslims at sundown to break the daily Ramadan fast.

On November 29, Tinubu presented the sum of N27 trillion as the proposed budget for the 2024 fiscal year, to the national assembly.

On December 30, the national assembly passed the appropriation bill, increasing its size from N27.5 trillion proposed by Tinubu to N28.7 trillion.

THE BUDGET PADDING ALLEGATION

Early this month, Abdul Ningi, senator representing Bauchi central, stirred controversy when he alleged that the 2024 budget was padded by N3 trillion and that the country is operating two budgets concurrently.

Following the claims, the senate debated the matter at the “committee of the whole”.

Subsequently, the senator was suspended for three months for allegedly not providing evidence to back his allegations.

Godswill Akpabio, senate president, had said many Nigerians would no longer trust the upper legislative chamber because of the allegation.

“Nigerians are bashing the senate. Many Nigerians will never in future come back to respect this chamber. The integrity of this chamber has been totally damaged and we wanted you to repair it with your speech,” Akpabio told Ningi.

‘SENATORS’ INTEGRITY INTACT’

Addressing the legislators on the budget padding claims, Tinubu said the integrity of the senate is intact.

“I know the arithmetic of the numbers that I brought to the senate and I know what I got back,” the president said.

“And I appreciate all of you for the expeditious handling of the budget. Thank you very much.

“Those who are talking of malicious embellishment in the budget didn’t understand the arithmetic and they didn’t refer to the numbers… the baseline of what I brought.

“All of your integrity is intact. I am very grateful for what you have been doing.”

Tinubu assured Nigerians that the challenges and economic hardship in the country will soon be over.

“The natural challenge that we face will be over,” he added.

“On the economic challenge, we are about turning the corner.”

The Lagos State Police Command has arrested two undergraduate friends, who faked their kidnap to extort their parents.

The suspects are 21-year-old Balogun Ayodele, a 200-level student at Lagos State University of Education, Ijanikin, and Okuomo Dennis, also 21 years old and a student at the National Institute of Information Technology, Lagos.

The Police said the suspects came out of hiding after staying in the bush for a week without payment of ransom by their parents.

Vanguard gathered that Dennis mooted the idea of staging Ayodele’s kidnap in order to extort his father, who is a driver at an unnamed company.

On February 2, 2024, Ayodele reportedly disappeared from home and thereafter used his phone to send his father a text demanding $20,000 ransom for his release.

The instruction was that payment should be made to a Bitcoin wallet address sent.

His devastated father was said to have approached management of his company for assistance but the latter insisted that the matter should be reported to the Police.

Meanwhile, Ayodele, according to spokesman for the Lagos State Police Command, Benjamin Hudenyin, was kept in one of the rooms in Dennis’ father’s hotel.

He said: “Dennis’ father is a hotelier and has a room permanently reserved for his son, Dennis. That was where Ayodele hid. He successfully avoided detection since nobody checks in there. When the ransom wasn’t forthcoming, they decided to take Ayodele to a nearby bush, stripped him naked, and took pictures of him lying on the ground. They sent the pictures to his father, threatening harm if the money wasn’t paid.

“Later, they sent messages to Ayodele’s father mentioning names of other members of his family, which further escalated the fear. When Ayodele’s father reached out to his son’s friend, Dennis, he denied knowing anything about his friend’s disappearance.

“Since this approach wasn’t working, on March 11, 2024, Dennis decided to fake his own disappearance, with the hope that his father would pay. They made it look like the same kidnappers, who abducted Ayodele came for Dennis.

“The two families were desperate. The students repeated the same tactic, taking pictures of Dennis naked and demanding $80,000 initially. But when there was no response, they increased it to $100,000. By then, Dennis couldn’t stay in his father’s hotel anymore. He and Ayodele stayed in a nearby bush for five days.

“However, two days after they went to the bush, they tried another ploy. They went to Ayodele’s father’s company, took pictures of the building and sent them to Ayodele’s father, threatening to come and get him. Ayodele’s father was terrified and reported the matter to the company’s management, which issued an alert to all staff.

“Meanwhile, all this information was provided to the Lagos State Police Command, thereby prompting diligent investigation.

“They decided to come out of hiding on March 16, 2024, when they could not get any money. They went back to Dennis’ father’s hotel and claimed they had escaped from the kidnappers’ den. They quickly called Ayodele’s father, who rushed there immediately.

“Ayodele was taken to the hospital for treatment as his father believed he was kidnapped. They were arrested after they turned themselves in. During investigation, they confessed to the crime.”

A Lagos Federal High Court has convicted and sentenced a convict, Mrs. Odeyemi Omolara, to another 15 years imprisonment for drug trafficking.

The convict, Omolara, who is currently serving a 25-year jail-term, was sentenced to another 15 years by Justice Deinde Dipeolu, on Tuesday.

However, Justice Dipeolu said the new 15 years jail-term shall run concurrently with the ongoing 25 years sentence handed down on the convict since June 2017 by Justice Hadiza Rabiu-Shagari (now a judge of Appeal Court)

The convict was formerly sentenced to 25 years jail in June 2017, after confessing to have committed the offence of illegal export of 1.595 Kilogrames of cocaine to Saudi-Arabia.
She was given the fresh jail-term, after she pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy and unlawful possession of the banned substance, after the prosecutor, Mr. Abu Ibrahim had reviewed the facts of the four counts charge, made against her by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA.

Meanwhile, following the sentencing of Odeyemi Omolara, who is the first defendant in the four-count charge, the trial of Mrs. Funmilola Arike Ogbuaya (a.k.a Ariket), who had pleaded not guilty to the charges commenced before the court.

At the commencement of trial, yesterday, NDLEA called five prosecution witnesses to testify in support of it’s case against Ariket.

Sixteen state governors have submitted reports expressing their supports for establishing state police to the National Economic Council.

They also recommended changes to the constitution to allow for the creation of state police.

The reports were amongst documentations received at the 140th NEC meeting presided over by Vice President Kashim Shettima at the Aso Rock Villa, Abuja on Thursday.

Special Adviser to the Vice President on Media and Communications, Stanley Nkwocha, revealed this in a statement he signed Thursday titled, ‘NEC endorses take-off of $617M i-DICE programme across states.’

According to the statement, NEC is still awaiting reports from 20 states. It expressed confidence that others would support.

NEC was established by the provisions of section 153(1) and Paragraphs 18 & 19 of part I of the Third Schedule of the 1999 Constitution (as amended). Its membership comprises the 36 state governors, the Governor of the Central Bank and other co-opted government officials.

Chaired by the Vice President, NEC meets monthly to execute its mandate of “advising the President concerning the economic affairs of the Federation, and in particular on measures necessary for the coordination of the economic planning efforts or economic programmes of the various Governments of the Federation.”

Disclosing discussions at Thursday’s NEC, the Vice-President’s spokesman, Nkwocha said, the “Secretary to NEC (Mr Nebeolisa Anako) made a presentation on submissions by states on the state policing initiative. Reports have been received by 16 states on the establishment of State police. 20 states have yet to send in report. All states across the country expressed their support for the establishment of state police for the following reasons.

“States made presentations in support of the creation of state police. States recommended changes in the constitution and the current policing structure to enable the operationalisation of the initiative.”

However, no details were given about the specific states. The Vice President’s spokesperson had affirmed that the total number would be presented at the next NEC meeting even as “the compilation is still going on”.

This comes weeks after the Federal and state governments, on February 16, 2024, resolved to develop modalities to create state police to tackle the country’s security crisis.

Abduction wave

The nation has been wracked by waves of abductions, attacks by suspected bandits and other violent crimes, reviving calls for the establishment of a multi-level policing system, including state police.

Bandits have in recent times 495 persons in Kaduna, Sokoto and Borno states.

On March 7, over 280 pupils and teachers of Government Secondary School and LEA primary School at Kuriga, Kaduna State, were kidnaped.

The terrorists reportedly invaded Kuriga in Chikun Local Government Area, Kaduna, shooting at their targets before whisking away the pupils and teachers from both schools.

A day earlier, the United Nations confirmed the abduction of at least 200 internally displaced persons from their camp in Ngala Local Government Area of Borno State.

The UN resident and humanitarian coordinator in Nigeria, Mohamed Fall, in a statement said the abductees, including women, boys and girls, were captured while fetching firewood. Fall added that the terrorists released some older women and children below 10 years.

On March 9, bandits reportedly kidnapped no fewer than 15 Tsangaya students at Gidan Bakuso area of Gada Local Government Area in Sokoto State.

On March. 14, at least 17 Nigerian soldiers were killed while on a peace-keeping mission to douse clashes between Okuoma and Okoloba communities in Ughelli South Local Government Area of Delta State.

On February 20, bandits kidnapped over 26 travellers along the Gusau-Sokoto highway. They were said to have blocked the road around Kwaren Kirya village under Maru Local Government Area of Zamfara State and abducted travellers from a Toyota 18-seater bus and a Volkswagen golf vehicle.

At President Tinubu’s meeting with the governors last February, the Federal Government and states agreed to recruit a yet-to-be-disclosed number of forest rangers and invest in more training to “keep our forests and our borders safe,” said the Information Minister, Mohammed Idris, when he briefed State House Correspondents after a meeting between Tinubu and the 36 state governors.

“The Federal Government and the state governments are mulling the possibility of setting up state police,” said Idris, adding that “this is still going to be further discussed.”

He explained, “A lot of work must be done in that direction. But if our government and the state governments agree to the necessity of having state police, this is a significant shift.”

“Like I said, more work needs to be done in that direction. A lot of meetings will have to happen between the federal government and subnationals to see the modalities of achieving this,” Idris noted.

On February 20, 2024, a bill proposing the creation of state police successfully passed the second reading at the House of Representatives.

The legislation titled, ‘A bill for an Act to alter the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, to provide for the establishment of State Police and related matters,’ was slated for a second reading before the end of this week.

Backed by 13 House members, the bill gained the majority’s favour in the Green Chamber, with many lawmakers arguing that the security challenges take preeminence over concerns about political victimisation by state governors.

Meanwhile, the Presidency has said although President Bola Tinubu has given his nod for the creation of state police outfits and forest guards, Governors would ultimately determine the success of both moves.

It also said it expects the re-opening of the Nigeria-Niger border to fight the illegal influx of arms roaming the Sahel from the conflict in Libya.

Speaking exclusively with our correspondent on the issue, a presidency official who did not want to be named said, “The President told the state governors to discuss it further at the state level. A committee was set up for that. We have not heard from the committee yet. Don’t also forget that simultaneously, the national assembly is considering inserting state policing in the constitution. So, there is a consensus around state policing.

“As for the forest guards, work is going on with it. There are existing forest guards in several states, but they are under the states’ ministries of agriculture. The goal now is to strengthen their capacity by arming them properly and recruiting more people.

“Still, it all falls in the hands of states to strengthen the forest guards. That is where we are now.”

Another Presidency official who spoke on condition of anonymity said the opening of the Nigeria-Niger border was part of efforts to stall the proliferation of the small arms and light weapons non-state actors use for their enterprise.

“What I know is this: some people have linked our security problems to the situation in Libya. The Libya conflict has led to the flow of arms to Nigeria. We share a long border with Niger. And many arms are flowing into the country.

“Our borders with our Sahelian neighbours are largely ungoverned. So, there are many arms in the hands of this bandit.

“We had to make peace with Niger because of this. It was an attempt to appease Niger. We share the same border. If we are not at peace with them, they may ignore the arms flowing in. Even the food shortage we are talking about, many goods come from Niger to Nigeria. We exacerbated things when we shut the border,” the official said.

In a similar development, the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, in a communique its issued at the conclusion of its virtual meeting, and signed by its Chairman, Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRasaq, dated Wednesday and made available to the press on Thursday, emphasised the importance of incorporating State policing as a crucial amendment in the ongoing 1999 Constitutional Amendment process to address a fundamental flaw in the national security framework.

The communique read in part “The Forum commiserated with the Governor of Delta State, H.E Sheriff Oborevwori, over the communal clash between Okuama in the Ughelli South Local Government Area and Okolaba in the Bomadi Local Government Area of Delta State, and which led to the death of many including 16 military personnel. While condemning the heinous act, members observed a minute of silence for the souls of the departed.

“Members reviewed the progress of the National Minimum Wage Committee and ongoing multi- stakeholder engagements towards agreeing on a fair minimum wage.

“Members urged the NMWC to consider the current realities, individual State peculiarities and consequential impact on the capacity of the government as well as private sector employers to pay. Members also emphasized the need for proposals to be data- driven and evidence-based.

“The Forum highlighted the need for State policing as a critical amendment in the ongoing 1999 Constitutional Amendment proceedings to correct a fundamental flaw in the national security architecture.”

The debate for creating state police in Nigeria primarily stems from the centralised nature of the Nigerian Police Force, which many security pundits perceive as inadequate for addressing the unique security challenges across the country’s diverse regions.

Proponents argue that the outfit would bring law enforcement closer to the communities they serve, enhance the effectiveness of policing, and allow for more localised control over security matters.

However, opponents fear that state police could lead to the abuse of power, particularly in states with strong political control, potentially exacerbating regional tensions and undermining national unity.

Says attack on party HQ act of lawlessness

Abure, a pathological liar—NLC’s Political Commission

The National Chairman of Labour Party, Comrade Julious Abure, has accused the Joe Ajaero-led Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, and those they led to besiege the party’s national secretariat of stealing funds meant for payment of staff salaries, among other valuables during Wednesday’s attack.

Abure, who spoke for the first time since the picketing of the party’s secretariat, described the action of the labour leaders as a shame and act of rascality. In a statement signed on his behalf by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, in Abuja, yesterday, Abure said, “What we saw was a show of shame, a show of rascality, an abuse of office and an abuse of the law of the land.

“Nigeria Labour Congress is subject to the law. NLC under Joe Ajaero is not above the law and the law precludes Ajaero and the leadership of NLC to take laws into their hands, where they besieged the office, broke the fence, destroyed the gates, unlawfully took possession of the secretariat and destroyed properties worth millions of naira.

“Properties stolen, including monies, made for the payment of salaries and other official purposes. This is unfortunate. It is becoming unbecoming.

“I must state today that the leadership of NLC under Joe Ajaero is on the path of destroying the successes we recorded in the 2023 general election.”

Abure, a pathological liar—NLC’s Political Commission

Reacting to Abure’s allegation, Acting Chairman of NLC’s Political Commission, Professor Theophilus Udubuaku, among others , said, “Abure should be reminded, since he is now suffering from selective amnesia that it took the picketing by Ajaero-led NLC to drive Lamidi Apapa away from the LP headquarters before he moved in.

“Talking about lies, it speaks much about who Abure really is when he claims that billions of naira were stolen when the picketing was conducted in the presence of scores of policemen, DSS officers and pressmen. These lies alone define Abure as a man who is grossly irresponsible.”

“We would like the Nigerian media to appreciate the fact that NLC is not interested in a media war with a man who thinks he can successfully transform himself into a sole administrator of LP.

“The press is expected to do its duty and fact-check the comments from Abure and his men and call them out as liars.

Aare Onakakanfo of Yoruba, Gani Adams, yesterday, backed calls for the country to return to a parliamentary system of government, insisting that the presidential system is too expensive and it breeds corruption across all sectors of government.

Adams, who is the Chief Promoter of the Olokun Festival Foundation, OFF, also lamented the country’s security challenges, saying bandits and kidnappers are on the prowl daily.

Addressing newsmen at the 12th edition of the Eledumare Festival in Lagos, Adams, represented by Asoju Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland, Chief Yinka Oguntimehin, said the country’s present structure cannot take it anywhere.

His words: “As we celebrate the Eledumare festival, I also make a case for a complete overhaul of the structure of this country. I make a case for a parliamentary system of government, where the region will be allowed to function and prosper accordingly. Today in Nigeria, the country is faced with various challenges including economic, political and structural. The security challenges are also very alarming. Just last week about 16 soldiers of the Nigerian Army were murdered in Delta State. Bandits and kidnappers are daily on the prowl. The situation is becoming very unbearable.

“As far as I am concerned, I know for a fact that the present structure cannot help us in fulfilling the dreams of the country. The current system is very expensive, and it breeds corruption across all sectors of the government. So, I hope that if Nigeria is restructured along regional lines, we will be able to secure the future of our country and set a new path for a prosperous nation.

“Going forward, I hope that in the coming years, the Eledumare festival and all other festivals we celebrate annually will continue to attract more prospects in the future. Apart from the spiritual blessing expected by celebrating the Eledumare festival, I also believe that this festival will provide special grace, rewards and better opportunities for all our members to seek the face of the highest God.

The Black Princess of Ghana have been crowned champions of the women’s football tournament at the 13th African Games holding in Accra.

At the end of 120 minutes of football, the Black Princesses edged the Falconets 2-1.

Loveth Edeh had put the Falconets in the lead in the 21st minute.

With 12 minutes left on the clock, Ghana got a leveler through Tracy Twum.

Mukarama Abdullai, in the 99th minute of extra-time, popped up to score the winner as her low shot on the edge of the box beat the Falconets keeper.

The loss means the Falconets relinquished their reign as African Games champions.

The Court of Appeal has ordered the police authorities to pay a cumulative sum of N80 million to the Shi’ites, followers of Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky (H), for attacking them while on religious procession on August 19, 2021, in the state.

The three-member panel of Justices of the Sokoto Division of the court, in a unanimous judgment delivered by Justice Mohammed Danjuma, held that the appeal succeeded and hereby allowed

The court faulted the judgment of the trial court delivered on May 17, 2022 and agreed with the submission of the appellants’ counsel, led by Chief M.D. Abubakar that the trial judge, in his judgment, rather than relying on uncontroverted facts in the appellants’ various affidavits, opted unjustifiably to form opinions, raised doubts and went on to resolve them against the appellants in an action for enforcement of fundamental rights involving lives.

Members of the Shiites had, on August 19, 2021, embarked on the Ashura procession to commemorate the killing of Imam Hussaini bn Ali bn Abi Talib (AS), the grandson of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (SAWA).

While the procession was about to end, the officers of the Nigerian Police were alleged to have attacked the procession around the Mabera area of Sokoto, Sokoto State.

Four mourners were said to have been killed and numerous others were injured in the incident.

The Shiites alleged that Hassan Abubakar, Imrana Umar, Bello Muhammad and Haidar Musa Bodinga were among those who were killed by the police.

After the incident, a fundamental rights suit was instituted before Justice James Omotosho at Federal High Court, Sokoto division where the Inspector-General of Police and the Commissioner of Police in the state were sued as 1st amd 2nd defendants.

However, Justice Omotosho delivered a judgement in favour of the police.

Dissatisfied with the judgment, the appellants filed an appeal marked: CA/S/131/2022 on May 30, 2023.

The 10 appellants, who filed the appeal on behalf of the entire Shia Muslim Community in Sokoto, include Prof. Shehu Maigadi, Mal. Sidi Mannir Mainasara, Mal. Sa’adu Shehu, Abuzar Daniya, Mubarak Jega, Mustapha Shinkafi, Aliyu Abubakar Appel, Nazir Shehu, Mustapha Yusuf and Zayyanu Ladan.

In the judgement delivered on March 18, 2024, but its certified true copy made available to newsmen on Thursday in Abuja, the Appeal Court declared that the vicious attack by the police officers against the Ashura mourners in Sokoto City on August 19, 2021, that is, opening fire and shooting on Shiites sporadically, using live ammunition, resulting in the deaths of Hassan Abubakar, Imrana Umar Bello Muhammad, Haidar Musa Bodinga, and fatal wounds to Abuzar Yahaya Daniya and others, is deliberate, unwarranted, inhuman, unconscionable, and unlawful, and that the same violates Section 33 (1) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999, as amended.

The court, therefore, ordered the police to pay compensation of N10 million for each of the four mourners killed and also pay N2 million to each of the five mourners whose personal dignity was violated by the fatal bullet wounds inflicted on them by the police.

The appellate court also ordered police to pay the Shi’a Muslim community in Sokoto State the sum of N30 million for the degrading and inhuman treatment of firing live ammunition at them during the Ashura procession in Sokoto on August 19, 2021.

Other members of the panel of justices include Justice Muhammed Shu’aibu and Justice Ebiowei Tobi.

The Federal High Court, Ikoyi, Lagos, presided over by Justice Akintayo Aluko, has convicted and sentenced two men, Umar Muhammed and Ibrahim Musa to 12 months imprisonment for breaking into the Federal Government’s warehouse, located at the Nigerian Customs Service, Ikeja, Lagos.

Justice Aluko slammed the jail terms after the prosecutor, Mr Michael Osong, reviewed the facts of the charge against them.

It would be recalled that the duo were arraigned before Justice Aluko on March 14, on the charge bordering on unlawful access to the warehouse and wilful destruction of seized vehicles parked in the warehouse.

While the suspects were being arraigned, Osong hinted to the judge that the convicts illegally entered the warehouse between December 2023 and January 2024.

The prosecutor informed the court that the convicts, after entering the warehouse, unlawfully destroyed some seized vehicles packed in the warehouse, and as well destroyed some cables and wires in the warehouse.

The lawyer told Justice Aluko that the offence contravened Section 133(1) of the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023 and was punishable under the same Section of the same Act.

The duo pleaded guilty to the charge, prompting Justice Aluko to adjourn for a review of facts and sentencing.

During the resumption of the review of facts on Thursday, Osong called a witness, Usman Maigari, an Assistant Superintendent of Customs (ASC) attached to the Federal Operations Unit (FOU), Ikeja, Lagos.

In his testimony, Maigari hinted to the court as to how the convicts illegally entered the warehouse and burgled the place.

The witness further tendered the convicts’ confessional statements, parts of the vehicles, the cables, and wires vandalized by the convicts, which were admitted as exhibits by the court.

Osong urged the court to sentence the duo based on their plea, exhibits tendered, and in accordance with the Sections of the Acts they were charged with.

But the convict’s counsel, Mr Henry Orarotimi, pleaded with the court to temper justice with mercy in sentencing the convict, adding that the convicts are first-time offenders without any record of previous conviction.

Orarotimi particularly urged Justice Aluko to grant them a fine option or non-custodial sentence in lieu of the jail term.

In his judgment, Justice Aluko sentenced the convicts to 12 months imprisonment on each of the counts but held that the sentences should run concurrently.

The judge equally directed the convicts to pay the sum of N100,000.00 each in lieu of the jail term.

The charge reads: “That you, Umar Muhammad, Male, Adult of Garbula, Biu Local Government Area of Borno State and Ibrahim Musa, Male, Adult of Ijebu Mushin in Ogun State, between December 2023 and January 2024 in the Nigeria Customs Service Government warehouse, Ikeja, within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court of Nigeria did obtain access to the Nigeria Customs Service Government warehouse, Ikeja without lawful authority and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 133(1) of the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023 and punishable under the same Section of the same Act.

“That you, Umar Muhammad, Male, Adult of Garbula, Biu Local Government Area, Bornu State and Ibrahim Musa, Male, Adult of Ijebu Mushin in Ogun State between December 2023 and January 2024 in the Nigeria Customs Service Government Warehouse in the Nigeria Customs Service Government warehouse, Ikeja, within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court of Nigeria did willfully destroy seized vehicles parked in the Government warehouse and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 133(3) of the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023 and punishable under the same Section of the same Act.”