The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has said it did not force the former Accountant General of the Federation (AGF), Ahmed Idris, into confessing his alleged involvement in N109bn fraud.
An operative of the EFCC, Abdulhamid I. Muri, whose duties involve intelligence gathering, conducting surveillance, undercover operations and interacting with informants, told the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court, Abuja on Tuesday during the continuation of the hearing in the 14-count charges bordering on money laundering brought against him by the EFCC.
EFCC arraigned Idris alongside Godfrey O. Akindele, Mohammed K. Usman, and Gezawa Commodity Market and Exchange Limited before the FCT High Court on 22nd July 2022.
However, during the sitting on Tuesday, Muri, who was also the third Prosecution Witness (PW3), in the ongoing trial-within-trial of the former AGF, told Justice Halilu Yusuf of the FCT, High Court that EFCC did not promise Idris that he was not going to face prosecution for his N109bn alleged loot.
While narrating how the defendant made his statement voluntarily, pointed out that the Commission did not make such promises to the defendant.
Muri said he first met the defendant through the former EFCC Kano Zonal Commander, Faruk Dogon Daji, who introduced him to the defendant and informed him that the defendant came to submit some documents linked to the investigation.
He said: “On the 10th June, 2022, the first defendant went to our office and met the then zonal commander, Mr Faruk Dogon Daji, an Assistant Commander of EFCC, ACEI, in his office and based on this, the Zonal Commander sent for me and told me that the first defendant came to submit some documents that are linked to the investigation that was on-going concerning him and that I should take him to my office to write a about the documents.
“The first defendant in the company of one Lawal Badamasi followed me to my office and the office is an open office where everybody can come in and go out and there in the office, there is one Mubarak, a staff of the Commission and Yusuf Baba Yusuf.
“I administered a cautionary word, I told him his rights, I wrote out the cautionary word and he said he understood and thereafter he volunteered his statement mentioning the documents one after the other and signed the documents with the date of that day.”
When confronted by the prosecution counsel, A.O. Atolagbe, with the allegation of the EFCC promising the defendant that the Commission will not prosecute him, Muri, said the Commission did not make such a promise to the defendant.
He said: “The first defendant is alleging that this statement of June 10, 2022, is a product of promise, that he will not be prosecuted, what is your take,” Atolagbe asked.
“It is not true my Lord; I am not the investigation officer, I am just directed to take his statement.”
According to Muri, the former AGF was not detained in the facility of the Kano Zonal Command of the Commission.
The judge then discharged the witness after the cross-examination and adjourned the matter till 29th October 2024, for defence of trial-within-trial after the counsel to the first defendant cross-examined the PW3.
Five people were shot dead and dozens wounded in Kenya on Tuesday in mounting anti-tax hike protests, NGOs said, after police clashed with demonstrators who stormed the parliament compound in Nairobi.
The military has been deployed to support police, who earlier fired tear gas, water cannon, rubber bullets and — according to a rights group — live ammunition against protesters, as tensions sharply escalated in protests that have caught the government off guard.
“Despite the assurance by the government that the right to assembly would be protected and facilitated, today’s protests have spiraled into violence,” several NGOs, including Amnesty Kenya, said a joint statement that reported the dead and wounded.
The White House appealed for calm and more than 10 Western nations — including Canada, Germany and Britain — said they were “especially shocked by the scenes witnessed outside the Kenyan Parliament”.
Mainly youth-led rallies have galvanised outrage over proposed tax hikes and simmering anger over a cost-of-living crisis to fuel rapidly growing demonstrations.
“This is the voice of the young people of Kenya,” said Elizabeth Nyaberi, 26, a lawyer at a protest. “They are tear gassing us, but we don’t care.”
“We are here to speak for our generations and the generations to come,” she added.
The protests had been largely peaceful but chaos erupted in the capital Tuesday, with crowds throwing stones at police, pushing past barricades and ultimately entering the grounds of Kenya’s parliament.
Amid the clashes, global web monitor NetBlocks reported that a “major disruption” had hit the country’s internet service.
– ‘Unleashed brute force’ –
In the aftermath of the parliament compound breach, local TV showed images of ransacked rooms with smashed windows, while cars parked outside were vandalised and flags destroyed, according to an AFP reporter.
The governor’s office in Nairobi City Hall — just a few hundred metres from parliament — was set alight, footage on privately owned Citizen TV showed, with a water cannon attempting to douse the fire.
After reports that live ammunition was fired at protesters, Kenya’s main opposition coalition, Azimio, said the government had “unleashed brute force on our country’s children”.
“Kenya cannot afford to kill its children just because the children are asking for food, jobs and a listening ear,” it said in a statement.
The military’s deployment was “in response to the security emergency” across Kenya, Defence Minister Aden Bare Duale said in a statement.
Earlier in the day, despite the heavy police presence, thousands of protesters had marched peacefully through Nairobi’s business district, pushing back against barricades as they headed towards parliament.
As protesters gained ground in their push towards parliament, many were livestreaming the action as they sang and beat drums.
Crowds also marched in the port city of Mombasa, the opposition bastion of Kisumu, and Kenyan President William Ruto’s stronghold of Eldoret, images on Kenyan TV channels showed.
The Independent Policing Oversight Authority watchdog and rights groups said two people had died following last week’s rallies in Nairobi.
Several organisations, including Amnesty International Kenya, said at least 200 people were wounded in last week’s protests in Nairobi.
Amnesty’s Kenya chapter posted on X Tuesday that “the pattern of policing protests is deteriorating fast”, urging the government to respect demonstrators’ right to assembly.
Rights watchdogs have also accused the authorities of abducting protesters.
The Kenya Human Rights Commission said the abductions had mostly occurred at night and were “conducted by police officers in civilian clothes and unmarked cars”, calling for the “unconditional release of all abductees”.
Police have not responded to AFP requests for comment on the allegations.
– Fuel price hikes –
The cash-strapped government agreed last week to roll back several tax increases.
But it still intends to raise other taxes, saying they are necessary for filling the state coffers and cutting reliance on external borrowing.
Kenya has a huge debt mountain whose servicing costs have ballooned because of a fall in the value of the local currency over the last two years, making interest payments on foreign-currency loans more expensive.
The tax hikes will pile further pressure on Kenyans, with well-paid jobs remaining out of reach for many young people.
After the government agreed to scrap levies on bread purchases, car ownership and financial and mobile services, the treasury warned of a budget shortfall of 200 billion shillings ($1.56 billion).
The government now intends to target an increase in fuel prices and export taxes to fill the void left by the changes, a move critics say will make life more expensive in a country already saddled with high inflation.
Kenya has one of the most dynamic economies in East Africa but a third of its 52 million people live in poverty.
AFP
Essien Andrew, a deputy comptroller in charge of Finance, Administration, and Technical Service the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) collapsed and died in the National Assembly on Tuesday during appearance before a committee of House of Representatives Committee on Public Accounts.
Andrew, according to eyewitnesses coughed and requested water, but collapsed before his request could be met. He was rushed to the National Assembly Clinic where he was confirmed dead.
Akin Rotimi, the spokesperson of the House confirmed the demise of the top Customs officers during his appearance before the House Committee.
According to him, Andrew during the engagement which occurred around 1.00pm on Tuesday, June 25, 2024, developed sudden health complications.
“Despite the immediate and diligent efforts of first responders and medical personnel at the National Assembly Clinic, he unfortunately passed away,” Rotimi said.
He added that the House of Representatives will support efforts to probe the circumstances surrounding the sudden demise of the customs officer.
Rotimi also extended the condolences of the leadership and members of the House of Representatives to the Nigerian Customs Services as well as the family of the deceased officer.
“The House of Representatives extends its heartfelt condolences to the family, friends, and colleagues of the deceased during this difficult time. We recognize the significant contributions he made to the Nigeria Customs Service and to our nation.
“The House of Representatives stands ready to support efforts to understand the circumstances surrounding the incident and is cooperating fully with all relevant authorities to ensure all necessary protocols are followed.
“The Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, PhD., expressed his condolences, stating, “We are deeply saddened by the sudden loss of a dedicated public servant. Our hearts go out to his family during this difficult time.”
“Further information will be provided as it becomes available. We ask for patience and respect for the privacy of the family during this period of mourning@, Rotimi said.
[NationalDaily]
…ask IGP to take over probe, prosecute offenders
….as Nigeria’s Army seeks recovery of sold helicopters now in US
The House of Representatives on Tuesday ordered the immediate arrest of an alleged unlicensed auctioneer and NCAT’s Director of Quality Control by the Police in the National Assembly for allegedly providing false information on oath, and the sale of 2 helicopters for 1.2 million dollars.
This is also as the Committee on Public Assets called on the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, to take over the investigation of the alleged indiscriminate sale of two helicopters by the Nigeria College of Aviation Technology, NCAT.
The resolution of the Committee on Public Assets came after about five hours of interaction with the management of the College and other relevant bodies.
Recall that in December 2023, the House launched an investigation into the state of public assets in the country.
The committee’s mandate is to recover assets valued at trillions of naira and moribund public assets within and outside Nigeria and to unravel the reasons behind the hurried sale of two helicopters without the approval of the Federal Executive Council days before the end of the Buhari administration in 2023
Present at the Commitee were the management team of NCAT, representatives of the Nigerian Army and others crucial to.
The chairman of the Committee, Ademorin Kuye expressed worries that the two choppers bought at $2.4 billion were sold at $1.2 billion without due process.
“We requested documents of any kind of joint venture, there is no response to that whether you have one or you do not.
“We requested for a list of assets including a comprehensive description and specifications of all your list assets, rented apartments including acquisition dates and methods and the current status and conditions of such Assets. We can not say specifically that you have satisfied all of these requests. Though you tried to answer some of them, your response is not adequate” Hon Kuye said.
The lawmakers also queried the use of an unlicensed auctioneer who failed to provide needed response to enquiries
In his reaction, Musa Alkali, Coordinator of Nigerian Army Aviation said that the request by the Army to make use of the helicopters in the fight against terrorism was turned down, he however demanded that the two helicopters should be recovered.
A member of the committee, Midala Balami, said that the documents presented to the committee were false documents.
[Vanguard]
A Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Abuja on Tuesday adjourned until Oct. 21 for the continuation of the trial of the suspended governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Godwin Emefiele over alleged procurement fraud.
Emefiele is charged with an alleged 20-count amended charge, preferred against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
He was alleged to have engaged in criminal breach of trust, forgery, conspiracy to obtain by false pretence and obtaining money by false pretence when he served as the apex bank’s boss.
Specifically, the EFCC alleged that the former CBN boss forged a document titled: Re: Presidential Directive on Foreign Election Observer Missions dated January 26, 2023, with Ref No. SGF.43/L.01/201 and purported same to have emanated from the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (AGF).
Besides he is also accused of using his office as CBN governor to confer unfair and corrupt advantage on two companies; April 1616 Nigeria Ltd and Architekon Nigeria Ltd.
Emefiele in the amended charge was alleged to have, on Feb. 8, 2023, knowingly obtained, by false pretence, 6.2 million dollars by falsely representing the Secretary to the Government of the Federation vide a letter dated Jan. 26, 2023, with Ref No. SGF 43/L.01/201 requested the CBN to provide a contingent logistic advance for $6,230,000 “in line with Presidential directive.”
Justice Hamza Muazu adjourned until Oct. 21 after hearing the testimony of the 9th prosecution witness (PW9).
He further adjourned until July 8 for a hearing of Emefiele ‘s application seeking for the release of his passport to enable him attend to medical appointments.
Earlier, the EFCC counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo, brought two witnesses PW8 and PW9.
Umar Tilde the 8th prosecution witness (PW8) works with Zenith Bank as Compliance Office.
He told the court that EFCC, requested account opening documents, a statement of account, and a certificate of identification for the account of Emefiele
” We responded by submitting the requested documents to the EFCC.
The documents from Zenith Bank, account statement of the defendant and the certificate of identification were all admitted in evidence and marked as: Exhibits ED1, ED2 & ED3.
On whether Emefiele had only one account with the bank, he said the letter from the EFCC had different account numbers.
” We responded based on the account numbers supplied,” he said.
The prosecution 9th witness is
Mrs Abibia Ockiya-Ogeleye, a lawyer Principal Partner, A & A Legal Consociate.
She handled the incorporation matters at the CAC for Architkun Nigeria Ltd.
According to the witness, before 2021, the company had two directors.
” I added one person, which is Madam Esther Oyeladun.
” There are three Directors- Omoile Makonbo, Omoile Margaret and Esther Oyeladun.”
The witness added that all she did was given to her by Esther Oyeladun.
After her testimony, Matthew Burkaa, SAN, Emefiele’s counsel told the court that, his client applied for the release of his passport to travel for a medical appointment.
The Debt Management Office says the rise in Nigeria’s public debt stock from N97.34tn in December 2023 to N121.67tn in March is partly due to exchange rate fluctuations.
The Director-General of DMO, Patience Oniha, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on Tuesday in Abuja.
She was clarifying misconceptions about the recently released update of the country’s total debt profile.
She said that the securitisation of N4.90tn as part of the securitisation of the N7.3trn Ways and Means Advances approved by the National Assembly was also responsible for the N24.33tn increase in the debt stock.
According to her, there is also the interest rate, as well as new borrowing of N2.81trn as part of the N6.06tn provided in the 2024 budget.
She, however, emphasised that the debt stock included the domestic and external debt stock of the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
“The total public debt as of March 31, showed that the total public debt in Naira terms stood at N121.67trn compared to N97.34trn as of December 31, 2023.
“While detailed information was provided on the data, such as the split between external and domestic debt as well as the fact that the debt stock includes the domestic and external debt stock of the 36 states and the FCT, it has become imperative to provide some explanations.
“It is important to recognise the fact that Nigeria has undergone some major reforms that have impacted economic indices such as the dollar/Naira exchange rate and interest rates.
“These two, in particular, affect the debt stock and debt service,” she said.
Oniha said that the increase in Naira in terms of N24.33tn between the fourth quarter of 2023 and the first quarter of 2024, did not strictly represent new borrowing.
She said that the total external debt stock was relatively flat at 42.50 billion dollars and 42.12 billion dollars in the fourth quarter of 2023, and the first quarter of 2024, respectively.
“The Naira values were significantly different at N38.22tn and N56.02tn, respectively, representing a difference of N17.8tn.
“This explains the perceived sharp increase of N24.33tn in the total debt stock in the first quarter of 2024.
“The difference in the exchange rate for the two periods also explains why, in dollar terms, the total debt stock actually declined in the first quarter of 2024 to $91.46bn,” Oniha said.
She said that the debt report was somewhat an improvement from the past, before President Bola Tinubu’s government.
According to her, if you discount FX impact, the debt is moderate and within the normal limit.
She urged the Federal Government to prioritise fiscal retrenchment while assuring that the various measures to attract foreign exchange inflows would increase external reserves and support the Naira exchange rate.
LASG Announces Traffic Diversion for First Phase of The Rehabilitation of Adeniji Falomo Bourdillion Stretch
Admin
The Lagos State Government has announced that traffic will be diverted from Alfred Rewane and Osborne through Osborne Foreshore Estate axis to enable the Federal Ministry of Works carry out the first phase of the rehabilitation of the Asphaltic Sections from Osborne Foreshore Estate to Sura Bridge Ramp from Wednesday, 26th June to 27th July, 2024 for a duration of 4 weeks.
To this end, a lane of the road to be rehabilitated will be closed to vehicular movement.
Consequently, Motorists are advised to use the following alternative routes;
Scene1:
Motorists from Alexander/Glover are advised to use Oba Adeyinka Oyekan Avenue inwards Ikoyi to connect Obalende/Ring Road and access 3rd Mainland Bridge to proceed with their journeys
Scene 2:
Motorists from Victoria Island are advised to go through Falomo Roundabout to link Awolowo Road and access 3rd Mainland Bridge to reach their desired destinations.
Alternately, Motorists from Victoria Island can also utilize Ozumba Mbadiwe Avenue to link Mekunwen Bridge and proceed to CMS/Apongbon Bridge inwards Eko Bridge to access Funsho Williams Avenue to reach their desired destinations.
For this period, Motorists on the other side from Sura Bridge will have a through traffic inbound Osborne Foreshore Estate.
The Commissioner for Transportation, Mr. Oluwaseun Osiyemi has assured that Traffic Management Personnel will be on ground to minimize inconveniences and ensure steady flow of traffic.
He urge Motorists to be patient and comply with the Officers and the aforementioned interventions put in place.
ADVISORY: Motorists are implored to be patient as the partial closure is part of the traffic management plans for the rehabilitation works on the asphalt pavement of the road sections by the Federal Ministry of Works (Office of the Federal Controller, Lagos).
E Signed;
Mr. Oluwaseun Osiyemi,
Lagos State Commissioner for Transportation,
24th June, 2024.
Press Rejoinder: Arewa Cultural Heritage Network Responds to Vice President's Remarks on Sokoto State Governance
Admin
The Arewa Cultural Heritage Network wishes to address the recent comments made by Vice President Kashim Shettima at the North West Peace & Security Summit regarding the status of His Eminence, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, the Sultan of Sokoto. While we recognize the Vice President's concern, we urge the federal government to respect the autonomy of Sokoto State in handling its internal matters, particularly those related to traditional leadership and governance.
Governor Ahmed Aliyu Sokoto phd has been exercising his constitutional responsibilities diligently. The recent actions taken by the state government, including the deposition of certain traditional rulers, are based on grounds of negligence, disloyalty, and disrespect towards the government. It is essential to understand that these decisions are made in the best interest of the state and its people.
The Sultan of Sokoto, despite his esteemed position, has been found guilty of neglecting his palace duties, showing disloyalty, and demonstrating a lack of respect towards the current administration. His evident support for the PDP candidate during the last election, despite the electorate's mandate for Governor Ahmed Aliyu Sokoto, has further strained relations. The Sultan's continued efforts to undermine the government's initiatives have made it challenging to foster mutual cooperation.
We strongly urge the Vice President and other federal officials to refrain from interfering in state governance matters. The Governor of Sokoto State is well within his rights to make decisions that align with the constitutional framework and the welfare of the state.
Furthermore, we call upon President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR to ensure that the Vice President respects the boundaries of state governance and allows the Sokoto State Government to function without undue interference.
The proposed amendment to section 76 of the local government and chieftaincy law is intended to align legal frameworks with customary procedures in Sokoto. It aims to clarify the roles and responsibilities within the state, ensuring a smooth and effective governance process. The authority to appoint district and village heads, while still involving recommendations from the Sultanate Council, will ultimately lie with the Governor, reflecting both traditional and contemporary practices.
We believe that this alignment will promote greater stability and progress within Sokoto State. It is crucial for all parties involved to work together harmoniously for the betterment of our community.
Thank you.
Signed,
Yunusa Abdullahi Esq
Arewa Cultural Heritage Network
The Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) has announced that students of state-owned institutions will not be able to access loans on the platform yet.
The management of the fund, on Tuesday, announced a 14-day postponement of the application process for student loans for state institutions due” to low data submissions.
According to NELFUND, only 20 state universities out of 48, 12 state colleges out of 54, and 2 state polytechnics out of 49 have successfully completed the data submission process, making it difficult to verify the loan applicants.
Based on this development, the agency disclosed that the application window, initially set to open on June 25, 2024, will now commence on July 10, 2024.
“To date, only a limited number of state-owned institutions have successfully completed the data submission process. These include 20 state universities out of 48, 12 state colleges out of 54, and 2 state polytechnics out of 49.
“While we acknowledge the efforts of these institutions, the failure to submit data from the remaining state institutions poses significant challenges to ensuring a seamless and accurate verification process for student loan applicants.
“The application window, initially set to open on June 25, 2024, will now commence on July 10, 2024,” the statement released in Abuja reads.
The Fund said the extension will provide additional time for state institutions to comply with the data submission requirements and ensure their students can benefit from the Federal Government student loan scheme.
“To facilitate an efficient and error-free application process, it is crucial that all state institutions provide complete and accurate information.
“This includes JAMB numbers, matriculation numbers, admission numbers, full names, level, faculties, departments, duration of program, fees, and gender of all eligible students.
“Incomplete or incorrect data submissions will result in application delays and potential disqualification for affected students,” the statement added.
The fund urged all state institutions to expedite their data submission processes and ensure the accuracy of the information provided.
It further warned that Institutions that fail to meet the revised deadline risk disadvantaging their students, who depend on these loans to support their education.
[NaijaNews]
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has expressed worry over what he described as a growing tendency of state governments to exert influence by distorting the modalities of enthroning traditional stools.
Atiku, who was the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the last general election, stressed that traditional institutions must be protected from the arbitrariness of state governments.
In a statement issued on Tuesday via his X handle, the former Vice President said it will become difficult to maintain peace and orderliness in communities if the structure of ascension of traditional rulers was unstable.
He, therefore, called for constitutional reform that will not only recognize traditional institutions in the nation’s laws but also define the responsibilities of their offices.
Atiku’s read: “Recent developments in the country has seen a growing tendency of state governments exerting influence in distorting the modalities of enthroning traditional stools.
“It is a reality that stares us in the face from every corner of the country.
“While it is understandable that the institutions of traditional rulership is in the exclusive purview of the state government, although through the local government authorities, it must be established that traditional institutions constitute a component of our governance structure.
“And thus, traditional institutions must be protected from the arbitrariness of state governments that threaten their stability.
“When the structure of ascension of traditional rulers is unstable, it will become equally difficult to maintain peace and orderliness in communities.
“Although our constitution, in its current format, does not ascribe any recognition to traditional institutions, yet our experiences show clearly that they perform enormous roles in the economic life of their domains, as well as maintenance of peace and security in communities.
“I wish to remind that the traditional institutions formed the governance structures before the advent of the colonialists. And they governed well. Consequently, they are institutions we must protect and preserve and not destroy.
“It is, therefore, on this basis that I lean towards the advocacy that calls for constitutional reform that will not just recognize traditional institutions in our body of laws but also define the responsibilities of their offices.
“This reform is even more important in view of the collective drive to stem the ugly tide of terrorism and sundry security challenges at the local levels.
“In conclusion, I must also appeal to state governors to accord the necessary respect to the offices of traditional institutions. The customs that our traditional rulers represent is the totality of our heritage as a people.”
[DailyPost]
More...
Organised Labour has appealed to President Bola Tinubu to show his compassion for Nigerian workers by approving their demand for a minimum wage of N250,000, to reflect the nation’s current inflationary trend.
The president-general of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) and a member of the organized labour negotiation team in the Tripartite Committee for the New National Minimum Wage, Prince Adewale Adeyanju, criticized state governors for obstructing efforts to secure a fair wage for government employees.
He said: “If you are an employer of labour and you do not have a love of your workers in your heart, how do you call yourself an employer of labour? We have problems with OPS and the state governors who believe they cannot afford to pay N30,000 let alone the figure the labour is demanding.
”We started having that issue at the negotiating table where they were dragging from N30,000 to N48,000 and N60,000. They were priced as if they were tomatoes and onions before they now finally came out and said N62,000.
”Even before they arrived at N62, 000 the Organised Labour was still coming down so that we could be on the same page. Yes, the country is not smiling.
“We all know what the harsh economic situation is and the workers have not been happy with the economic downturn. At the close of negotiations, we had two position papers; one from the government and OPS sides that recommended N62,000 and N250,000 from the Labour side which includes TUC and NLC.
“The ball now lies on the table of Mr President who I believe that this is an opportunity to show empathy to the whole workers. This minimum wage comes every five years. Between now and five years, what is going to be the impact of the figure of a new minimum wage on the lives of the workers in their various workplaces?
”That is why we are appealing to him as a friend of workers who persistently promised to give workers a living wage to approve the N250,000. Nothing stops him from approving it, but we heard that he said he would only approve what is what the economy can afford.
He added: “As organised labour, we all are citizens of this country and we know the economy can afford our demand. We plead that he should not listen to those greedy governors who want to pay slave wages to continue to maintain their outrageous and ostentatious lifestyle.
”The security vote they are getting is enough to pay that minimum wage. What are they doing with their security votes? Which security are they providing to the citizens? Some of the governors, the likes of Edo State, have been paying 70,000.”
[TheNation]
A fresh graduate of the Department of Quantity Surveying, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Ifunanya Miracle, aka Bliss, has lost her life during an attempt to escape a yet-to-be-identified prankster’s robbery on the premises of the school in the Awka area of Anambra State.
Ifunanya’s friend, identified simply as Peace, a student in the Department of Pure and Industrial Chemistry, who was also involved in the robbery, sustained varying degrees of injury and was said to have been rushed to the Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Teaching Hospital for treatment.
PUNCH Metro gathered that Ifunanya, during her studies, engaged in the business of Point-of-Sale operations on the premises of the school.
The graduate was said to have closed her business for the day on Sunday, June 9, 2024, and boarded a tricycle along with Peace to a destination.
The duo were said to be on their way when a passenger, who sat beside them, allegedly attempted to rob them of their valuables.
A student of the school, who does not want to be mentioned in print for fear of victimisation, told our correspondent that in a desperate attempt to escape the robbery, the two students jumped out of the moving tricycle, adding that while Peace sustained injuries, Miracle was unlucky as she hit her head on the ground during the attempt to escape the operation.
The student said, “Miracle just graduated from the university and does a Point-of-Sale operation in the school. The incident happened around 7 pm on June 9, 2024. She does her PoS business at the front of my residence.
“She usually packed her business stuff under the staircase in our compound and the stuff is still there. She packed it and put it back there in the evening. But all of a sudden, we just heard that she was dead.
“We were like how; she still dropped her stuff under the staircase of our compound on Monday. From what we gathered, she was on a moving tricycle with her friend when a fellow passenger, ordered them to give him their phones.
“While trying to escape, Miracle jumped out of the tricycle and hit her head on the road and by the time she was rushed to the hospital, she had died. Her friend, who also jumped out of the tricycle sustained injuries and she is still in hospital.”
Another student said the man, who ordered the victims to surrender their property, later claimed that he was pranking them, adding that unconfirmed reports indicated that the man had reported himself to the police.
The student said, “We heard the guy has reported himself at the police station and claimed it was a prank. How can he be pranking someone on a moving tricycle? After the incident, we have not heard anything. This lady (Miracle) just died because of the carelessness of some people who claimed to be pranksters.
“It could be that he wanted to rob and when he saw the outcome of his action, he changed the argument to pranking because of what happened. The university has not said anything about the case. The fact that the school has not addressed it is a concern. The girl just did her convocation.
“The girl who died is Ifunanya Miracle, also known as Bliss, and she was a student in the Department of Quantity Surveying. Her friend’s name is Peace, in the Department of Pure and Industrial Chemistry. She was hospitalised after the incident.”
The spokesperson for the school, Dr Emmanuel Ojukwu, when contacted on Monday, confirmed the case and noted that the prankster, a final-year student of the school, would face disciplinary measures after Miracle had been buried.
He said, “The university is fully aware of the incident. It was not a robbery but a very expensive prank. The students were told to bring their phones but they didn’t know it was a prank. So, they jumped, one died and one survived.
“The families of the victims and that of the final-year student who pranked the victims have held a meeting with us and it was established that it was a prank.
“The families have reached some agreement and we want the process of the burial to take place before the student that pranked them will face disciplinary measures.
“It was an unfortunate incident; the school regrets it, the student who pranked them regrets it and the family of the concerned student will take responsibility for the funeral of the dead victim and the hospital bill of the other student. We use this opportunity to warn students to avoid expensive pranks that lead to death, the person will face the music.”
[Punch]
Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye, minister of women affairs, could not list the six pilot states where a $500 million World Bank project will be implemented.
Kennedy-Ohanenye was a guest on Arise TV on Monday, where she accused the past administration of mismanaging the first tranche of the loan.
The initiative dubbed Nigeria for Women Project (NFWP) is a strategic engagement between the World Bank and the Nigerian government to improve the livelihoods of the nation’s women.
NFWP was initially approved on June 27, 2018 with $100m financing. However, in June 2023, the World Bank approved a $500 million scale-up.
The bank said the scale-up will help to ensure better economic opportunities for women and guarantee better education, health, and nutrition outcomes for families; while building the resilience of women and communities to climate change.
Kennedy-Ohanenye said the previous administration “lavished” the fund on meetings, advocacies, and consultancies.
“Fortunately, President Tinubu quickly made me raise a new structure on how that money will be utilised,” she said.
The minister asked women to applaud Tinubu who was not satisfied because the previous outcomes did not align with his ‘Renewed Hope’ agenda.
“The first $100 million, when I came in, I was not satisfied. It didn’t augur well with the vision of the new president’s Renewed Hope agenda,” she said.
“It was mainly used for advocacy, meetings, consultancies and that was it. They shared it among the states.
“But remember the project is called ‘Nigeria for women project’ and to me, the way I understand it, it was supposed to be used for projects.”
The minister assured that on her watch, allocations would be equitable across states.
Asked to reel out the six states where the implementation of the project will kick off, she said: “I will mention few because I don’t really know all of it…
“The six states are Niger, Abia…,” she began, before she was interrupted by Reuben Abati, one of the hosts of the show.
“You don’t know the six states where you are having the programme?” Abati asked.
“I don’t know all,” the minister responded, before stuttering on.
“Listen to me, my dear brother, please…
“The six states is not the issue to me. All the states is what I am focusing on.”
The six pilot states for the project are Abia, Akwa Ibom, Kebbi, Niger, Ogun and Taraba — with one state representing a geopolitical zone.
[nigerianeye]
The Presidency has pleaded with Nigerians not to mount unnecessary pressure on President Bola Tinubu over the new minimum wage demand.
The government assured that Tinubu would transmit the proposed bill to the National Assembly once it is ready.
Speaking to Punch, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga wondered what the rush for the transmission of the bill was all about.
Onanuga’s position is coming barely 24 hours after the Organised Labour asked the President to consult with them before transmitting the bill to the National Assembly.
The Union had complained that the National Executive Committee which will accommodate about 300 Labour leaders, is being stalled by Tinubu’s delay to transmit the wage bill.
The President, during his Democracy Day broadcast, disclosed that a consensus had been reached between the Federal Government and Labour on the new wage, a development which the Organised Labour debunked.
However, Onanuga, while admitting that he had no idea when the bill would be submitted, called for patience.
“People should be patient,” he stated.
His appeal comes one week after he reiterated that the ₦250,000 wage being demanded by the workers’ union is unsustainable, warning that the Federal Government cannot channel all its resources to meet such demand.