Dr Richard Somiari, Director of Lagos State DNA and Forensic Centre, on Wednesday said that results of an autopsy conducted on deceased singer Ilerioluwa Aloba (a.k.a Mohbad) would be ready in the next three weeks or four weeks.

Somiari gave the assurance while testifying during a corner’s inquest into the death of the singer.

The witness was cross-examined on Wednesday by defence counsel in the inquest.

Recall the musician died on Sept. 12, 2023, and was buried the following day.

He was aged 27 years.

His death generated controversies, prompting Lagos State Government to direct a coroner’s inquest into the death.

The inquest, which began on Oct. 13, 2023, is taking place at the Ikorodu Magistrates’ Court.

Somiari told the Coroner, Magistrate Adedayo Shotobi: “We expected to get the first set of autopsy results in three to four weeks and re-confirm to authenticate the cause of the death.

“We searched for multiple possibilities, to check if poison was involved in death of Mohbad since no actual cause was mentioned.”

The forensic expert assured the public of adequate security and monitoring of samples for the autopsy.

“We have a place where items are stored for safety and security of results. There is a procedure for monitoring samples moved abroad,” he said.

Also testifying, Mr Sadiq Ayobami, popularly called Spendy, said that he saw the deceased last a day before his death.

He said that both of them attended a concert at Ikorodu and returned to his house after which he left before the singer’s death.

Mrs Abiodun Kolawole, an activist representing the African Women Lawyers Association, urged the parents of the deceased to channel their grievances to the court of law in respect of the paternity of the singer’s child, instead of going through the social media.

The Coroner, Magistrate T. A. Shotobi, adjourned the case until April 15.

Shotobi directed all parties in the inquest to be present on that day.

The national average price of Premium Motor Spirit, otherwise known as petrol, increased year-on-year, YoY, by 157.57 percent to N679.36 per litre in February 2024, from N263.76 per litre recorded in the corresponding period of 2023.

However, in its latest report – ‘Premium Motor Spirit (Petrol) Price Watch for February 2024’, the National Bureau of Statistics, NBS, indicated that Zamfara State topped the price chart at N750.43 per litre, followed by Kebbi and Taraba States with N746.67 and N710.56 respectively.

The report stated “Kwara, Ogun and Benue States had the lowest average retail price for Premium Motor Spirit, (Petrol) at N650.00, N650.83 and N652.73 respectively. On zonal profile, the North-West zone had the highest average retail price of N701.20, while the South-West zone had the lowest price of N657.20

Similarly, in another report – ‘Automotive Gas Oil (Diesel) Price Watch for February 2024’ by NBS indicated that the average retail price for diesel increased year-on-year, YoY, by 50.20 percent to N1,257.06 per litre in February 2024, from N836.91 per litre recorded in the corresponding period of 2023.

This is even as diesel price continues to increase in many states with price ranging from N1,600 –N1,700

The report stated “On a month-on-month basis, an increase of 9.02% was recorded from N1,153.01 in the preceding month of January 2024 to an average of N1,257.06 in February 2024.

On States variation analysis, Akwa Ibom State topped the price chart with N1,525.00 per litre, while Gombe state followed with N1,500.00 and Kwara State with N1,440.00.

Furthermore, the States with the lowest prices are Adamawa State with N1,037.50, Kano State with N1,111.43 and Katsina State with N1,125.00. The Zonal representation of the average price of Automotive Gas Oil (Diesel) shows that South South Zone has the highest price of N1,343.09 while South West Zone has the lowest price N1,164.05 when compared with other Zones.

National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, has linked the importation of the recently seized 23 packages of heroin at the Tin-can Island port, Lagos to the same cartel operating at the nation’s airport in Lagos.

Speaking while receiving the illicit drugs from the Tin-can Island Command of the Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, the Tin-can NDLEA boss, Mohammed Abubakar, said the investigation had linked the drug seizure to the same cartel that brought the recently seized heroin at Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.

It will be recalled that the Tin-can Island Customs Command had handed over seized items, including arms and ammunition, Indian hemp and heroin to the officials for the Department of States Security, DSS and their counterpart NDLEA.

Abubakar said: “Through the effort of the Special Intelligence Unit of the NDLEA, which provided the intelligence and processed it, resulting in what you are witnessing today.

“Some of you asked whether there was any arrest, it is the work of a special syndicate in trafficking of illicit hard drugs across different nations.”

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has cleared the $7 billion foreign exchange (FX) backlog which was pending when Yemi Cardoso took over as the Governor of the apex bank.

This development was announced in a statement on Wednesday by the CBN Acting Director of Corporate Communications, Hakama Sidi Ali.

According to her, all valid claims have been settled and only those claims found to be illegitimate were not honoured.

Ali explained that the CBN employed the services of an independent auditing firm, Deloitte Consulting, to meticulously evaluate all claims and any invalid transaction have been referred to appropriate authorities for further checks.

“Any invalid transactions were referred to the relevant authorities for further investigation,” she stated.

Nigeria’s Foreign Reserve Hits $34.11 Billion, Highest In 8 Months
Meanwhile, Nigeria’s foreign reserves have recorded an increase of 2.83%, jumping to $34.11 billion as of March 7, 2024, from $33.17 billion at the beginning of the year.

The figure, which is based on the latest data released by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), is the highest in eight months.

The most recent data from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) shows a significant increase in external reserves, rising by $993 million in just one month and reaching the highest level in eight months.

On March 7, 2024, the external reserves totalled $34,110,027,381, which is higher than the previous month’s amount of $33,116,051,881 reported on February 8, 2024.

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The data shows that the reserves have been staying pretty consistent at around $32 to $33 billion for the past eight months. The latest record on March 7 is the highest it’s been since June 30, 2023, when the reserves hit $34,119,447,986.

President Bola Tinubu has banned ministers, heads of agencies, and other government officials from embarking on public funded foreign trips.

The ban will last for three months in the first instance and will take effect on April 1, 2024.

This was contained in a letter dated March 12, 2024, and signed by the Chief of Staff to the president, Femi Gbajabiamila; and addressed to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume.

In January, Tinubu issued an order to reduce the number of people accompanying him on both local and foreign trips, noting that his delegation members should not exceed 25 for local travels and 20 for international trip

He also mandated that security agents at his destination should provide his protection instead of being accompanied by many security personnel from Abuja.

This came following the backlash he faced during and after the last twenty-eighth Conference of Parties (COP28) in the United Arab Emirates, which about 590 Nigerian officials attended.

Responding to the public outburst, the government said it provided funding for only 422 out of the 590 individuals in the delegation.

The letter indicating the ban read in part, “Mr President has concerns about the rising cost of travel expenses borne by Ministries, Department and Agencies of Government as well as the growing need for cabinet members and heads of MDAs to focus on their respective mandates for effective service delivery.

“Considering the current economic challenges and the need for responsible fiscal management, I am writing to communicate Mr Presideni’s directive to place a temporary ban on all public funded international trips for all Federal Government officials at all levels, for an initial period of three months from Ist April 2024.”

The ban, according to the letter, was aimed at reducing costs in governance.

It added, “This temporary measure is aimed at cost reduction in governance and intended as a cost-saving measure without compromising government functions.”

Tinubu added that government officials who intend to go on any public funded foreign trip must seek and get presidential approval at least two weeks before embarking on any such trip, which must be ‘deemed absolutely necessary’.

It added, “All government officials who intend to go on any public funded international trips must seek and obtain Presidential approval at least two weeks prior to embarking on any such trip, which must be deemed absolutely necessary.”

A detective with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Mahmud Tukur, denied promising the former Accountant General of the Federation, Ahmed Idris, leniency in exchange for indicting the former Minister of Finance and others.

The former Accountant General of the Federation had told the Federal Capital Territory High Court on February 1, 2024, that the EFCC deceived him to admit to the allegations against him.

The ex-AGF specifically claimed that the EFCC told him they wanted to use him to get the Minister of Finance and some governors to receive derivation funds.

Idris and his co-defendants are standing trial on 14 charges of stealing and criminal breach of trust to the tune of N109.5bn.

Idris was arraigned alongside Godfrey Akindele, Mohammed Kudu Usman, and Gezawa Commodity Market and Exchange Limited by the EFCC in July 2022.

However, at the proceedings, Tukur, who was the second prosecution witness in the trial-within-trial, denied that the commission made such a promise to Idris.

The trial-within-trial was ordered by the court following the objection raised by counsel for Idris, Chris Uche (SAN), alleging that his client did not make his statements to the EFCC voluntarily.

Led in evidence by EFCC counsel, Oluwaleke Atolagbe, Tukur insisted that all the 13 statements involving Idris and his lawyers were voluntarily made.

He added that the ex-AGF was interviewed in the presence of his lawyers before filing 11 statements at different times.

Tukur added that two out of the 13 confessional statements were volunteered willingly with Idris waiving his right to have a lawyer present.

He said, “Idris signed on the back of the page of the statement sheet and it was witnessed by Barrister Haruna Isa.

The statement of May 21, 2022, was written by Idris.

“The statement of July 5, 2022, was made by the first defendant in the presence of Mr Gbenga Adeyemi. He was cautioned, interviewed, before those volunteered statements.”

While being cross-examined by the ex-AGF’s lawyer, Chris Uche (SAN), Tukur said the EFCC had a standard procedure for getting a statement from a suspect.

He said, “My lord, he(Idris) requested that he wanted to come and volunteer his first statement, and at the management level, it was approved. At that time, he was the serving AGF. It was based on his request my lord.”

The witness, however, admitted that the EFCC did not send a letter of invitation to Idris following the second statement he made.

The witness said he would not know if Idris’ statement in Kano on May 10, 2022, was done in the presence of his lawyer as he was not there.

When quizzed about promising the ex-AGF soft-landing, Tukur described the allegation as “absolute falsehood”.

“I never promised him that he would not be prosecuted.

“ I never did as a unit head and the first defendant is a very senior civil servant, in my capacity I can not do that. “

The trial judge, Justice Yusuf Halilu, adjourned till May 15 for the continuation of trial-within-trial.

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has apprehended seven individuals suspected of producing illegal rifles and pistols within the Abuja metropolis.

According to a statement released on Wednesday (today) by the NSCDC National Public Relations Officer, Babawale Afolabi, the criminal activity was thwarted thanks to a tip-off.

Afolabi noted that the NSCDC Directorate of Intelligence and Investigation promptly responded to the information and successfully arrested the suspects.

“Acting on a tip-off that a group of individuals were manufacturing semi-automatic rifles and pistols at Moshood Abiola National Stadium area in Abuja, the DII-SM acted based on credible intelligence, and the 7 suspects were caught in the act,” Daily Trust quoted the NSCDC spokesperson saying.

The suspects were identified as Amos Iyawo (M) aged 29 years, Jonah Mannaseh (M) aged 27 years, Ezekiel Nannim (M) 20 years, Naifa Pando (F) 26 years, Euphemia Peter (M) 26 years, Faith Gadang (F) and Philemon Karam (F) 26 years.

“From the confessional statements volunteered by the suspects, we gathered that Amos Iyawo is the leader of the team and that he recruited others to participate as manufacturers of the rifles,” the statement added.

Findings by the security agency revealed that rifles and pistols has just been made and none of them have been sold yet.

Naija News understands that the suspects were found in possession of five completed rifles, one pistol, one unfinished rifle, seven empty cartridges, two boots, rods, a welding machine, a filling machine, two searchlights, three pliers, a shovel, cutlass, axes, a hunter’s ID card, and a belt.

According to the statement, all the seized items will be handed over to the Nigerian Police for further investigation and potential prosecution.

The NSCDC Commandant General, Dr Ahmed Abubakar Audi, has since instructed all Zonal Commanders, State Commandants, and formation heads to prioritize the gathering of timely intelligence.

The Federal Government has released the full list of individuals and organizations financing terrorism in Nigeria.

The list released by the Federal Government include Tukur Mamu, a close ally of Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi.

The list also include six Bureau De Change, BDC, operators.

Recall that information earlier released by the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit, NFIU, said those financing terrorism include nine individuals and six Bureau De Change operators.

In its report titled, ‘Identification of Persons and Organizations as of March 18, 2024’, the NFIU said the Nigeria Sanctions Committee convened on March 18, 2024, during which certain individuals and entities were identified for sanction due to their ties to terrorism financing.

Subsequently, a post released on X on Monday by former President Muhammadu Buhari’s Media Aide, Bashir Ahmad, reads: “The Federal Government has released names and BDCs funding terrorists in Nigeria. We hope that those individuals will face the necessary legal consequences for their actions.

1. Tukur Mamu
2. Yusuf Ghazali
3. Muhammad Sani
4. Abubakar Muhammad
5. Sallamudeen Hassan
6. Adamu Ishak
7. Hassana-Oyiza Isah
8. Abdulkareem Musa
9. Umar Abdullahi

The six BDCs and firms are:

10. West and East Africa General Trading Company Limited
11. Settings Bureau De Change Ltd
12. G. Side General Enterprises
13. Desert Exchange Ventures Limited
14. Eagle Square General Trading Company Limited
15. Alfa Exchange BDC

The Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman has met with striking unions in a bid to end the ongoing warning strike.

The meeting took place on Wednesday in Abuja.

The unions include Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, SSANU, Non-Academic Staff Union of Universities, NASU, and National Association of Academic Technologists, NAAT.

Mamman told newsmen after the meeting that the Federal Government would continue to dialogue with the unions to forestall an escalation.

Recall that the unions commenced a seven-day nationwide strike on Monday to protest the refusal of the Federal Government to release their four-month salaries withheld in 2021 because they embarked on a strike.

“It is our expectation that it will not go beyond what it is. We have a good understanding with the unions to ensure stability in our tertiary institutions.

“We will do everything possible to maintain confidence in the unions so that the issue of the strike can be resolved,” he said.

The General Secretary of NASU, Prince Peters Adeyemi, while commending the openness of the government in ending the strike, insisted that the strike will continue until a favourable response from the government is received.

“We have been duly briefed by the government team led by the Minister of Education on the efforts that the government is making in respect of our demands.

“We have said that since this is a warning strike, these efforts should continue and hopefully, before the end of the warning strike, something reasonable and tangible will come from the government.

“We appreciate their openness but this struggle will continue [until] as soon as we receive a positive response from the higher authorities.

“We assure the Nigerian public that the strike will be reviewed appropriately, but, for now, the strike continues while the government continues with efforts to get the desired results so that the universities will come back on stage,” he said.

Corroborating this, the President of NAAT, Comrade Ibeji Nwokoma, reiterated the decision of other unions, saying that the parties would further consult with their principals and thereafter would come back and brief the minister.

The Senate has passed the Student Loan, Access to Higher Education, Act 2024.

The senate’s resolution followed its consideration of the report of the senate committee on tertiary institutions and TETFUND.

The chairman of the committee, Senator Muntari Dandutse presented the report during plenary.

Last week, President Bola Tinubu transmitted the Bill to the National Assembly for its consideration and passage.

The Upper Legislative chamber had given the Bill an accelerated hearing by suspending relevant sections of its standing rules and referred the Bill to the Committee of the Whole for consideration.

After debate on the Bill, Senate President Godswill Akpabio referred the Bill to the Senate Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TETFUND for further legislative work and to report back in one week.

The Bill seeks to provide easy access to higher education for indigent Nigerians through interest-free loans from the Nigerian Education Loan Fund established in the Act to provide education for all Nigerians.

The senate’s resolution followed its consideration of the report of the senate committee on tertiary institutions and TETFUND.

The chairman of the committee, Senator Muntari Dandutse presented the report during plenary.

Last week, President Bola Tinubu had transmitted the Bill to the National Assembly for its consideration and passage.

The Upper Legislative chamber had given the Bill an accelerated hearing by suspending relevant sections of its standing rules and referred the Bill to the Committee of the Whole for consideration.

After debate on the Bill, Senate President Godswill Akpabio referred the Bill to the Senate Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TETFUND for further legislative work and to report back in one week.

The Bill seeks to provide easy access to higher education for indigent Nigerians through interest-free loans from the Nigerian Education Loan Fund established in the Act to provide education for all Nigerians.