The Yobe State Police Command has arrested a 24-year- old man, Yunusa Isa who killed his business partner, Lawan Adamu to avoid paying back the N500,000 the deceased lent him.

LIB reported that 28-Year-Old Lawan was brutally murdered at the outskirts of Nayi Nawa bypass in Damaturu on Sunday, September 15, 2024.

The corpse was found with deep throat cuts and multiple stab wounds while a blood-stained knife was recovered at the scene.

The Spokesperson of the command, DSP Dungus Abdulkarim, who confirmed the development in a statement on Thursday, said the suspect initially denied involvement in the murder.

However, following intense interrogation by State CID Detectives, he confessed to the crime.

“Recall that, On September 16, 2024, the 'A' Divisional Police Headquarters apprehended Yunus Isa, 24, of Shago Tara, Nayi Nawa Ward, for allegedly killing Lawan Adamu,” the statement read.

Initially, the suspect denied involvement despite overwhelming circumstantial evidence. However, following intense interrogation by State CID detectives, Yunus Isa confessed to the crime.

"Investigation revealed that Lawan Adamu was his employer and business partner in the engine oil trade.

"He borrowed N500,000 from Adamu last year with a profit-sharing agreement.

"However, when he failed to meet the agreement terms, Adamu demanded repayment.

"Isa callously murdered Lawan Adamu to avoid repaying the debt, killing him in cold blood.

“The swift resolution of this case demonstrates our commitment to justice and public safety."

A young woman identified as Olivia was reportedly kidnapped and held captive at Top View Hotel in Wuse, Abuja, by a suspected internet fraudster, also known as a ‘Yahoo Boy,’ for money ritual purposes.

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) arrested the suspect and has taken him into custody, pending handover to the police for further investigation.

The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command has confirmed the incident and is awaiting the NSCDC’s handover to commence a thorough and discreet investigation.

According to FCT Police Public Relations Officer, SP Josephine Adeh, “The FCT Police Command is aware of the video footage circulating about a lady who was criminally confined in Top View Hotel, Wuse, Abuja on 17th September 2024, by an alleged internet fraudster for money ritual purposes.

“Findings revealed that the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has taken the suspect into custody and has yet to hand him over to the police for a diligent investigation.

“The FCT Police Command is prepared to commence a thorough and discreet investigation once the NSCDC hands over all parties involved.

“Further developments will be communicated in due course.”

Adeh assured the public of a comprehensive investigation amid growing calls for swift action against the alleged perpetrator of such crime.

…Insists Tinubu betrayed Labour

The Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, said Thursday it would meet with the federal government on how workers could survive the recent hike in the pump price of petrol.

According to the labour movement, the current price of petrol has eroded the gains of the yet-to-be implemented N70,000 new national minimum wage. President of NLC, Joe Ajaero, who disclosed this at the opening ceremony of a two day workshop on “Minimum Wage Implementation Workshop, Southern Zone, with the theme ‘Strategies for Effective Implementation of the 2024 National Minimum Wage Act, in Lagos,” insisted that organised labour was deceived by President Bola Tinubu into accepting the N70,000 minimum wage to forestall petrol price increase .

He advised the government to address the excruciating hunger, poverty and frustration of Nigerians before things go out of hand, lamenting that Nigerians were really suffering.

While giving insight into the conversations with President Tinubu before the N70,000 minimum wage was agreed, the NLC president lamented that Nigerians appeared to have started adjusting to the situation on ground because the government had been distracting organized labour.

“There is a tactic to distract our attention, to call us names, level allegations against us over cybercrime, financing terrorism, sponsoring terrorism and the rest.

”Those things have paid off because while we are facing those allegations, this issue of pump price has remained.

 “I repeat, we were betrayed by Mr President, That statement we issued over our being betrayed is being denied by officials of the government. I am repeating it that we were betrayed. Some of you here were at the meeting when Mr President said, Ajaero you are the problem.

 ”Since we said subsidy is gone. You don’t want to allow us to increase again. If you allow me to increase we will pay you that N250, 000. Immediately I came out that day I was on Arise Television I repeated what Mr President told us.

  ”The president said I am giving you one hour to decide on this and get back to me. He said he was goig back to his office and we should decide over this (between N250, 000 minimum wage and petrol pump price hike). 

 “We said no sir, Mr President; we can’t be holding our meeting here in your office. Let us take one week break and come back and report back to you. He said okay, I am traveling but I will cancel my trip for one week. That was how we adjourned for one week. 

”If you followed the trend of those negotiations, we adjourned for one week. And when we came back after consultations, we said to Mr President, no, we can’t allow you to increase to any length because that will affect all Nigerians and we will be seen to be selfish.  ”Even the N250,000 will not be useful to us. If we continue to increase salary, it will make a mess of our economy and then you continue to increase pump price. In fact, that N250,000 may not be enough to even buy fuel.

 “Mr President equally offered to fund our trip to tour some West African countries, where the least price of petrol is selling at N1,700. He even said in Cameroon, they are selling N2000 and that none of them has a refinery but they are getting their products from Nigeria.  

”We responded by telling him to check the borders because that is why they are smuggling those products to those countries.  ”We equally said no because Nigerians will say they have given us money; they won’t say it’s money for us to visit those West African states.

 “On the adjourned date, we went there and told Mr President, we are not here for increase in pump price or negotiation. So let’s concentrate on the minimum wage. Some of these things informed the acceptance of N70,000 minimum wage which some of us here were saying was not enough. But some people are still saying they cannot pay that N70, 000.  ”This is the dilemma all of us are facing. In fact, the private sector employers in our meeting gave us tough time. They refused to shift and they wanted to vote with state government, federal government and the private sector on one side, all against labour on the other side. These were some of the things that necessitated all those walkouts you saw.”

Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki has reaffirmed his assertion that Saturday’s governorship election is a “do or die affair,” despite facing backlash from opposition members and critics.

In an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Thursday, Obaseki clarified his controversial statement, arguing that the stakes are high for the people of Edo State if the All Progressives Congress (APC) were to regain control.

“It’s a do or die affair because if they do, we die,” he emphasized. “The level of impunity, the level of recklessness we see in the opposition party—if they take over Edo State, that is the end.”

The governor alleged that the APC had devised plans to rig the upcoming election but expressed confidence that the people of Edo would resist such efforts.

He underscored the importance of protecting the electoral process, warning of dire consequences should the opposition prevail.

Obaseki also voiced concerns regarding the impartiality of the police in the lead-up to the election, accusing law enforcement of bias.

“If you see the evidence of what they have done, the blatant way they have gone about it, it is like they forget that the police are being funded by taxpayers’ money. They should be more professional and unbiased,” he stated.

Additionally, Governor Obaseki echoed concerns over the opposition’s tactics, stating that the APC is resorting to intimidation tactics out of fear of an impending defeat.

The presidential committee on livestock reforms has submitted its report to President Bola Tinubu, recommending “integrated solutions” to the country’s pastoral issues.

In September 2023, Tinubu set up the livestock reform committee to proffer solutions to the recurring clashes between farmers and herders.

Tinubu inaugurated the committee after receiving a report from the national conference on livestock reforms and mitigation of associated conflicts in Nigeria.

The conference gave the president 21 recommendations, including creating a ministry of livestock resources.

In the past years, the clashes between herders and farmers have led to the death of many people, destruction of properties, and displacement of many people.

President Tinubu is the chairman of the committee, while Attahiru Jega, a former chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), serves as the co-chairman.

INTEGRATING OPEN GRAZING AND RANCHING 

Speaking with the State House correspondents in Abuja on Thursday after submitting the report, Jega said the committee proposed “integrated solutions” to the pastoral issues in the country.

The former INEC chairman said Nigeria must combine open grazing and ranching to solve the challenge of farmers and herders’ crises in the country.

Jega said policy frameworks should accommodate both ranching and open grazing for a period of time, while increasing awareness against the extensive nature of pastoralism should be encouraged.

“You cannot wake up tomorrow, and all you have is ranching because you have already had quite a large chunk of the population in traditional pastoral activities,” Jega said.

“What do you do with them? Any solution that has to be developed now has to be a combination of both.

“Why we are promoting a long-term objective is that we now have livestock production. You have to develop policies and frameworks that can accommodate both for a period of time.

“The objective is to have intensive livestock production and not to have extensive in the nature of pastoralism that we have now.”

The former INEC chairman said the committee made recommendations on the creation of the federal ministry of livestock development.

Former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello reportedly evaded arrest by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Wednesday, with the assistance of his successor, Governor Usman Ododo.

The EFCC had laid siege to the Kogi State Government Lodge in Abuja in an attempt to apprehend Bello, who is wanted over an alleged N80.2bn fraud case.

Despite the operation, Ododo allegedly helped Bello avoid arrest, leveraging the immunity he enjoys as a sitting governor.

The incident follows a similar attempt in April, where Ododo reportedly facilitated Bello’s escape from EFCC operatives during another raid in Abuja.

On Wednesday, after a visit by Bello and Ododo to the EFCC headquarters, the commission denied having Bello in custody.

EFCC spokesman Dele Oyewale stated that Bello was not detained, despite claims by Bello’s media team that he had visited the agency.

EFCC officials indicated that Ododo’s actions prevented them from arresting Bello, stating that his governorship immunity hindered the operatives from taking further action.

Speaking on what transpired on Wednesday, EFCC officials said Ododo helped Bello to escape again just like in April.

One of the officials said, “Yahaya Bello has not been arrested. The Kogi State governor prevented operatives from doing their work yesterday just like he did the other time. He took him away and our men could not do anything because of the immunity he (Ododo) is enjoying.”

Efforts to get the EFCC’s spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, proved abortive as calls and message to him on the matter were not answered.

Also, the Director of Bello’s media team, Ohaire Michael’s number, was switched off and he had yet to respond to the message sent to him on the matter as of press time.

•FG to fund 360,000 farmers by 2025 

•Nigeria to attain 2nd largest economy by 2026 , at $400bn – Rewane

Nigeria’s Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr. Wale Edun, yesterday said that the economic reforms embarked upon by the present administration are yielding positive results as the country recorded a net inflow of $16.45 billion into its foreign reserve in the first seven months of the year.

The Minister disclosed this at the 2024 edition of the Access Bank Annual Corporate Forum themed: “Nigeria’s Economic Rebirth: Hopes and Implications”, in Lagos, saying that the federal government plans to fund 360,000 farmers as part of efforts to curtail the ravaging food inflation while giving the economy a rebirth.

Edun, among other things, stated: “Seventeen months or so, we rethink the reforms from the evidence, from the data, from the details that we have in our hands , the reforms are yielding fruits.

“The economy is beginning to turn a corner and I think we all are witnesses to the improved macroeconomic stability, stable exchange rates, increasing government revenue, positive and increasing trade balances, current account balances and the total reconfiguration and the revamping of government revenues as well as the greater emphasis on expenditure.

“We have relative currency stability, and of course, the all important margin of the rates. We’ve seen a gradual elimination of multiple exchange rates.

“We also have foreign exchange liquidity. The gross reserves are up. There has been a net inflow in the first seven months of this year of about $2.35 billion every month.

“On the fiscal side as well, government revenues are growing. And the key to government revenue is not so much that the government has revenue to compete with the private sector. It is the fundamentals, the social and the key infrastructure spending, the social safety net spending.

“And, historically, our figures are low. Our tax to GDP ratio is as low as 10 percent. Our revenue to GDP is also around 15 percent.”

Highlighting the various steps the government is taking to rebirth the country’s economy, he said that the government is working to ramp up crude oil production as a buffer for the fiscal revenues, adding that the country is on track to produce the targeted 2 million crude oil barrels per day (bpd) before the end of 2024.

On food security, Edun noted that the FG plans to fund 360,000 farmers with resources to cultivate on 360,000 hectares of land by January 2025.

“Apart from quickly ramping up oil production, one of the key areas is that in the agricultural sector, not just for raw output, but for putting us on the path to industrialisation, just as the way as put in as a step taken to have local refining of petroleum products what’s come back after so many decades is an important step in the road to industrialization in agriculture.

“The plan and the key target is for this dry season after a very successful dry season harvest earlier this year, there was disappointment in the wet season harvest and that’s the reason we have not completed and the result is a continued elevated level of food prices.

“So the plan this time around, and we must be determined in its succeeding, 360,000 farmers will be funded, assisted, mobilized and resourced to farm 360,000 hectares and from that we are estimating 1.4 million metric tons by next January, February when the harvest comes of maize, wheat, cassava and tubers.

“And that is a key success factor, a key indicator that we must hit as a target. And everybody has a role to play in producing food.”

On his part, Chief Executive Officer, Financial Derivative Company, Bismack Rewane, projected among other things, the country to move from the third position to the second largest economy in Sub-saharan Africa by 2026 at $400 billion from its present $368 billion.

He added: “Electricity tariff in our government will remain above $200 billion in bands A and B. Telecom tariffs will increase significantly to maintain that investment.

“There will be an efficient forex option system by 2026 and air-combact reserves will be at $20 billion.

“Inflation will continue to decline to anywhere between 19 percent and 22 percent and MPR, I think, will decline to 20 percent rather. I’m talking about June 2026.

“The Naira will appreciate from its current levels to anywhere between $1,450 and $1,500 at that time.

“‘Exchange rate will be aligned on the proper Forex system that is functioning in place due to one, integration funds, direct foreign investments and exchange rate adjustments. The trade balance will go up from $8 billion to $9 billion.

“The price of petrol will be stippled and this is at N900 per liter, the quality will be higher”.

Also speaking, Uche uwaleke, Professor of Finance and Capital Market at Nasarawa State University, said that deepening the capital requires raising the right mix of instruments.

He averred that the federal government has not been deploying the right instrument in its borrowings from the domestic capital market, saying more infrastructure bonds should be issued .

He also made a case for crypto assets adoption, arguing that youths who comprise over 70 percent of the population would find crypto assets more attractive and acceptable and hence would propel their participation in the capital market.

In his welcome remarks, Mr Roosevelt Ogbonna, Managing Director/CEO, Access Bank, said: “This is the   kind of forum that we have been having since this current administration came into service in May 2023. I think in many respects it signifies the challenges that we are having as a nation and the need for us to combat the rising economic headwinds that we are facing. At   least Nigeria is not isolated in this term. Many emerging markets and local markets are facing significant challenges”.

Less than 24 hours before the conduct of the governorship election in Edo state, residents have expressed fears and hopes ahead of the poll.

Data released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) shows that 2,249,780 registered voters have collected their permanent voter cards (PVC) and are expected to attend the poll on Saturday to elect a new governor for Edo state.

Despite assurances by INEC of a fair and credible poll, Hope, a trader in Benin, the state capital, said she would not go out to the poll because she does not believe that her vote will count.

“I don’t want to vote, and I will not vote because no matter what, it will not count. They will still make whoever they want governor,” she said.

“I voted in the time of Oshiomhole because he did the right thing and really tried for us. But now I’m not going to.

“The suffering is too much, and I don’t know any of the candidates who can do the right thing. So, this time I won’t vote.”

On the other hand, James Ogunshola, an entrepreneur, expressed optimism that the election process would be free and fair.

“I hope and expect that this election will be free and fair. I really want to believe that Edo people are not violent. So, the election will be peaceful,” Ogunshola said.

“I pray INEC will conduct the election fairly so that the right person will come into power. I have my voter’s card, and I will vote for the right person, not a party.”

Also, John, one of the many youths who gathered to watch the distribution of election materials at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in the capital city, encouraged residents to come out and vote.

John expressed optimism that the conduct of the election would be peaceful.

“I believe, by the grace of God, PDP will win. The hardship in this country is too much, and we cannot see the suffering and go and vote for the same people,” he said.

“I believe Asue Ighodalo Will continue from where Obaseki stopped since they are the same party. If another person gets into power, he will not continue from where Obaseki stopped, and we don’t want that.

“We are here watching the distribution of election materials, and everything is currently peaceful. I’m sure it will be that way on election day. So everyone needs to come out and vote.”

On Wednesday, Christopher Musa, chief of defence staff (CDS), said operatives of the local security networks and vigilantes should steer clear of election duties during the Edo governorship poll.

The CDS also warned that anyone who disrupts the poll would bear the consequences, adding that the military has the presidential mandate to ensure a free, fair, and credible election in Edo.

Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki has expressed confidence that his political fallout with Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nyesom Wike will not hinder the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the upcoming governorship election on Saturday.

Wike, a key figure in Obaseki’s previous campaign against All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Osagie Ize-Iyamu in the 2020 election, has since distanced himself from Obaseki and announced that he will not support the PDP candidate, Asue Ighodalo, in this election.

Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Thursday, Obaseki addressed concerns about Wike’s position, asserting that the people of Edo are wise enough to make their own electoral decisions.

Obaseki stated, “He (Wike) came to get Edo people to vote for me, right? Wow! Edo people are not that dumb; they know who to vote for.

“They don’t require the services of an outsider to make their decisions. Edo people will make their decisions this time because they know what they want.”

The governor also reflected on his political journey, emphasizing that he does not regret falling out with political associates, including Oshiomhole and his deputy, Philip Shaibu.

He suggested that some politicians may be dissatisfied with his governance approach, which prioritizes using state resources to address the needs of the people.

As the election approaches, Obaseki remains resolute in his belief that the PDP will secure victory, bolstered by the support of Edo residents who, he asserts, understand the issues at stake.

The Edo government has declared September 20 as a work-free day to enable workers and residents to travel to their voting areas ahead of the state’s governorship election.

The election is scheduled for September 21 across 18 LGAs in the state.

In a statement on Thursday, Joseph Eboigbe, secretary to the state government (SSG), assured that adequate security arrangements are in place for the conduct of the election.

“This is to enable workers and other electorates to travel to their voting areas ahead of the September 21 governorship election in the state,” the statement reads.

“The government wishes everyone journey mercies and reassures that security measures have been provided to ensure a free, fair, and credible election.”