October
EFCC arraigns banker for ‘N80 million fraud’
The Kano Zonal office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has arraigned one Kolapo Oduwole before Justice Musa Danladi of the Katsina State High Court on a six-count charge of forgery and fraud in the sum of N80,000,000( Eighty Million Naira only). Oduwole, a staff of a bank (name withheld), allegedly forged signatures of Relationship Manager of the Bank on three fixed deposits certificates and presented same to some customers and subsequently got the customers to fix their money in fixed deposit accounts controlled only by him. It was further alleged that, after the money was fixed, the defendant transferred it into various accounts to conduct his personal businesses. One of the charges read that “You Kolapo Oduwole on the 3rd March, 2020 at Katsina, within the jurisdi...
APC: All Imo North aspirants cleared
The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) on Monday night declared all the eleven aspirants in the Imo North Senatorial District were cleared to contest the primary. Its Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Yekini Nabena, who spoke with newsmen on telephone, said all the aspirants for Imo North Senatorial district were cleared by the Screening Appeal Committee. He confirmed all of them were eligible for the primary, which held last Thursday. “The truth of the matter is that all the 11 aspirants jostling for the party’s ticket in Imo North Senatorial district were cleared by the Screening Appeal Committee. “It was on the strength of the decision of the appeal panel that informed the statement the party issued on the 1st of September, 2020 clearing all aspirants to contest the primary,” Nab...
Bayelsa by-election: PDP, APC leaders trade words over agreement on power rotation
Leaders of the All Progressive Congress (APC) and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Bayelsa weekend trade words over the alleged attempt by the opposition party to breach an existing gentleman’s agreement between the people of Sagbama and Ekeremor Local Government areas on the issue of power rotation of National Assembly positions. This followed the emergence of the former Deputy Governor, Rt. Hon. Peremobowei Ebebi, as the candidate of the All Progressive Congress for the state west senatorial district by-election. Political stakeholders from the zone had agreed that by the provision of the existing gentleman agreement between Sagbama and Ekeremor local government areas, indigenes of Sagbama are the only ones qualified to produce candidates to contest for the October 31 National Asse...
Enugu by-election: APC conducts primary, vows to resist electoral manipulation
Ahead of the October 31 by-election for Isi-Uzo State Constituency, the Enugu State chapter of the All Progressives Congress, APC, has vowed to resist all forms of electoral manipulation. Newsmen report that the seat became vacant following the demise of the member representing the area, late Hon. Chijioke Ugwueze. It was also learnt that the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has chosen the spouse of the late lawmaker as its candidate for the election. But the APC at its primary election on Saturday, held at Ikem Uno Community Primary School, in Isi Uzo Council area of the State elected Engr. Macdonald Ejiofor Okwor, as its consensus candidate, vowing to resist any form of manipulation. Speaking to journalists shortly after the exercise which had Comrade Adolphus Udeh as returning officer, an...
Lagos bye-election: PDP clears six aspirants, holds primaries Sept 5
File Photo The Peoples Democratic Party has fixed September 5 for its primary elections for the Lagos East Senatorial district and Kosofe Constituency II House of Assembly. The spokesperson for the party in Lagos, Mr Taofik Gani, made this known in a statement on Wednesday. Gani said all the necessary logistics had been put in place by the party to ensure a hitch-free exercise. He explained that the party had cleared four aspirants to contest for the party’s ticket in a primary election for the Lagos East Senatorial district and two aspirants for the Kosofe II House of Assembly in Lagos. He listed the four aspirants for the senatorial bye-election as Mr Babatunde Gbadamosi, Mrs Abiodun Oyefusi, Mrs Saidat Odofin-Fafowora and Mr Olanrewaju Babatunde. The aspirants for the House of Assembly,...
NFF to unveil new national team jerseys October
The Super Eagles will launch new jerseys designed by kit-sponsors Nike for national teams in October. This was announced in a statement by the NFF’s Communications Department on Tuesday. Nike Senior Director, Global Communications, Heidi Burgett, had February 5, shared the designs of the new national team’s jerseys on Twitter. “New 2020 kits for Nigeria: Home kit’s hand drawn design fuses the traditional aesthetic of an agbada robe w/ modern football design. Away kit trim is inspired by Onaism. Broader collection of Super Eagles apparel includes a poncho, vest, dress, & more,” Burgett wrote. Burgett’s tweet came after NFF president Amaju Pinnick confirmed to newsmen January 28, that the new national team jerseys would be unveiled in New York, London and Nigeria. Further plans for the u...
Cross River North: We have no anointed candidate – APC
The All Progressives Congress (APC) Caretaker/Extra-Ordinary National Convention Planning Committee led by Yobe State governor, Mai Mala Buni has said it has no anointed candidate for the legislative by-election in Cross River North Senatorial by-election in Cross River State. Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the party, Yekini Nabena said the refutation was compelling against the backdrop of the allegation by a former presidential aide, “Chief Okoi Obono-Obla alleging an attempt to ‘foist’ a predetermined candidate in the forthcoming Cross River North Senatorial District by-elections. “There are no preferred, pre-determined or anointed aspirants.” Nabena further maintained that “under the Governor Mai Mala Buni-led caretaker committee, the party is already moving in a new and progres...
Mikel Arteta: Dani Ceballos wants Arsenal transfer but decision rests with Real Madrid
Dani Ceballos wants to join Arsenal on a permanent basis, claims Mikel Arteta, but any decision on the midfielder’s future now rests in the hands of Real Madrid. The 24-year-old playmaker spent the 2019-20 campaign on loan at Emirates Stadium. Life in England did not always run smooth for the Spain international, with a bright start under Unai Emery making way for a mid-season dip. Ceballos was, however, to play his way back into favour under Arteta and finished with two goals, two assists and an FA Cup winners’ medal to his name. Arsenal believe there is more to come from a man who has struggled to nail down a regular role in Madrid. They continue to explore the option of putting another agreement in place, but are waiting on Real to make decisions regarding the futures of those on the fr...
Victor Giwa: AGF Malami ordered my arrest for refusing to implicate Ibrahim Magu
A lawyer, Victor Giwa, says the Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami (SAN), ordered his arrest because he refused to implicate the suspended acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ibrahim Magu. Giwa said this in a statement on Sunday after he was released from the EFCC custody. The lawyer was arrested alongside one Fatima Hassan last week shortly after they testified before the Justice Ayo Salami-led panel which is investigating Magu. Giwa’s former client, Donald Wokoma, who was a Director at Damijay Integrated Services, had told the panel through a sworn affidavit that his bank account was frozen by Magu unjustly and he subsequently hired Giwa to sue the EFCC. Wokoma, who is a former special assistant to Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, had said after...
Iran says ready to pay compensations in crashed Ukrainian plane case
Iran is ready to pay compensations pertaining to the Ukrainian passenger plane that crashed in Iran’s airspace in January, head of Iran’s Civil Aviation Organisation told official IRNA news agency on Saturday. Touraj Zangeneh made the remarks ahead of a new round of talks between the two countries’ aviation officials to be held in October in Tehran. “What is evident is that Iran has accepted the responsibility for its mistake and therefore the country is ready for negotiations on paying full compensation for what has been done,” Zangeneh was quoted as saying. “Compensations will be paid within international laws and without discrimination,” he said, adding that “it will include any group that has been affected in the incident.” The Ukraine passenger plane was hit by Iranian missiles after ...
Senator Akpabio: NDDC received N15 trillion in 19 years
The Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio, has faulted the National Assembly inquest into the financial activties of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) between February and July 2020 rather than embark on a comprehensive probe of the interventionist agency’s 19 years of existence. The NDDC, he stated, received over N15 trillion in the last 19 years, with nothing on the ground to justify the huge funds, wondering why the lawmakers decided to probe five months’ activities in the commission. Speaking when members of the Independent Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) visited him in Abuja, Thursday, he noted that discretionary probe would not address the problem of the commission, which he described as cesspit of corruption. He, however, assured Niger Delta ...
Ivory Coast bars public protests until September
Ivory Coast has banned all outdoor protests until 15 September, according to a statement Thursday issued after deadly clashes ahead of presidential elections in October. The cabinet late Wednesday “decided to suspend protests in public areas, authorising them only in enclosed spaces… until 15 September,” the government said in a statement. The measure “draws the consequences of the impact, in human and property terms, from previous demonstrations and the risk that pockets of inter-community conflicts could open up,” it said. On 13 August, angry protests erupted in the economic hub Abidjan, and demonstrations in the central town of Daoukro turned to bloody ethnic clashes, after President Alassane Ouattara announced he would bid for a third term. Critics of Ouattara say the 78-year-old is on...
