The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has expressed concern over the conduct and statements of the All Progressives Congress (APC), warning that the ruling party’s actions could endanger Nigeria’s constitutional democracy. HURIWA, in a statement, accused the APC of displaying a tendency to dominate key democratic institutions, including the Judiciary and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). The association alleged that the APC appears to have “pocketed” these institutions, allowing the party to boast about winning future elections with impunity. The rights group cited the APC’s performance in the Edo State governorship election as evidence of the party’s…
Author: Ifeanyi N.
The Federal High Court sitting in Abeokuta, Ogun State, on Tuesday adjourned the case seeking to void the nomination of the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Olusola Akinbode, for the November 16 local government elections. The plaintiff, Gbenga Akinwande, is challenging the APC primaries that led to the nomination of Akinbode as the party’s Yewa North Council chairmanship candidate. He also joined the APC and the Ogun State Independent Electoral Commission (OGSIEC) as the first and second defendants in the suit. Akinwande claims that Akinbode did not participate in the screening process conducted at the APC Secretariat in Ayetoro and…
The Abuja Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) confirmed the arrest of seven suspected internet fraudsters on Wednesday. The suspects were apprehended on Tuesday, October 29, 2024, in the Kubwa area of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). The EFCC stated that the arrests followed credible intelligence linking the individuals to internet-related fraud. During the operation, officers recovered 13 mobile phones of various brands and one vehicle. The Commission noted that the suspects would be charged to court upon the conclusion of investigations.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrested 25 suspected internet fraudsters in various locations across Benin City, Edo State. The arrests were confirmed on Wednesday by the EFCC’s Benin Zonal Directorate. According to the Commission, the suspects were apprehended based on credible intelligence regarding their alleged involvement in internet-related fraud. Items recovered during the operation include eight luxury vehicles, laptops, and mobile phones. The EFCC stated that the suspects will face court proceedings once investigations are completed.
The Kano State Sharia Court in Kofar Kudu has ordered the remand of Nasiru Mukhtar, who is accused of assaulting Imam Malam Murtala Sulaiman during morning prayers. The alleged incident took place on October 22, 2024, at a mosque in Tudunwada, where Mukhtar reportedly stormed the premises, grabbed the imam by the neck, slapped him, tore his clothing, and seized his microphone. The imam subsequently filed a complaint with the state police command, leading to Mukhtar’s arrest. In court, Mukhtar’s defense counsel requested bail, arguing that further investigation was necessary. However, presiding Judge Malam Isah Rabi’u Gaya denied the request,…
The Niger State Government has given a 48-hour ultimatum to a joint task force committee to resolve persistent gridlocks along the Lambata-Maje-Diko Road, which have severely disrupted commuter travel. The task force, comprising commissioners for Homeland Security, Transport, and Works, alongside representatives from the Nigeria Police Force, Federal Road Safety Corps, Department of State Security, Vehicle Inspection Office, and Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps, has been tasked with restoring smooth traffic flow in the affected area. The committee’s directives include the immediate removal of all broken-down articulated vehicles and those parked along the roadside. Additionally, they have been tasked…
Ebonyi State has received a significant delivery of medical equipment valued in billions of naira, aimed at equipping 13 general hospitals and other health facilities across the state. The equipment, which includes delivery beds, operating beds, and various specialized beds, marks the fourth tranche of medical resources procured under Governor Francis Nwifuru’s administration. During an inspection of the equipment, housed in a central warehouse, the state Commissioner for Health, Dr. Moses Ekuma, emphasized that the acquisition addresses longstanding challenges within Ebonyi’s healthcare system. He highlighted the government’s efforts in overcoming equipment shortages as a major milestone in enhancing healthcare delivery.…
The Governor of Kogi State, Ahmed Ododo, has approved the sum of N600 million for the payment of 2024/2025 West African Examinations Council (WAEC) fees for 18,734 students in public secondary schools across the state. The disclosure was made by the Commissioner for Education, Wemi Jones, during a press briefing held in his office on Tuesday. Jones explained that the payment aligns with the state’s Free Examination Fees for Public Schools Law, which mandates the government to cover examination fees for both internal and external examinations in public schools. “With the enactment of this law, every internal and external examination…
The Ogun State House of Assembly has called on the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA) to intensify efforts in repairing deteriorating federal roads across the state, particularly the Abeokuta-Ibadan road. Speaker of the House, Oludaisi Elemide, made the appeal during Tuesday’s plenary session held at the Assembly Complex in Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta. Elemide emphasized the need for FERMA, through its Comptroller of Works and officials in Ogun State, to support the state government’s efforts in road infrastructure by conducting urgent palliative works on the affected federal roads to ease vehicular and pedestrian movement. “There is a pressing need for FERMA to…
President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday held a telephone conversation with U.S. President Joe Biden, during which they discussed several key issues, including the recent release of Tigran Gambaryan, the Head of Financial Crime Compliance at Binance. The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar, disclosed the details of the call while briefing State House correspondents in Abuja. According to Tuggar, the conversation took place around 4 p.m. Nigerian time and lasted approximately 30 minutes. Among the topics discussed was the need for Africa to have a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council. Tuggar revealed that President Biden assured…
The newly elected Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kano State, Yusuf Ado Kibiya, has disclosed that the party opted out of Saturday’s local government elections, describing the process as undemocratic. Speaking to journalists at the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Press Center in Kano on Monday, Kibiya criticized the elections, stating that they lacked fairness from the outset. “There is no way local government elections, under the type of governance we operate in Nigeria—especially at the state level—can be free and fair,” Kibiya remarked. “The last council election in Kano was the worst in the history of…
The Rivers State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has criticized Tony Okocha, a factional chairman of the party, for allegedly seeking to stop revenue allocations to the state’s 23 local government areas. In a statement on Sunday, APC spokesperson Darlington Nwauju expressed concern over Okocha’s continued disregard for a court ruling that removed him and his seven-member caretaker committee from their positions. Nwauju described Okocha’s actions as a deliberate effort to undermine the judiciary and disrupt governance in the state. “The APC cannot remain indifferent to political moves that negatively affect the livelihood of Rivers citizens. Okocha’s attempt…
The kidnappers of Rev. Fr. Thomas Oyode, a Catholic priest and Rector of Immaculate Conception Minor Seminary, Ivanokpodi, in Agenebode, Etsako East Local Government Area of Edo State, have demanded a ransom of N200 million. InfoStride News reports that the priest was abducted around 7 p.m. on Sunday after gunmen invaded the seminary. Sources revealed that Fr. Oyode offered himself to the kidnappers in exchange for two students of the seminary who were initially abducted. The gunmen accepted his plea, releasing the students and taking the priest instead. On Monday evening, the kidnappers contacted the Catholic Diocese of Auchi, led…
A 34-year-old man, Segun Adegbite, was found dead with machete wounds at a construction site near WitchTech Factory along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway. The Ogun State Police Command spokesperson, Omolola Odutola, confirmed the incident to Newsmen on Tuesday. According to Odutola, the incident was reported by one Adedeji Adegbola to the Sagamu Police Division on Monday. Adegbola said he was informed of the situation by Hassan, a local security guard attached to the site, who reported a violent altercation between Adegbite and some unidentified individuals. “The incident was reported to the Sagamu Police Division by Adedeji Adegbola, who resides along Lagos-Abeokuta…
The Body of Federal and State Auditors-General of Nigeria has urged government functionaries to intensify efforts in combating corruption across the country. The National Chairman of the body, Sunday Adegoke, made the appeal on Monday during the flag-off of a four-day capacity-building workshop for auditors-general of state and local governments in the Southeast zone, held in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State. Adegoke emphasized that financial misappropriation and other corrupt practices are global challenges that require urgent action in Nigeria. “The public finance actors, especially key government functionaries managing public funds, have a primary responsibility to ensure that this menace is curtailed,” Adegoke…
As the Ondo State gubernatorial election draws near, the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Ganduje, has called on the people of the state to vote massively for the party. Ganduje made the appeal on Monday while inaugurating a 305-member national campaign council for the November 16 governorship election. He urged voters to support the APC, emphasizing that casting their votes for the ruling party would honor President Bola Tinubu, who hails from the region. InfoStride News reports that the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, will chair the campaign council, with Kebbi State Governor Nasir Idris and…
The National Patriotic Coalition (NPC) has criticized the recently concluded local government elections in Kano State, describing them as a “sham” and an attack on democratic values. InfoStride News reports that despite a Federal High Court ruling disqualifying the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) candidates, Governor Abba Yusuf allegedly proceeded with the election in defiance of the court’s decision. In a statement signed by NPC spokesperson Kunle Solomon, the coalition denounced the election results—where the NNPP reportedly won all 44 chairmanship positions and 484 councillorship seats—as illegitimate. Solomon described the election as “a comedy taken too far” and labeled it…
The Ogun State Police Command on Monday confirmed the death of a hunter, identified as Femi, who was found with bullet wounds in a forest near Ijebu Igbo. Omolola Odutola, the command’s spokesperson, stated that Femi, a resident of Ofemodoko village, went hunting on Friday with a companion named Taoreed, popularly known as Kokoro, but failed to return home. According to Odutola, Femi’s wife, Grace James, raised the alarm after her husband’s prolonged absence. She reported the incident to the village head, who organized a search party to locate him. “On October 26, 2024, Grace James, a resident of Ofemodoko,…
A Magistrates’ Court in Jos on Monday sentenced a 25-year-old security guard, Lucky Bulus, to 18 months in prison for stealing 350 litres of diesel. Magistrate Shawomi Bokkos issued the sentence following Bulus’s guilty plea during a summary trial. In his judgment, Bokkos gave the convict the option of paying a N30,000 fine to avoid six months in prison. He also ordered Bulus to pay N150,000 in compensation to the complainant, with the alternative of serving an additional one-year jail term if the payment is not made. Prosecutor Insp. Labaran Ahamed told the court that the theft was reported on…
Signs of division within the Ondo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) became evident on Sunday as several groups within the party announced their support for the Social Democratic Party (SDP) governorship candidate, Benson Akingboye, over APC’s Lucky Aiyedatiwa ahead of the November 16 election. The coalition of groups—including Ondo Patriots, Ondo APC Solidarity Group, Jagaban Coalition, and APC Youth League—argued that the process that led to Aiyedatiwa’s candidacy was flawed, prompting their decision to support Akingboye. In a statement issued by Dele Oyewo of Ondo Patriots, the groups labeled Aiyedatiwa an “opportunist,” claiming he continuously betrays those…