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Category: News

  • Killer of Enugu Based Make-up Artist, Ijeoma Sentence To Death By Hanging

    Killer of Enugu Based Make-up Artist, Ijeoma Sentence To Death By Hanging

    The late Enugu based makeup artist, Ijeoma Nneka, has got justice as an Enugu State High Court sentenced her killer, Chiamaka Ifezue, to death by hanging.

    The convict alongside her sibling, Chukwuemeka Ifezue, were arraigned on two counts-charge bordering on conspiracy and murder, had on 11th November, 2020, murdered the 27-year-old makeup artist, Ijeoma, by forcing her to drink a poisonous substance that caused her death.

    However, on July 28, 2022, Justice K.I. Okpe discharged Chukwuemeka on the basis that there was no evidence that he actually participated in the crime.

    In delivering the judgement, Justice K.I Okpe, agreed with the prosecution, Mrs Chinelo Chigbo who led the prosecution from the Department of Public Prosecution that the suspect was actually responsible for the death of the 27-year-old make-up artist based in Enugu.

    Recall that the convict dumped the body of the deceased at the Maryland axis of Enugu metropolis and poured a corrosive substance suspected to be acid on the body.
    During the trial, the court admitted in evidence police exhibit on the case of the alleged murder of the makeup artist.

    A broken 9Mobile SIM card, itel phone, another black phone (no brand name), MTN SIM pack, and makeup tools belonging to the deceased were also tendered as evidence by the prosecution.

    Also tendered in evidence was the key of a Toyota Matrix Scan with registration number JJJ410BJ, which was allegedly used to move the dead body of the deceased from the scene of the crime to where it was dumped.

    Hard copies of the WhatsApp messages and text messages (SMS) the deceased had with her fiancé and girlfriend, respectively, while at the scene of the crime.

  • CSOs hold “let the poor live” protest over sachet alcohol, beverages ban

    CSOs hold “let the poor live” protest over sachet alcohol, beverages ban

    No fewer than 100 civil society groups, Wednesday, held what it described as a ‘Let The Poor Live’ protest in Abuja challenging the ban on sachet and PET bottles of alcoholic drinks by the National Agency for Foods and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC).

    Led by the Coalition Against Economic Saboteurs, the groups also called for the immediate sack of the NAFDAC DG Prof. Moji Adeyeye for her anti-people policies.

    The groups lamented that the new policy would further pile more problems on the Nigerian economy as it may lead to the eventual shutdown of the industries producing these products.

    They further decried that Adeyeye is being used by multinationals to destroy small businesses in our local production and companies.

    “Today, we address a matter of grave concern, the recent decision by the Director General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration Control (NAFDAC), Professor Mojo Adeyeye, to ban the sale of beverages in small sachets. We view this policy as a direct assault on the livelihoods of millions of Nigerians, a move that will not only put countless citizens out of work but also exacerbate the existing problems of insecurity and unemployment in our nation,” Comrade Kabir Matazu said on behalf of the groups.

    “We strongly condemn this ill-thought-out policy, which seems disconnected from the realities faced by the ordinary Nigerian citizens. NAFDAC leadership abandoned their core responsibility of focusing on issues that truly threaten the well-being of our people, such as the inflow of fake and substandard drugs, we find the Director General choosing to target a sector that provides employment for many Nigerians and serves the needs of millions of families.

    “Professor Mojo Adeyeye’s tenure at NAFDAC has, regrettably, been marked by a series of disappointments and failures to deliver the desired results. Rather than ensuring the safety of our food and drugs, we have witnessed a surge in counterfeit beverages, creating a pervasive doubt about the authenticity of what our citizens consume.

    Ben Omale also called on all stakeholders to unite against the leadership of Professor Mojo Adeyeye.

    “We demand her immediate suspension from office by the President in order to avert further damage to our economy, job losses, and business closures. It is imperative that NAFDAC should be led by someone who prioritizes the real issues affecting our nation’s health and economic stability.”

  • Retract bribery allegation against appeal court justices, lawyers tell Sen. Abbo

    Retract bribery allegation against appeal court justices, lawyers tell Sen. Abbo

    Some senior lawyers have called on Senator Elisha Abbo to retract the unsubstantiated allegations of bribery and corruption made against the President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Monica Dongban-Mensem.

    According to the lawyers,
    Senator Abbo in his reckless and unconscionable Press Briefing described the President of the Court of Appeal as a cash-and-carry Judge, adding that Judges now send their children and agents to go around asking for bribes.

    The lawyers led by Uwemedimo Nwoko, stated that Abbo has not produced any iota of evidence to substantiate his weighty allegations.

    Senator Abbo, a former senator representing Adamawa north, in the press conference said Nwosu-Iheme and members of the panel made up of Muhammad Ibrahim and Olabode Adegbehingbe erred when they declared Amos Yohanna of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as the duly elected senator of the district.

    Also, Senator Abbo, accused Justice Chioma Nwosu, elevated from the court of appeal to the supreme court, some Justices of the Court of Appeal and Judges of the various Tribunals.

    The former senator said he had written the NJC and Tinubu to stop the elevation of Nwosu-Iheme into the supreme court until an investigation is conducted.

    Reacting to the allegation, the Lawyers therefore called on the senator to retracted the allegations publicly or face the consequences of his actions in court.

    He maintained that this brand of nonsense and unprovoked attacks against Judicial Officers and the Judiciary must stop.

    “We take very strong exceptions to the criminal blackmail deliberately fabricated and calculated to impugn on the integrity and reputation of our revered and hardworking Judges and Justices by characters like Senator Abbo.

    “May I remind Senator Abbo that when he lost the case that removed him from the Senate, he openly accused the Senate President, Distinguished Senator Godswill Akpabio, CON of being the architect of his misfortune. When he was confronted with the task to prove
    the allegation he promptly went on his knees and apologised profusely to Senator Akpabio and retracted the allegations.

    “It is sad and most unfortunate that this Senator who shot into the limelight on account of his misconduct in a Sex Toy Shop in Abuja would have the criminal courage and effrontery to malign, denigrade and make such invidious imputations against our Justices and judiciary simply because he lost a case.

    “I wish to state most categorically that it is totally unacceptable, morally reprehensible and legally culpable for a person with Senator Abbo’s moral credentials and profound deficits in character content to embark on such character assassination against our Justices who have sacrificially built their good reputations over the years,” he said.

  • Electoral Bill Passes Second Reading, Paving Way for Electronic Transmission of Election Results

    Electoral Bill Passes Second Reading, Paving Way for Electronic Transmission of Election Results

    The Nigerian House of Representatives achieved a significant milestone on Wednesday as it passed the Electoral Act 2022 Amendment Bill for Second Reading, brightening the prospect for electronic transmission of election results to minimise fraud in the nation’s electoral process.

    The Bill sponsored by Hon. Francis Waive, representing the Ughelli North/Ughelli South/Udu federal constituency of Delta State, aims to amend the existing Electoral Act to facilitate the electronic transmission of election results.

    During the debate on the general principles of the bill, Hon. Waive underscored the inadequacies of the current Electoral Act 2022 and emphasized the importance of modernizing it to accommodate electronic transmission of election results. He argued that such an amendment is essential for strengthening Nigeria’s democracy and combating electoral fraud.

    In addition to advocating for electronic transmission, Hon. Waive proposed a regular review of the voter register every ten years. This measure, he argued, would contribute to the overall transparency and fairness of the electoral system by ensuring accuracy and integrity in voter data.

    The advancement of the Electoral Act 2022 Amendment Bill to its Second Reading marks a significant step forward in Nigeria’s electoral reform efforts. If passed into law, it has the potential to usher in a new era of transparency and accountability in the country’s electoral processes.

  • Absence of Ribadu, General Musa, others stall Senate’s interface with security chiefs

    Absence of Ribadu, General Musa, others stall Senate’s interface with security chiefs

    The Absence of National Security Adviser (NSA) Nuhu Ribadu, Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa and others, stalled planned interface of the Senate with the service chiefs and heads of security agencies on Wednesday.

    The Senate had on Tuesday last week through resolution adopted from collective motion on insecurity, summoned the Service Chiefs and heads of security agencies for grilling in plenary.

    The planned interface, as announced by the Chairman, Senate Committee on Banking, Insurance, and other Financial Institutions, Senator Adetokunbo Abiru, on Tuesday was specifically fixed for Wednesday and Thursday this week.

    But the Senate in plenary on Wednesday announced that the interface could not hold due to the absence of the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, and Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa .

    President of the Senate , Godswill Akpabio, who made the announcement said apology, was received from Ribadu on his absence but that he and the Chief of Defence Staff, must be present at the very important session.

    He added that aside Ribadu and General Musa, the Senate has also resolved to add other security heads to the planned interface session.

    Those included at the planned session now postponed to Tuesday next week, are the Minister of Defence, Abubakar Badaru, Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawale, Minister of Police Affairs, Senator Ibrahim Geidam, Minister of State for Police Affairs, Imaan Ibrahim, Minister of Interior, Hon Olubunmi Tunji Ojo, Minister of Finance, Olawale Edun and Director General of National Intelligence Agency, Ahmed Rufai Abubakar

    Akpabio in his remarks, thanked the Chief of Army Staff, Lt-General Taoheed Lagbaja , Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla, Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshall Hassan Abubakar, the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun and Director General of Department of State Services, Yusuf Bichi, for honouring the Senate’s invitation.

    “We thank you all for honouring our invitation for the very important interface on way out of the lingering security crisis at hand. But due to the absence of the NSA and the Chief of Defence Staff, the interactive session will no longer hold today.

    “Besides, the Senate in its wisdom, has decided to add other public officers whose offices are connected to security matters, to be part of the interactive session .

    “Clerk of the Senate , has been directed to write them ahead of Tuesday next week , now fixed for the session.

    “We need their presence along with those of you here today , for holistic and comprehensive brainstorming on the problem at hand and required solution “, he said .

  • 22 killed in twin blasts on Pakistan election eve

    22 killed in twin blasts on Pakistan election eve

    At least 22 people were killed Wednesday in two separate bomb blasts outside poll candidate offices in southwestern Pakistan, officials said, on the eve of an election marred by violence and allegations of poll rigging.

    The first attack occurred near the office of an independent candidate in the Pishin district, around 50 kilometres (30 miles) from the city of Quetta and around 100 kilometres from the border with Afghanistan.

    Caretaker information minister for Balochistan province Jan Achakzai and Quetta police both put the death toll from that blast at a dozen, with 25 more wounded.

    A second blast hit near the election office of a candidate for the Islamist Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-F (JUI-F) party in the city of Killa Saifullah — about 120 kilometres (75 miles) east — according to Achakzai.

    “At least 10 people were killed and 12 others injured,” he told AFP.

    “The incident took place in the main bazaar of the city area, where the election office of the JUI-F was targeted,” a senior police official told AFP.

    In July last year, 44 people were killed by a suicide bomber at a political gathering of the right-wing JUI-F party in northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

    More than half a million security officers began deploying Wednesday on the eve of the election, with authorities distributing ballot papers to more than 90,000 polling stations.

    The election has been marred by allegations of pre-poll rigging following a crackdown on the party of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan, winner of the 2018 poll, but booted out of power by a national assembly vote of no-confidence four years later.

    There have also been multiple security incidents in the run-in to Thursday’s vote, with at least two candidates shot dead and dozens more targeted in attacks across the country.

    Campaigning officially ended on Tuesday night and voting is due to begin at 8:00 am local time (0300 GMT) on Thursday, closing at 5:00 pm.

    The figures are staggering in a country of 240 million people — the world’s fifth most populous — with around 128 million eligible to vote.

    Nearly 18,000 candidates are standing for seats in the national and four provincial assemblies, with 266 seats directly contested in the former – an additional 70 reserved for women and minorities – and 749 places in the regional parliaments.

    “We must ensure security measures at every level,” Sindh provincial police chief Rafat Mukhtar told a news briefing Wednesday in the port city of Karachi.

  • LinkedIn Unveils “Catch Up” Feature

    LinkedIn Unveils “Catch Up” Feature

    LinkedIn is set to enhance user engagement with the introduction of a fresh feature called “Catch Up” in the revamped My Network section. 

    This new tab aims to bridge the gap in communication among users by highlighting significant updates from their connections, such as new jobs, work anniversaries, or job postings.

    Users can easily interact by liking posts with a single tap or initiating a direct message using automatically generated prompts, fostering more meaningful connections.

    The redesign doesn’t stop there; LinkedIn is relocating options like connection requests, newsletter invites, events, and connection recommendations to a designated tab named “Grow.” 

    This strategic move aims to streamline user interactions and provide a more organized and efficient networking experience.

    Additionally, LinkedIn is rolling out an AI-powered messaging feature for premium users, assisting them in crafting compelling first messages to individuals not yet in their network. 

    Leveraging data from both profiles, the feature offers ready prompts for introductions, seeking advice, or discussing work experiences. 

    Users maintain the flexibility to customize these messages before sending, enhancing the personal touch in professional communication.

    This innovation follows LinkedIn’s previous initiatives in integrating AI across its platform. 

    From AI-assisted writing features for profiles, ads, and collaborative articles to an AI assistant for learning and soft skills advice, LinkedIn continues to leverage technology to cater to the evolving needs of its user base.

    With a keen eye on the job market, LinkedIn aims to be a central hub for job-related activities. 

    Recent tools like “Job Collections,” released in January, allow users to explore job openings through various filters.

  • Afdb Injects$540 Million into Nigeria’s Special Agro-Industrial Zones

    Afdb Injects$540 Million into Nigeria’s Special Agro-Industrial Zones

    Oyo, Cross River, and Imo, along with four other states and the Federal Capital Territory, are set to receive the initial disbursement of $540 million from the African Development Bank (AfDB).

    The funds aim to propel the development of Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZs) across the nation.

    Prof. Banji Oyelaran-Oyeyinka, Senior Special Adviser on Industrialization to AfDB President Akinwumi Adesina, revealed the development during a report presentation at the Presidential Villa in Abuja. 

    The SAPZs initiative seeks to transform Nigeria’s rural areas into hubs of economic prosperity.

    This news follows a promise made by Adesina to President Bola Tinubu, announcing a $520 million investment in the zones during a summit in Paris in June 2023. 

    The first phase is already underway, with Kaduna, Oyo, and Cross River States in the process of receiving disbursements.

    Oyelaran-Oyeyinka emphasized the importance of private-sector involvement, stating, “It is a government-enabled project but private-sector driven.” The first phase involves seven states: Cross River, Imo, Kaduna, Kano, Kwara, Ogun, Oyo, and the Federal Capital Territory.

    Vice President Kashim Shettima urged swift action, emphasizing the need for both the government and development partners to turn plans into reality. The three mentioned states will be the initial beneficiaries of phase one, with others to follow as documentation concludes.

    In a related report on the revitalization of the Ajaokuta Steel Company Limited, the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation proposed a comprehensive recovery plan. 

    This plan includes rehabilitating, modernizing, and expanding the integrated steel plant, transforming it into strategic business units.

    VP Shettima stressed the urgency for concrete actions, declaring, “We have passed the age of talking; we must walk the talk.” 

    He emphasized the necessity of realizing the vision of President Tinubu and cited examples of successful industrial transformations, urging determination and collective effort to bring positive change to Nigeria.

  • Police Denies Involvement In Formation Of Vigilante Group

    Police Denies Involvement In Formation Of Vigilante Group

    The Commissioner of Police in Nasarawa State, CP Shehu Umar Nadada, has dismissed claims of the police command’s involvement in the creation of a Fulani Nomad Vigilante team. 

    This comes in response to the recent formation of a 1,144-member security team by the President of Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, Abdullahi Bello Bodejo.

    During a courtesy visit by members of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, CP Nadada clarified that the command had no prior knowledge of the establishment of the Fulani Nomad Vigilante team and cannot be held responsible for their actions.

    While acknowledging that the police provided security during the inauguration ceremony, CP Nadada emphasized that it was done solely to prevent potential disruptions and maintain law and order.

    Residents had expressed concerns about alleged collaboration between the police and the nomad vigilante group, but the Commissioner affirmed that the police only secured the event venue and had not officially endorsed the vigilante team.

    In his statement, CP Nadada asserted, “We have been working with some vigilante groups that are recognised by the government, but we will not work with any vigilante that is not recognised by the government.”

    The Chairman of the NUJ, Nasarawa State Council, Salihu Alkali, congratulated the CP on his recent posting and pledged cooperation to ensure the success of the police command’s programs.

  • Senate Summons Service Chiefs Amidst Security Concerns; Economic Meeting Postponed

    Senate Summons Service Chiefs Amidst Security Concerns; Economic Meeting Postponed

    In response to the escalating security challenges gripping the nation, the Senate has called for a crucial meeting with the Service Chiefs, scheduled for tomorrow, Wednesday.

    This decision has prompted the postponement of another significant meeting – a session with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Yemi Cardoso, and the economic team, initially slated for Tuesday, February 6, 2024.

    Chairman of the Senate Committee on Banking, Insurance, and other Financial Institutions, Senator Tokumbo Abiru, clarified the rationale behind the rescheduling. He elucidated that the delay stemmed from the House of Representatives’ consultations with the CBN Governor concerning the country’s economic status. Senator Abiru emphasized the importance of understanding and cooperation among legislative counterparts, underscoring the need for patience.

    Consequently, the meeting with the economic team has been deferred to Friday, February 9, 2024, at 9 am. This adjustment aims to allow ample time for discussions with both the Service Chiefs and the economic experts.

    Postponing the meeting, the Chairman Banking Committee, Senator Tokumbo Abiru said “our plan today is to have a session with the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN and the essence of the meeting is well known to all of us, which has to do with the economic situation in the country. But some how, the CBN governor has been held back in the House of Representatives as the House tries to do consultations with him regarding the situation of the economy as well.

    He said that was why the meeting was initially delayed, adding that their part “we should be rational in trying to see reasons with our brothers and sisters in the House of Representatives and the CBN governor.

    “To that extent, on our part we have to adjourn our own to Friday February 9, 2024.

    Another reason according to Senator Abiru, which he deemed proper to explain, was the meeting of the Senate with the Service Chiefs.
    “Tomorrow, we have a session with the Service Chiefs and that may extend to Thursday because they are issues of very serious concern to us. In order to play safe, to have enough time to interact properly with the economic team, which means we will extend the invitation beyond the governor to also include the economic team”, he added.