Folarin Kehinde

A two-storey structure, which housed secondary school students, crumbled during school hours, around 11 am on Friday, while examinations were in progress.

A devastating building collapse has occurred at Saint Academy in Busa Buji, Jos North LGA, Plateau State, trapping numerous students beneath the rubble.

The two-storey structure, which housed secondary school students, crumbled during school hours, around 11 am on Friday, while examinations were in progress.

LeadingReporters learnt that panicked parents have flocked to the scene, overcome with grief.

Emergency responders, including soldiers and police, are currently conducting rescue efforts to extricate the trapped students.

President Bola Tinubu has ordered the immediate removal of the Managing Director of the Nigerian Security Printing and Minting Plc (NSPM), Ahmed Halilu, and four other executives of the company, LEADING REPORTERS can report today.

Mr Halilu, brother to former First Lady, Aisha Buhari, was appointed to the position in September 2022 by ex-President Muhammadu Buhari.

Also affected by the removal directive are the company’s Executive Director, Corporate Services, Ado Danjuma; Executive Director, Operations (Lagos Factory) Chris Orewa; Executive Director, Security Documents, Tunji Kazeem and Company Secretary, Victoria Irabor.

Mrs Irabor is married to a former Chief of Defence Staff, Lucky Irabor, a retired general.

The Defence Headquarters, under Mr Irabor, in 2023 shielded former Governor of the Central Bank, Godwin Emefiele, from arrest by the State Security Services by deploying troops to secure his home and workplace.

In the interim, Abubakar Minjibir, the organisation’s executive director of operations (Abuja factory), has been asked to remain in office to act as managing director. It is unclear why Mr Minjibir was sparred.

The spokesperson for the CBN, Sidi Hakama, did not answer or return calls when contacted for comments on the development at the security minting company. She also did not respond to a message sent to her on the matter.

However a top official of the central bank confirmed our findings, saying the affected officials were asked to leave with immediate effect.

This shakeup at the company comes months after Jim Obazee, the special investigator appointed by President Tinubu to probe CBN’s affairs under the Buhari administration, submitted his report to President Tinubu.

The report outlined NSPM’s role in the controversial currency redesign policy implemented by Mr Emefiele, which negatively impacted individuals and businesses in the country.

According to Mr Obazee’s report, in commencing the naira redesign policy, the former central bank governor invited the now removed managing director of NSPM to the CBN headquarters and directed him to redesign and reconfigure the old naira notes.

However, Mr Halilu informed Mr Emefiele that the task would be time-consuming due to the complexity of the new features, which included the positioning of the watermark, presence of QR codes, different numbering styles, and other advanced security elements.

He advised Mr Emefiele to reconsider revising the redesigns given the time constraints.

But Mr Emefiele was determined to overcome all obstacles to the policy. He therefore contracted De La Rue, a company based in the United Kingdom, to handle the redesign for a fee of GBP 205,000.

After De La Rue delivered on the task, the NSPM was then tasked with printing the redesigned currency. The company did not quite deliver, triggering an unprecedented shortage of currency in the country.

The NSPM Plc, also known as The MINT, was established 1963. It is the corporation responsible for printing and minting Nigeria’s currency notes and coins. It operates under the supervision of the CBN and is tasked with producing secure and high-quality currency to ensure financial stability in the country.

The company also produces security documents such as passports, stamps, and other vital records for both government and private entities.

NSPM Plc is known for its advanced security features and complex printing processes to prevent counterfeiting and ensure the integrity of Nigeria’s financial system.

A Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered that former Minister of Power, Saleh Mamman be remanded in Kuje prison in Abuja pending the consideration of his bail application.

Justice James Omotosho issued the order on Thursday, July 11, after Mamman was arraigned on a 12-count charge bordering on money laundering offences.

He pleaded not guilty to the charge brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), following which the prosecuting lawyer, Olumide Fusika (SAN) sought a date for the commencement of trial.

Lawyer to the defendant, Femi Ate (SAN) said he filed a bail application shortly before the court resumed sitting.

Although Fusika admitted being served with the bail application around 12:30 pm, Justice Omotosho noted that the application was not yet in the court’s file.

In reaction, Ate prayed to be allowed to return the next day to argue the bail application, which request Fusika did not oppose.

The judge then adjourned till Friday, July 12, for the hearing of the bail application and ordered that the defendant be remanded in Kuje correctional centre.

The defendant, who his lawyer said is ill, looked dejected while stepping off the dock, shortly after the judge’s pronouncement.

Details shortly…..

The supreme court has ruled that the federal government should henceforth pay allocations directly to local government councils from the federation account.

Delivering judgment in the suit on Thursday, a seven-member panel of justices held that state governments have continued to abuse their powers by retaining and using the funds meant for LGAs.

The apex court also ordered the federal government to withhold allocations of LGs governed by unelected officials appointed by the governor.

Emmanuel Agim, who read the lead judgment, said states are mandated to ensure that their local government councils are democratically elected, ⁠and that governors cannot use their powers to dissolve democratically elected local government councils.

“The amount standing to the credit of local government councils must be paid by the federation to the local government councils and not by any other person or body,” the judge said.

“The said amount must be paid to local government councils that are democratically elected.

“An order of injunction is hereby granted restraining the defendants from collecting funds belonging to the local government councils when no democratically elected local government councils are in place.

“An order that henceforth no state government should be paid monies standing to the credit of the local government councils.

“An order for immediate enforcement and compliance with these orders by the state governments and successive governments henceforth.”

The arraignment of Mr Saleh Mamman, former Minister of Power under ex-President Muhammadu Buhari, was, on Thursday, stalled after he collapsed outside the courtroom of the Federal High Court, Abuja.

Mamman, whose plea was fixed for Thursday morning, collapsed before the case was called.

NAN reports that the former minister’s counsel, Femi Ate, SAN, told Justice James Omotosho shortly when the matter was called for Mamman to take his plea.

Upon resumed hearing, the ex-minister walked into the courtroom and stepped into the dock with part of his clothes drenched.

Justice Omotosho then asked why Mamman was sweating or whether it was raining outside.

The former minister, who responded from the dock, said water was poured on him.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)’s lawyer, Adeyinka Olumide-Fusika, SAN, while addressing the court, said though the matter was fixed for Mamman’s arraignment, there was a development outside the courtroom.

Olumide-Fusika said he had a discussion with Ate outside the courtroom about Mamman’s ill-health.

“I was informed of an incident outside. I will want my learned senior advocate to tell the honourable court himself,” he said.

The Federal Government has unveiled a plan to crash food prices within the next 180 days.

The plan was unveiled by Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Sen Abubakar Kyari, on Wednesday.

According to Kyari, the government will suspend duties, tariffs, and taxes on food imports, including maize, rice, wheat, and cowpeas, for 150 days.

Additionally, 250,000 metric tons of wheat and maize will be imported and supplied to small-scale processors and millers nationwide.

The government will also engage stakeholders to set a Guaranteed Minimum Price (GMP) and purchase surplus food commodities to restock the National Strategic Food Reserve. Furthermore, the government will ramp up production for the 2024/2025 farming cycle, support smallholder farmers, and promote agricultural mechanization.

Other measures include strategic engagement with youth and women for greenhouse cultivation, collaboration with the Nigerian Military to cultivate arable lands, and promotion of fortified food commodities. A Ministry of Livestock Development has also been created to prioritize livestock development.

The Minister however said the success of these measures depends on cooperation from all relevant stakeholders.

He said, “The success of these measures hinges on the cooperation and collaboration of all relevant MDAs and stakeholders.

“As our nation confronts this critical food security challenge, I reiterate President Tinubu’s unwavering commitment to achieving food security and ensuring that no Nigerian goes to bed hungry.

“My team and I will work swiftly and diligently to actualize these crucial policies, ensuring food security for everyone in the immediate term while continuing our strategies for long-term interventions to address underlying causes and ensure sustainable and resilient food systems in Nigeria.”