Folarin Kehinde

Some operatives of Nigeria’s anti-graft agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), have besieged the residence of the immediate past governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, in Abuja.

Leading reporters gathered that house is located at Benghazi Street, in the Wuse Zone 4 area of Nigeria’s capital city, Abuja.

The EFCC operatives reportedly blocked the roads leading in and out of the street, causing vehicular traffic around the area.

This is happening days after the former governor held a meeting with President Bola Tinubu, at the State House.

“EFCC barricades Bello’ house in Abuja. No movement in the area as EFCC barricaded the house. They are yet to gain access,” a source said.

The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Ganduje, has been suspended by members of his ward, the Ganduje Ward in the Dawakin Tofa Local Government Area of Kano State.

The Executive Council of Ganduje Ward led by Haruna Gwanjo disclosed this during a press briefing in Kano on Monday.

Gwanjo said that the former governor has to clear his name of corruption allegations regarding his long-standing dollar case.

More to follow…

OFFICIALS of the Edo State State Network and members of the Public Works Volunteers, on Sunday, pulled down the security post in front of the residence of the former deputy governor, Philip Shaibu, in the Government Reservation Area, Benin.

Shaibu was impeached by the Edo State House of Assembly last Monday over the allegation of leaking official secrets and perjury.

This followed the consideration of the report of a seven-man panel set up by the Chief Judge of the state, Justice Daniel Okungbowa.

The Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, had also replaced the impeached deputy governor with Marvellous Omobayo.

Shaibu had since condemned his impeachment and had approached the court to quash the action, stating that he was only being persecuted for exercising his fundamental human rights by wanting to succeed his boss.

On Sunday, the saga took a new twist as the security post which shared the same fence with the golf course was pulled down.

The post served as a temporary shelter or first port of call for Shaibu’s security details before and after the close of work.

Reacting to the demolition, a senior member of one of the agencies which, carried out the exercise, who pleaded anonymity, said the security post was removed since the former deputy governor is now a private citizen and had lost such privilege.

The state Commissioner for Roads and Bridges, Eta Uzamere, whose ministry was fingered for the demolition, said the exercise had nothing to do with the ministry.

He said, “I have seen some online reports linking my ministry to the demolition of the former deputy governor’s security and I can tell you it had nothing to do with my ministry.”

An aide to Shaibu said, “As I am talking to you, they have destroyed Shaibu’s security outpost. The place was not built by the government, it was built by Shaibu himself. You can see how wicked the state government is.”

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has said many celebrities are facing investigations and will soon be prosecuted for naira abuse.

The commission said this in a statement on Sunday, days after securing the conviction of popular crossdresser, Bobrisky, jailed for the same crime on Friday.

Vowing that no one found culpable will be spared, the comission said it “will not relent in its no-sacred-cow mode of operations, and the public should be wary of running afoul of laws against the crime.”

The commission said this in a statement on Sunday, days after securing the conviction of popular crossdresser, Bobrisky, jailed for the same crime on Friday.

Vowing that no one found culpable will be spared, the comission said it “will not relent in its no-sacred-cow mode of operations, and the public should be wary of running afoul of laws against the crime.”

Since the arrest of Bobrisky, whose real name is Idris Okunneye, earler this month, many Nigerians on social media platforms have tagged the EFCC in various posts of video clips capturing apparently worse cases of naira abuse by other celebrities.

The EFCC acknowledged a surge in the sharing of old and new video clips of such naira abuse in the statement by its Head of Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale, on Sunday.

It said some celebrities, whose identities it did not disclose, had been invited for investigations and made useful statements.

“Increasingly, members of the public are drawing the attention of the Commission to video recording of abuse of the Naira by Nigerians from all walks of life,” the statement said.

It added, “These gestures amply demonstrate rising consciousness of the public to the sanctity of our national currency and the need for collaborative engagement to sustain the tempo.

“To this end, the Commission will always investigate and prosecute anyone involved in the abuse of the Naira. Old videos being exhumed and flying around for the attention of the Commission are noted as the Commission is sensitive to the fact that its Special Task Force against Naira Abuse and Dollarization of the economy commenced operations on February 7, 2024. However, going forward, new videos of such infractions will be investigated and prosecuted.

“At the moment, the Commission is investigating several celebrities involved in Naira abuse. Many of them have made useful statements to the Commission and many more have been invited by investigators working on the matter.”

Benue State Police Command has confirmed the attack on the family of Mr Terwase Orbunde, Chief of Staff to the immediate past Benue State governor, Samuel Ortom by armed men suspected to be herdsmen.

Orbunde and members of his family comprising the wife and house help were attack on his farm where his wife and the maid were whisked away to an unknown destination.

The State Police spokesperson Catherine Anene who disclosed this said, the Command got a report Friday evening from the Chief of Staff himself that he was attacked on his farm in the evening and his wife and house helped were abducted.

According to the PPRO, the complainant, Orbunde, was seen with a wound on the hand but she did not know whether the wound was obtained through a gunshot.

It was gathered that the attack took place close to the Genocide Cemetery along Mobile Barracks-Welfare Quarters Road in Makurdi, the state capital on Friday, April 12, 2024, at about 6 pm.

The family source who did not want his name in print explained that the former Chief of Staff escaped with a gunshot wound on his right arm while the attackers whisked away his wife Kashimana Orbunde, and her house help, Patience Ogute.

The victims had gone to inspect the weeding of the farm located close to the road at the time they were attacked.

In a telephone conversation, an eyewitness told our correspondent that unknown gunmen numbering about five suddenly appeared and attacked the victims as they walked back to their car after inspecting the farm and paying the workers.

“As the victims walked to their car, the gunmen opened fire and shot Orbunde on the right arm and ordered him, the wife and house help to follow them to an unknown destination,” a source said.

The shooting was said to have caused villagers and passersby to scamper for safety in different directions.

As the victims followed them, the former Chief of Staff was said to be bleeding profusely and unable to walk quickly.

The eyewitnesses who was watching from a distance said the leader of the group ordered him to walk away while the gunmen took the women to an unknown destination and a good Samaritans who arrived the scene conveyed Orbunde to the hospital.

Following the sentencing of celebrity transgender, Idris Okuneye, a.k.a Bobrisky, to six-month imprisonment by a Federal High Court in Lagos over Naira mutilation, the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) has said that the convict will be incarcerated in the male section of its custodial facility.

LEADING REPORTERS reports that Justice Abimbola Awogboro of the Lagos Division of the Federal High Court found Bobrisky guilty of Naira abuse, leading to his sentencing on Friday.

Bobrisky, who has openly discussed his gender transition on social media, identified himself as a male when questioned in court, influencing the decision to place him in a male-designated facility.

“Since he admitted to being a male in court, then we have to abide by what was submitted in court,” a spokesperson for the correctional service in Lagos said.

Despite concerns regarding his safety due to his gender preference, Correctional officers have assured that Bobrisky will be adequately protected from potential harm.

“He shouldn’t be afraid of sexual assault from other male inmates because our men can give him protection,” the spokesperson stated, addressing worries about his vulnerability.

Bobrisky’s social media activity, including a recent video on Instagram where he posed suggestively, continues to garner attention. He has shared his gender transition journey with his five million followers on Instagram, stating, “My journey transitioning into a woman has been going smooth, no health issues, everything is going smooth for me.”