Folarin Kehinde

The Senate is currently having a closed door meeting with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, and the Commissioner of Police, Benneth Igwe.

The Senate resolved, on Wednesday, to move the first order of the day to another legislative day to allow for a meeting with the duo in a Committee of the Whole in a closed-door session.

Deputy Senate Leader, Oyelola Ashiru, moved the motion which was seconded by the Minority Leader.

“The minister and the commissioner will brief us on the modalities of security in the FCT,” Ashiru said.

Recall that the Senate, on Wednesday, February 28, summoned Wike, and the Commissioner of Police over the murder of Chris Agidy, an aide to Senator Ned Nwoko, by some kidnappers.

Details shortly…

The Islamic police in Kano, popularly known as Hisbah, on Tuesday, arrested 11 Muslims for violating the Ramadan fast by eating during daylight hours.

Kano, with a majority Muslim population, operates under Sharia law alongside secular law.

The arrests were made during Hisbah’s annual Ramadan enforcement operations, including eateries and markets searches.

According to Hisbah spokesman Lawal Fagge, the arrests included ten men and one woman, who was caught eating from her groundnut-selling stall.

He said the arrests were made across the city, particularly near markets.

Fagge clarified that non-Muslims are exempt from such enforcement activities, but if found selling food during fasting hours to Muslims, they could be considered in violation.

“We got 11 persons on Tuesday, including a lady selling groundnuts who was seen eating from her wares, and some persons alerted us.

“The other 10 were men and were arrested across the city especially close to markets where a lot of activities happen.

“We don’t arrest non-Muslims because this doesn’t concern them, and the only time they could be guilty of a crime is when we find out they cook food to sell to Muslims that are supposed to be fasting,” Fagge told the BBC.

Barely 48-hours to its kickoff date, the Bola Tinubu-led government has postponed the launch of the Nigerian Students Loan Scheme indefinitely.

Akintunde Sawyer, the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), stated this in an interview with AriseTV on Tuesday.

The loan which was formally slated to take off on Thursday, has been postponed again, as there are some corrections that are being made around the launch according to Sawyer.

“Unfortunately, I won’t be able to commit to a specific date. We are sort of waiting to ensure that all the stakeholders are aligned to make sure that nobody is blindsided, then we can actually roll this out in a meaningful, comprehensive, wholesome and sustainable way.”

In June 2023, President Tinubu signed a bill to start a Students Loan Fund (SLF) that would give interest-free loans to Nigerians for higher education.

A former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, proposed the bill and it was supposed to start between September and October 2023.

Meanwhile, Tinubu said the programme would begin in January 2024, after missing the October deadline.

In January, Yusuf Sununu, Minister of State for Education, confirmed at the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting, while speaking to reporters, that preparations were completed for the scheme to begin, including the finalisation of the Student Loan Scheme website and the conclusion of technical plans to facilitate the scheme’s kick-off.

President Tinubu assured the leaders of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) when they visited him at the State House that the scheme would begin once its expansion to accommodate extra features, including vocational studies, was done.

President Bola Tinubu has appointed Dayo Mobereola as the director-general of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA).

In a statement by Ajuri Ngelale, special adviser to the president on media and publicity, the appointment followed the exit of Bashir Jamoh, whose tenure recently expired.

Jamoh had handed over to Chudi Offodile, the executive director, finance and administration, on March 11, after his tenure ended on March 10.

Ngelale said: “Dr. Mobereola holds a Ph.D, and an M.Sc in Transport Economics from the University of Wales, United Kingdom. He is a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Transport, England, and a fellow of the same institute in Nigeria.”

“He was the Managing Director of Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA) from 2003 to 2015 and was also the Commissioner for Transportation in Lagos State from 2015 to 2016.

“In the private sector, he was Deputy Managing Director and Project Development Director at AFM Consulting Plc, London. He was also Senior Economist at British Petroleum Shipping Limited, London.”

The special adviser said Tinubu expects Mobereola to bring his vast experience to bear in his new role under the leadership of Adegboyega Oyetola, minister of marine and blue economy.

“The President expects the new Director-General to bring his vast experience to bear in his new role and to achieve the mandate of NIMASA in providing world-leading standards of maritime safety administration, maritime labour regulation, marine pollution prevention and control, search and rescue, cabotage enforcement, shipping development and ship registration, in accordance with the policies and programmes of the Renewed Hope Agenda for the sector as ably guided by the Honourable Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, H.E. Adegboyega Oyetola,” Ngelale said.

Mobereola appointment is renewable after four years.

In his handover speech, Jamoh said the next leadership of the agency should consolidate the gains of the past four years.

The Senator representing Bauchi Central, Abdul Ningi, has resigned as the chairman of the Northern Senators Forum.

Although the resignation letter was dated March 11, a copy was made public shortly after Ningi was suspended for three months by the Senate over his statement on the alleged padding of the 2024 budget.

Ningi, in a letter sent to the forum, wrote, “I will like to resign my position as the Chairman of the Northern Senators forum.

“This is of course necessitated by unfolding events in the National Assembly, the North and the nation at large.

“I will like to especially thank members of the forum for the opportunity given to me for the last eight months to spearhead this very important forum. I believe this forum is very important and fundamental to the progress and development of Northern Nigeria,”

Ningi was suspended after about three hours of debate over his interview where he alleged that the National Assembly padded the 2024 N28.7tn budget.

The Senate also warned Senator Suleiman Kawu (NNPP, Kano South) against sharing and distributing disturbing news about the Senate.

No fewer than 61 people have been abducted by suspected terrorists who attacked the Buda community in Kajuru Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

The state and police authorities are yet to confirm the attack, but a resident of the area told Punch on Tuesday that the bandits invaded the village on Monday night at about 11:45 pm, where they kidnapped 61 people.

According to a resident, Dauda Kajuru, the kidnappers stormed the community in large numbers and started shooting indiscriminately.

His words: “What happened yesterday was terrifying. The bandits came intending to abduct scores of people that’ll outnumber that of school pupils in Kuriga Village of Chikun Local Government Area, but the swift response of soldiers who werw not more than 2k. away from Kajuru curtailed the number.

“My siblings were part of those abducted yesterday and based on the information available as of this morning, the bandits with their victims are yet to get to their destination.”

He lamented that since the removal of an Army Commander popular known as (Tega), banditry activities have resumed in full force around the Kajuru Local Government Villages.

” I’ll tell you in confidence that when Commander Tega was around, their activities stopped, and one could go for occasions without any fear of being kidnapped because he knows their terrain and the mode of their operations.

“It is unfortunate Commander Tega was removed from Kajuru Local Government when we’re experiencing the return of peace in our villages,” he added.

Another resident, Lawal Abdullahi, who escaped the incident but his wife was among the victims, also confirmed 61 people were abducted.

He said men, women, and children, including a nursing mother of two weeks, were among the victims.

There is ongoing pandemonium at the popular wuse market, Abuja. Leading Reporters can authoritatively confirm.

Our correspondent who is currently at the market could see traders running for safety.

Meanwhile, the cause of the fire still remain unknown as at press time

Watch video below

There is ongoing pandemonium at the popular wuse market, Abuja. Leading Reporters can authoritatively confirm.

Our correspondent who is currently at the market could see traders running for safety.

Meanwhile, the cause of the fire still remain unknown as at press time

Details soon……….

The Nigerian Senate has suspended Senator Abdul Ningi for 3 months following allegations of Budget Padding he leveled against the Presidency.

Ningi made headlines last week after he accused the President of passing the 2024 National Budget by N3.7 Trillion.

Details later