Nelson Ugwuagbo

A recent attack by suspected bandits in Benue State resulted in the deaths of at least six individuals. The attacks occurred in two separate incidents within the Agatu Local Government Area.

According to reports, one person was killed in the Iwari community, while five others lost their lives in Olegagbane. A local resident, who wished to remain anonymous, revealed that the armed assailants targeted Iwari, resulting in one fatality and multiple injuries.

The same gunmen struck again on Friday, August 23, 2024, in Olegagbane, killing five people. The resident provided this information to Daily Trust.

Phillip Ebenyakwu, Chairman of Agatu LGA, confirmed the attacks, stating, “It’s true. Confirmed. These armed invaders kill, steal, loot, and then flee. Their motives remain unclear, but they continually return to attack and kill. The situation has become unbearable.”

Ebenyakwu also expressed concerns about managing displaced persons from the affected communities, revealing that over 2,000 individuals from seven to nine deserted villages are currently being managed. He noted that although the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) provided some relief materials, it was insufficient.

The state police command has yet to issue an official statement regarding the attacks.

A tragic incident occurred in Garin Mallam village, Guri local government area of Jigawa State, where a 40-year-old woman, Fatsuma Bagobiri, took her own life by setting herself ablaze.

According to reports from Guri, Fatsuma, who was suspected to be suffering from depression due to her broken marriage and economic challenges, poured petrol on her body and ignited the fire, resulting in severe burns that left her beyond recognition.

The Jigawa State Police Command confirmed the incident, with spokesperson DSP Lawal Shisu stating that the command received the distressing report on Thursday evening and promptly dispatched a team of officers to the scene.

The police officers verified the incident, took the charred body to the hospital, and later released it to the family for burial. A preliminary investigation revealed that Fatsuma had been experiencing depression for months following her divorce from her husband.

The Jigawa State Commissioner of Police, CP A.T. Abdullahi, responded to the incident by advising citizens to submit their affairs to Almighty Allah, pray for blessings, and seek guidance from their elders on complex matters.

Joint security forces have rescued the Twenty medical students who were kidnapped in Benue State last week Thursday.

Security sources revealed this on Friday.

The rescue operation was conducted by the Office of the National Security Adviser.

The rescue effort involved security agencies, including the police, DSS, and military personnel, along with support from the Benue State government.

The medical students were abducted last Thursday along the Otukpo/Otukpa/Enugu federal highway while travelling to Enugu State for the Federation of Catholic Medical and Dental Students’ annual convention.

Following their abduction, the IG team arrived in Benue State on Monday and was promptly deployed to Otukpo in search of the abducted students.

After four days of searching, the joint security forces were finally able to rescue the kidnapped students.

Hon. Mrs. Justice Kudirat Motonmori Olatokunbo KEKERE-EKUN CFR was born in London, the United Kingdom on 7th May 1958.

Her parents are both indigenes of Lagos State, Nigeria. She is the eldest of eleven siblings from both parents. Her father, Alhaji Senator Hassan Adisa Babatunde Fasinro, OFR, LL.D, was a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and fervent Muslim, a legal practitioner, an author, a very dedicated family man of noble lineage and one of the founding fathers of Lagos. He died at 99 years old in March 2019.

Her mother, Mrs. Winifred Layiwola Ogundimu (née Savage), is a devout Christian. She studied nursing in the UK, where she qualified as a Public Health Nurse before returning to Nigeria in December 1965. Upon her return to Nigeria, she built her career in the civil service of Lagos State and retired years later, at the age of 60.

KMO Kekere-Ekun attended private primary schools before proceeding in 1970 to Queen’s College, Lagos, the best Federal Government College for girls in the country at the time. She studied Law at the University of Lagos, Nigeria, from 1977 to 1980 and obtained her LL.B in 1980.

She subsequently attended the Nigerian Law School from 1980 to 1981 and was called to the Nigerian Bar on 10th July 1981. From 1981 to 1982, she was engaged in the compulsory NYSC at the Ministry of Justice, Benin City, Bendel State (now Edo State). Afterwards, she proceeded to the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) where she obtained a master’s degree in law in 1983.

After qualifying as a lawyer and obtaining a Master’s degree in law from LSE, she worked in private law practice for a few years. As a result of the toll of the demands of private practice on her domestic responsibilities, she decided to join the bench to be able to enjoy more predictable work hours. She applied and was appointed by the Lagos State Judiciary as a Senior Magistrate Grade II in December 1989. This marked the beginning of her career on the bench. She was subsequently appointed a Judge of the High Court of Lagos State on 19th July 1996.

On 22nd September 2004, she was elevated to the Court of Appeal. As a Justice of the Court of Appeal, she served in five different Divisions across the country. She was the pioneer Presiding Justice of the Makurdi Division of the Court of Appeal, and also served as the Presiding Justice of the Akure Division of the Court of Appeal before her elevation to the Supreme Court on 8th July 2013. She is the 5th woman to be promoted to the Apex Court after Aloma Mukhtar, Olufunlola Adekeye, Clara Bata Ogunbiyi and Mary Ukaego Peter-Odili.

-Justice Kekere-Ekun served as Chairman of the Robbery and Firearms Tribunal, Zone II, Ikeja, Lagos, from November 1996 till May 1999, when the Tribunals were abolished.

-She was one of 3 Judges of the Lagos State High Court first selected to try offences relating to financial crimes and money laundering under the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission Establishment Act, 2004 and the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.

In 2003, she served as a member of the Ethics Curriculum Planning Committee of the National Center for State Courts (NCSC), in collaboration with the Department for International Development (DFID) and UNODC. This committee produced the Code of Conduct for Judicial Employees.

-From February 2003-July 2004, she chaired the Public Complaints and Training Committee that was part of the UNODC pilot project on strengthening judicial integrity and capacity in Lagos State. This Committee investigated complaints against magistrates in the performance of their official duties.

-She served as a supervisory judge in charge of the Apapa Magisterial District in Lagos State from October 2002 till July 2004.

-She served as a member of the committee that drafted the High Court of Lagos State (Civil Procedure) Rules 2004 from April 2002 till December 2002.

-From December 2001 till December 2004, she served as a member of the Steering Committee of the Lagos State Multi-Door Court House, the first court-connected Alternative Dispute Resolution center in Africa.

-After her elevation to the Appeal Court, she served on the Information Technology Committee, which was to facilitate the computerization of the Court.

She is a recipient of many awards and belongs to several professional associations and groups, such as the:-
.National Association of Women Judges .International Association of Women Judges
.Body of Benchers
.Life Bencher W.E.F.
.Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies (Fellow)
.International Dispute Resolution Institute (Fellow)

She is also a member of the Ikoyi Club 1938 and married to Mr. Akin Kekere-Ekun, OFR (a former Managing Director of the now defunct Habib Bank Nigeria Plc) since December 1983. Their union is blessed with three children.

The Enugu State Police Command announced on Thursday that it had arrested 123 suspects between July and August 2024 in connection with various crimes.

The Commissioner of Police, Kanayo Uzuegbu, revealed during a press conference at the command’s headquarters that the arrests were made for crimes such as murder, armed robbery, kidnapping, rape, vandalism, theft, illegal possession of firearms and ammunition, and cultism.

Uzuegbu stated that numerous incriminating exhibits were seized during the operations across the state, and many of the suspects had been charged and remanded in custody at the Nigerian Correctional Custodial Centres.

The Commissioner commended the residents of the state for providing the command with information, but also appealed for continued support, emphasizing that timely and actionable information is crucial for providing better security for all in the state.

A breakdown of the arrests showed that 123 suspects were apprehended, and 19 victims of kidnapping and abduction were rescued during the period in question.

The crime summary report revealed a significant recovery of weapons and stolen items, including 15 AK-47 and assault rifles, 25 pump action guns, 35 other firearms, 710 live ammunition of different calibres, 187 live cartridges, 17 motor vehicles, 11 tricycles, and 8 motorcycles.

The United Kingdom has opened opportunities for Nigerians or individuals from Commonwealth nations to join the British army.

Nigerians living in Nigeria or anywhere in the world can now apply to join the British armed forces. The application window has been open from Monday 19th August 2024 and it will remain open for up to a week. However, applications received outside of this window will be rejected.

The job offers migration opportunities like moving to the United Kingdom with your Family. Also, after five years of service,Nigerians who were successfully recruited and their family members can become British citizens.

Applicants must apply for ‘available roles’ which are: Musician, Royal Electrical, Mechanical Engineering roles, Royal Engineers Technician and Tradesman roles, Paratrooper.

The link for the job application is: here

Nigeria’s state oil company, NNPC Limited, has released its 2023 full-year audited results, showing a profit after tax of N3.29 trillion.

This represents a significant increase from the N2.5 trillion profit reported in 2022, marking a 31.6% year-on-year growth and the largest corporate profit reported by any Nigerian company, according to Nairametrics records.

Total revenue generated for the year was N23.9 trillion or $26.4 billion using the exchange rate of N907/$1 which was the closing rate used for the year 2023.

Revenue from Nigeria amounted to N21.3 trillion , representing 89.1% of total revenue, indicating that the corporation earned the majority of its income domestically rather than from international operations.

Even more remarkable is the company’s total assets, which were reported at a staggering N246.8 trillion ($272 billion using N907/$1 or $154 billion using N1,600/$1 as of August 2024) surpassing Nigeria’s nominal gross domestic product (GDP).

On August 20, 2024, Akwa Ibom State Governor, Pastor Umo Eno, presided over a historic event at the Victor Attah International Airport, marking the arrival and dedication of Ibom Air’s second Airbus A220-300.

The occasion was celebrated with a grand reception ceremony, highlighting another significant achievement for Ibom Air, the state-owned airline.

Governor Eno expressed his deep gratitude to his predecessors, particularly Obong Victor Attah and Udom Emmanuel, for their visionary leadership in establishing the Victor Attah International Airport and Ibom Air.

He acknowledged their contributions to the state’s aviation sector, noting that the acquisition of a second Airbus A220-300 is a remarkable achievement worthy of celebration.

Governor Eno paid tribute to his predecessor, Udom Emmanuel, for his unwavering commitment to the vision that led to the establishment of Ibom Air, and for overcoming the challenges and criticisms that accompanied the project’s inception.

He extended his gratitude to Ibom Air for putting Akwa Ibom on the international aviation map and for its dedication to excellence, earning it the reputation as Nigeria’s most preferred airline.