Nelson Ugwuagbo

A Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday ordered the remand of a former Minister of Power and Steel, Olu Agunloye, in Kuje Correctional Service.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission arraigned Agunloye over allegations of fraud in the Mambilla Power Project.

Agunloye was brought before the Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday, where he pleaded not guilty to the charges read against him.

The judge, however, ordered that the embattled former minister be remanded in pending when bail would be granted.

The Deputy Governor of Edo State, Philip Shaibu, has expressed his sense of betrayal by his principal, Godwin Obaseki, for not backing his candidature in the upcoming 2024 governorship election.

Shaibu, who claims he was persuaded to be the deputy governor to Obaseki, said he added value to Obaseki’s government in terms of political structure and his finances.

Speaking during an interview on Arise TV on Wednesday morning, Shaibu said he was hurt that Obaseki is supporting an outsider instead of him.

No fewer than 11 persons, including five children, have been drowned when a fishing boat they were travelling in capsized along the Andoni-Bonny waterways in Andoni local government area of Rivers State on Tuesday.

LeadingReporters gathered that the incident occurred when the boat, which was carrying 25 passengers, was hit by a heavy wave, forcing it to break into two parts.

A source told our Correspondent that there was no rescue team as at the time of the accident, to assist the passengers swim to safety, adding that by the time rescue came, 11 passengers had already drowned while 14 others were rescued.

He stated that already, three corpses had been recovered while efforts were on to recover the remaining eight corpses.

Confirming the ugly development, the chairman of Andoni local government area council, Hon. Erastus Awortu, said most of the victims of the boat mishap were from Ngo Town, Ataba, Isiama and other communities in the LGA.

Awortu, in a statement made available to journalists in Port Harcourt, said the situation was being monitored to offer further support especially to give the survivors necessary medical attention and recover the remains of the dead from the sea.

He promised to do whatever it takes within his powers to reduce the burden of grief of the bereaved families and the affected communities.

Justice Olukayode Adeniyi of the FCT High Court on Monday awarded N100 million in damages to the suspended former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, against the Federal Government and Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, for violations of his rights.

The embattled Emefiele had dragged the Federal Government, Attorney-General of the Federation, AGF, and EFCC to enforce his fundamental rights to life, personal liberty, fair hearing, and freedom of movement.

Emefiele sought a declaration from the court that his continued detention by the agency of the first and second respondents since June 10, 2023, and subsequent transfer to the custody of the third and fourth respondents on October 26, 2023, without being arraigned in court is unlawful.

He said the respondent, in defiance of several valid subsisting court orders for his release, amounts to a grave violation of his fundamental rights to life and personal liberty, as guaranteed by the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria (as amended) and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.

He, therefore, among others, sought an injunction restraining the respondents from further arresting and/or further detaining him on his release by the court without presenting a criminal charge against him.

He also sought damages in the amount of N1 billion in his favour for the violation of his fundamental rights.

The Prime Minister of the Biafra Republic Government in Exile, Simon Ekpa, has announced the date for the Restoration of the Independence State of Biafra.

The Finland-based lawyer and separatist Ekpa disclosed in a statement on Monday that the Biafra Declaration convention would kick off in October/November 2024 in Finland.

According to him, BRGIE inaugurated committees on Sunday towards a successful declaration of the Restoration of the Independence State of Biafra in October/November.

“The Biafra Government had its first cabinet meeting of the year 2024 yesterday (Sunday), a committee for the Convention was formed yesterday(Sunday), and the Declaration of the Restoration of the Independence State of Biafra will happen in Oct/Nov 2023, it is official!

“All roads lead to Finland. Start your preparation for the second Convention and be part of the history.

“The registration and accreditation link will open soon,” he said.

Earlier, BRGIE had announced recruitment for Biafra Liberation.

In October last year, the Biafra Republic Government in Exile unveiled plans to host Igbos worldwide in a three-day extraordinary conference in Finland to achieve the Biafra referendum.