Headlines

A Federal High Court in Abuja has granted bail of ₦100 million each, with two sureties, to former Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, his daughter, and two other defendants.

The quartet is facing trial over an alleged fraud amounting to ₦2.7 billion.

The bail conditions, as set by the court, stipulate that each surety must possess landed properties within Abuja and demonstrate their status as responsible citizens.

The sureties must also depose to an affidavit of means, according to the court.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission had arrested the former minister over an ongoing N8,069,176,864.00 money laundering probe.

Sirika was questioned over alleged fraudulent contracts awarded by him to a company known as Engirios Nigeria Limited, owned by his younger sibling, Abubakar Sirika.

Governor Siminalayi Fubara has barred all heads and officials of the 23 local government areas in the state from appearing before the Rivers Assembly, especially the Pro-Wike lawmakers.

The governor warned that any chairman who appeared before lawmakers loyal to the Minister of Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, led by Martin Amaewhule as speaker would be sacked.

Fubara had earlier declared that in the eyes of the Law, the State does not have state lawmakers as 27 Lawmakers had defected from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to the All Progressives Congress, APC, thereby losing their mandate as enshrined in the constitution.

Fubara’s directive is contained in an online circular signed by Ebirieneuket Nteile C, Director of Information and Communications for Chairman Local Government Service Commission, dated Tuesday, May 7, 2024.

The circular reads: “I am directed to inform you/ all officers of the 23 Local Government Councils in Rivers State, not to honour/appear before the Members of Assembly or any purported invitation by anybody or group of persons in any guise without the permission of the Acting Chairman- Local Government Service Commission.

“Any staff who disobeys or violates this instruction will be dismissed accordingly from service. Treat as very important, please,” the circular read

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) will on Thursday, May 9, arraign the former Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, his daughter, Fatimah, and two other suspects in court.

The suspects are facing charges over alleged N2.7 billion contract fraud uncovered in the Aviation Ministry under Sirika.

Sirika is billed to appear in court with his three co-defendants, his daughter, Fatima; one Jalal Hamma, and Al-Duraq Investment Ltd, on charges of abusing their positions to launder over N2.7 billion.

The embattled former minister would be arraigned for trial for the first time, before Justice Sylvanus Oriji of the Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday.

Details shortly…

The Federal Government of Nigeria has denied the allegation made by Binance that some officials of the Tinubu administration requested for $150 million bribe.

The allegation was made by Binance Chief Executive Officer Richard Teng in a blog post. made false allegations of bribery against

Rabiu Ibrahim, an aide to the minister of information, Mohammed Idris, in a statement sent to journalists today, said the claim by Binance CEO lacks any iota of substance.

His words: “It is nothing but a diversionary tactic and an attempted act of blackmail by a company desperate to obfuscate the grievous criminal charges it is facing in Nigeria.

“The facts of this matter remain that Binance is being investigated in Nigeria for allowing its platform to be used for money laundering, terrorism financing, and foreign exchange manipulation through illegal trading.

“While this lawful investigation was going on, an executive of Binance, who was in court-sanctioned protective custody, escaped from Nigeria, and he is now a fugitive from the law. Working with the security agencies in Nigeria, Interpol is currently executing an international arrest warrant on the said fugitive.

“The phantom bribe claim is part of an orchestrated international campaign by this company that is facing criminal prosecution in many countries including the United States, to undermine the Nigerian government.

The Department of Development Control, Abuja Metropolitan Management Council of the Federal Capital Terrritory Administration, FCTA, has demolished shanties illegally built on a road corridor in Wuse Zone 3.

The Coordinator of the Council, Mr Felix Obuah, told journalists after the exercise in Abuja on Wednesday that the move was part of efforts to clear all shanties in the city.

The shanties, referred to by the occupants as Unguwan Yan Lambu, were built over 27 years ago.

The shanties have been demolished several times but were rebuilt by the occupants.

Obuah said that the location was preserved for a road corridor, adding that the illegal occupation has became a security threat, apart from defacing the beauty of the city.

“Also disturbing is that criminals and miscreants have made this location a safe haven.

“So, we decided to come and clear all the shanties and remove the criminals that have taken over the road corridor to give Abuja its desired beauty.

“We can’t allow this again. Our aim is to beautify the city and make Abuja a city we will all be proud of,” he said.

He added that a taskforce would be set up to make sure that none of the illegal occupants rebuild any shanty in the area again.

Cryptocurrency platform, Binance, has accused some top government officials of demanding $150m in crypto to settle the criminal charge against the firm.

Recently, the Nigerian government cracked down on the cryptocurrency platform in a bid to strengthen the naira. Among other charges filed by the current administration against Binance were tax evasion, currency speculation, and money laundering to the tune of $35,400,000.

Binance Chief Executive Officer, Richard Teng, made the bribery allegation in a blog post published by the New York Times on Tuesday.

According to the NYT report, Tigran Gambaryan, a compliance officer with the exchange, claimed to have received an unsettling message on a trip to Nigeria in January.

“On a trip to Nigeria in January, Tigran Gambaryan, a compliance officer for the giant cryptocurrency exchange Binance, received an unsettling message: The company had 48 hours to make a payment of roughly $150 million in crypto,” the report said.

Gambaryan, a former United States law enforcement agent, said he understood the message as a request for a bribe from someone in President Bola Tinubu’s government.

“Mr. Gambaryan, a former U.S. law enforcement agent, understood the message as a request for a bribe from someone in the Nigerian government, according to five people familiar with the matter and messages reviewed by The New York Times. He and a group of his Binance colleagues had just met with Nigerian legislators, who accused the company of tax violations and threatened to arrest its employees.”

It was gathered that the incident allegedly took place before Gambaryan and a colleague, Nadeem Anjarwalla, were arrested and detained on the orders of the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu. Anjarwalla subsequently escaped and has been traced to Kenya.

Since April 8, Gambaryan has been transferred from a safe house to the Kuje Correctional Centre Abuja. Both Binance and Gambaryan are prosecuted by the Federal Government for tax evasion and money laundering.

In his response, the spokesman for the Office of the National Security Adviser, Zakari Mijinyawa, assured that the Federal Government will follow due process.

Mijinyawa, according to a text sent to New York Times said the government would make its case “on the strength of the facts and evidence, in accordance with due process.”

“We are confident that Nigeria has a good case. Binance equally will have every opportunity under the rule of law to make its case and see justice delivered,” Mijinyawa said.

President Bola Tinubu has returned to Abuja early Wednesday after spending two weeks outside the country.

President Tinubu was received by top government officials at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport.

Tinubu’s diplomatic journey commenced with an official visit to the Kingdom of the Netherlands on April 23, at the invitation of Prime Minister Mark Rutte.

During his time in the Netherlands, Tinubu held discussions with prominent Dutch officials, including separate meetings with King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima. Additionally, he participated in the Nigerian-Dutch Business and Investment Forum.

Following his engagements in the Netherlands, the President attended a special World Economic Forum meeting in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from April 28 to 29.

The forum, themed “Global Collaboration, Growth, and Energy for Development,” convened leaders from various sectors to discuss global development strategies.

However, after the conclusion of the summit on April 29th, the President’s whereabouts remained undisclosed, with the presidency providing no information while speculation arose regarding a potential private visit to Europe following his time in Saudi Arabia.

However, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, confirmed that Tinubu will return to the country on Wednesday.

“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, along with his aides, will return to Nigeria tomorrow from Europe,” Onanuga wrote.

It would be recalled that former Vice President and PDP candidate in the last presidential election, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, had accused Tinubu of globetrotting in search of foreign direct investments instead of solving the country’s numerous socio-economic challenges.

The Nigerian Senate has barred at least 10 television stations and over a dozen photojournalists from covering its plenary.

Leading reporters reports that the in-house security operatives, the National Assembly Sergeant-At-Arms, carried out the order on Tuesday in what they describe as a move to maintain order on the floor of the newly renovated Senate chamber.

It was gathered that a Sergeant-At-Arm operative who was stationed at the entrance of the Chamber told journalists that Senate President, Godswill Akpabio “instructed the security unit to restrict and prune down the number of media houses covering proceedings”.

A document which was signed by the Clerk of the Senate, Chinedu Akubueze pasted at the entrance to the hallowed chamber listed only seven media houses that would cover proceedings.

Those accredited include the Nigeria Television Authority, NTA, Channels, African Independent Television, AIT, Television Continental, TVC, Arise News, Newage and ADBN.

Meanwhile, the leadership of the Press Corps had, on Wednesday last week, met with the Clerk of the Senate to harmonise issues relating to covering its proceedings in the chamber.

Journalists who report to the National Assembly have now expressed shock at the action of the Senate, which proceeded to bar some TV stations from covering its plenary sessions while dialogue on the matter was still ongoing.

Bandits have abducted no fewer than 13 Abuja residents of Piko community at Bwari Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory.

Leading reporters gathered that the attack occurred during the early hours of Monday, May 6, 2024.

A resident of Shere, a neighbouring village, said one of the victims is a pastor in the village and an assistant head teacher with the Local Education Authority (LEA) in Shere community.

It was gathered that the bandits later called to demand over N900 million, among other demands as ransom for the release of the victims.

The residents said the bandits arrived the community some minutes after 12am and proceeded to a nearby herders’ helmet, from where they picked two herders and a pregnant woman.

“They later released the Fulani woman along with the head teacher, who is physically challenged, as well as one other person,” a resident said on the condition of anonymity.

The FCT police command spokesperson, Josephine Adeh, said she had not been briefed on the attack as at the time of writing this report.

THE Benue State Government is set to build a brewery to stop capital flights to other states after discovering that its residents consume beer worth N850 million monthly.

The Managing Director of Benue Investment and Property Company (BIPC), Raymond Asemakaha, unveiled this to journalists on Tuesday, May 7, in Makurdi, the state capital.

He said the brand’s name would be revealed during its launch in December.

Asemakaha led reporters on a tour of the planned water, bakery, and brewery plants in Makurdi and explained that the idea to establish a brewery was spurred by recent research indicating that a significant sum of money is spent on beer each month in the north-central state.

He stated that the company’s goal was to provide Nigerians and Benue residents with a premium beer produced locally in the state, which utilises local ingredients.

He declared that BIPC would stop at nothing to ensure that customers could drink a unique beer because it was not in competition with any other brewery.

He said that when he came on board, he discovered that the rate of alcohol consumption in the state was about N850 million per month.

Asemakaha said the company was out to give Benue and Nigerians a high-premium quality beer made in the state using local raw materials.

He said that BIPC was not in competition with any brewery company therefore, would do everything for the people to enjoy a beer with a difference.

He said, “Basically, when we came on board, we understand that the rate of alcohol consumption in the state is between N850 million per month.