The Abuja chapter of Association of Bureau De Change (BDC) Operators has announced the closure of their business premises indefinitely from Thursday, February 1, 2024.
The chairman of the Association, Abdulahi Dauran, said the scarcity of US Dollars was responsible for their decision while adding that online banking transactions and cryptocurrency were behind of the scarcity of dollars.
Details Later…
The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has issued a warrant of arrest for Edison Ehie, the chief of staff to Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
Justice Emeka Nwite, who issued the arrest warrant, noted the Ehie and five others were allegedly involved in the burning of the State House of Assembly last year.
Ehie, who is the immediate past Speaker of Rivers State House of Assembly, was ordered to be arrested along with five other persons based in Port Harcourt for allegedly participating in some criminal activities.
Those ordered to be arrested along with the former Speaker are Jinjiri Bala, Happy Benedict, Progress Joseph, Adokiye Oyagiri and Chibuike Peter also known as Rambo.
Justice Nwite granted an order on Wednesday for their arrest while delivering ruling in an ex-parte application brought before him by the Inspector General of Police IGP.
The ex-parte application was predicated on sections 37, 113, 114, 84 and 184 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015 and section 35 of the 1999 Constitution as well as 32 of the Police Act 2020.
In the ex-parte application argued by a Deputy Commissioner of Police, Simon Lough, the six defendants were said to be at large.
The DCP who is also a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, submitted that the defendants are involved in conspiracy, arson, terrorism, attempted murder and murder of a Superintendent of Police SP Bako Agbashim and five other police informants.
The five police informants they are alleged to have killed are Charles Osu, Ogbonna Eja, Idaowuka Felix, Paul Victor Chibuogu and Saturday Edi.
Justice Nwite granted the request of the IGP to declare the defendants wanted and upon their arrest and investigation, bring them before the court for trial.
The IGP had two weeks ago put five Port Harcourt-based person’s on trial on terrorism charges and were remanded at Kuje Prison upon their arraignment.
They were ordered to remain in prison custody till February 2 when their respective bail applications would be determined by another Judge, Justice Mobolaji Olajuwon.
The five defendants are Chime Eguma Ezebalike, Prince Lukman Oladele, Kenneth Goodluck Kpasa, Osiga Donald and Ochueja Thankgod.
In the 7-count charges, the defendants were accused of committing alleged terrorism offences by invading, vandalizing and burning down Rivers State House of Assembly during the wake of political crisis that rocked Port Harcourt in October last year.
Justice Olajuwon ordered their remand at the Kuje Prison.
Meanwhile, the Port Harcourt Division of the Rivers State High Court has granted an ex-parte order restraining the Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies from arresting, detaining, and or harassing Ehie.
The pastor of Household of David, Sola Osunmakinde, has revealed how the fire incident that gutted the church started, saying he watched with agony as everything was burnt before his eyes.
The Nation reported that a fire broke out at the church located in the Ikeja local government area of Lagos state earlier on Wednesday, January 31.
The incident was confirmed by the spokesperson for the Lagos State Fire Service, Amodu Shakiri, attributing it to the overheating of the church’s auditorium roof.
Osunmakinde said the fire service was put off but “painfully, we watched till everything got burnt completely. Everything.”
He said: “I came here this (Wednesday) morning and everything was going on well, we were setting up,” he narrated. “All of a sudden, we started hearing something up there and there was fire.”
“Nobody anticipated this. The most important thing is that no life was lost,” he said in a video with a background of burnt carcasses of what is now left of the fancy auditorium with colourful lighting and thousands of steel chairs.
“It’s a painful experience, no doubt but all things work together for good.”
The Mercy Conference was scheduled to take place on January 31, 2024, and numerous Pentecostal preachers, including Yemi Davids, Godman Akinlabi, Pastor Isaac Oyedepo, and Apostle Joshua Selman, were scheduled to minister during the gathering. Notable minstrels including Moses Bliss, Victoria Orenze, Dunsin Oyekan, and Nathaniel Bassey are also scheduled to minister throughout the convention.
Osunmakinde added: “We believe God and we are still going to go ahead with the conference.”
Amid rising insecurity across the country, the Police Service Commission, PSC, has approved the appointment and posting of new Commissioners of Police, CPs, in the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Ekiti, Benue and two other states.
Ikechukwu Ani, the Head of Press and Public Relations in the Commission, disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday.
According to the statement, CP Beneth Igwe is the new Commissioner of Police for the FCT.
He was once DCP Operations in the FCT Command.
Other newly appointed CPs are Peter Ukachi Opara, Osun State; Olughemiga Emmanuel Adesina, Benue State; Akinwale Kunle Adeniran, Ekiti State, and Mohammed Umar Abba, Adamawa State.
Others are Abaniwonda Surajudeen Olufemi, Delta State; Ademola Waheed Ayilara, Akwa Ibom State; David Iloyanomon, Taraba State; Abayomi Oladipo Peter, Ondo State and Hassan Abdu Yabnet, Plateau State.
The PSC Chairman, Dr Solomon Arase, warned the new CPs that the Commission will not accept any excuse for failure to provide effective and efficient leadership.
Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, secretly held a meeting with Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the FCT, in Abuja to seek support for Asue Ighodalo’s governorship bid.
According to The Cable, the meeting, took place at Wells Carlton Hotel in Abuja, and also had the presence of Ahmadu Fintiri, the Governor of Adamawa State.
Ighodalo is vying for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship ticket in Edo State in the primary election scheduled for February 22, 2024.
The primary election is expected to be keenly contested, with strong opposition from Omoregie Ogbeide-Ihama, a former member of the House of Representatives and the preferred candidate of Dan Orbih, a key ally of Wike in Edo State.
Another contender is Philip Shaibu, the current deputy governor of Edo State.
Governor Obaseki, in a bid to create a united front, sought reconciliation with Wike and offered a deal wherein Ighodalo would consider picking Ogbeide-Ihama as his running mate.
However, sources indicate that Wike made it clear that he would not engage with Obaseki due to past grievances and trust issues.
During the meeting, Wike emphasized the need for a level-playing field to ensure a fair primary election where the most acceptable candidate could emerge victorious.
Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, has revealed that the agency has uncovered a religious sect in Nigeria allegedly laundering money for terrorists.
This was even as he revealed that another religious body was found to be protecting a money launderer after some funds suspected to have been laundered was traced to the organisation’s bank account.
The EFCC boss made the revelation on Wednesday at the Musa Yar’Adua Centre, Abuja, during a one-day dialogue on “Youth, Religion, and the Fight against Corruption.”
He noted that religious organisations, institutions, sects, and bodies, have been found culpable of money laundering.
Olukoyede said, “A religious sect in this country had been found to be laundering money for terrorists.”
“We were able to trace some laundered money to a religious organisation, and when we approached the religious organisation about it and we were carrying out our investigation, we got a restraining order stopping us from carrying out our investigation,” he said.
……. Demands N30 million
Gunmen suspected to be bandits have kidnapped two teenage sisters in Guita community, Chikakore, Kubwa, Bwari Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.
The incident occurred despite the presence of military personnel and police in the area, with the gunmen taking advantage of the challenging security situation.
This abduction took place just eight days after residents of Chikakore protested to the office of the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, expressing their concerns about the deteriorating state of the major road leading to their community, which they believed contributed to the frequent cases of kidnapping.
According to sources, the gunmen, numbering six, forcibly entered a residence and abducted three children—two girls aged 16 and 14, and one boy. The attackers later released the boy with a message for the children’s father, demanding a ransom of N30 million.
The police, upon receiving the report, initiated investigations, but the gunmen had already escaped into the forests and hills in the area.
A police source in the area, who confirmed their kidnap to SaharaReporters on Wednesday, said: “The gunmen have changed their approach, when they came; they didn’t shoot like before, but forced themselves inside.
“While they were forcing themselves inside, the owner of the house (a Calabar man) ran to the vigilante’s office, then, he ran to the commander’s house before the commander could call another person, and rush to his house, the gunmen were already gone.
“It was when they were going, they started shooting, unlike before that they would shoot before the operation and till the end.
“They took three of his children, two girls, and one boy, but they went away with two and sent back one (the boy) from the bush that he should go and tell their father to prepare 30 million naira for their ransom.
“When they were taken, the two girls (16 and 14 years) one of the girls was wearing nightgown, the mother tried to plead with the gunmen to let her wear something for the cold, but instead they beat up the mother. She had no option than to just let the girls go the way they were under the cold.
“Before the police came to the scene, they were already gone. Some of the vigilante later traced them to the railway line, to the rocks but there was no trace anymore.
“The man that his daughters were kidnapped is a front liner security payment and he has made some several donations to the community.”
Organised Labour in Nigeria has proposed a living wage of $300 for all workers, arguing that the current minimum wage of N30,000 has been rendered inadequate by inflation and the high cost of living.
The proposal, presented at a recent meeting of the National Public Service Negotiating Council, comes amid ongoing negotiations for a new national minimum wage. Union representatives argued that the current wage is no longer sufficient to meet basic needs, with the high exchange rate and fuel subsidy removal significantly impacting purchasing power.
Chairman, Trade Union Side, Joint Meeting of the National Public Service Negotiating Council (JNPSNC), Comrade Benjamin Anthony, presented the position of organised labour on Tuesday at the 2023 meetings of the Separate and Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council held at Goshen City, Nasarawa state.
He said: “As earlier stated, the time to review our Minimum Wage has come, in doing this; we must all agree that the current Minimum Wage of N30,000 has since been eroded by the high exchange rate coupled with the abrupt removal of fuel subsidy which has translated into high cost of living in the Country.
“There is no gainsaying that the cost of a bag of rice is far more than the so-called Minimum Wage, and to worsen the situation, the Government is not prompt in the payment of the collectively and freely agreed N35,000 Wage award.
“In light of the above, Labour has proposed a Living Wage of $300 for Nigerian Workers. This is due to the fall in the value of our currency, today if you carry N100,000 to the market you will come back with a leather bag of items.
“We call on Government to immediately pay the arrears of the N35,000 wage award along with the current and expedited action on the process of getting a new living wage to bring succour to the working class people,” he added.
Currently, with the official exchange rate of N1,482, the new minimum wage would amount to N444,600 per month for the lowest-paid worker in Nigeria, based on yesterday’s exchange rate of the naira against the dollar on Tuesday, January 30, 2024.
Anthony, who was represented by the Secretary of the union, Comrade Boma Mohammed, expressed concern over the non-remittance of third-party deductions, such as cooperative and union dues, causing operational challenges for these organisations. This situation, he said, has led to difficulties in paying staff salaries, pensions, and insurance schemes. He urged the government to promptly release and disburse these funds to alleviate the hardships faced by affected workers.
Dr. Folasade Yemi-Esan, the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, in response, said there is need for dialogue between organized labor and the government to foster peace and stability, ultimately enhancing productivity in implementing government policies. She commended the positive outcomes of previous engagements and highlighted the theme of the current council meetings, focusing on “Digitalization as an effective and efficient tool for service delivery in the Public Service” to improve performance in the workplace.
Ekiti State Police Command has confirmed the arrest of five suspected kidnappers, 24 hours after the killing of two traditional rulers in the state.
However, the police public relations office stated that it could not confirm whether the kidnappers were connected to the killing of the traditional rulers until investigations were concluded.
The police spokesman, DSP Sunday Abutu, said the suspects were arrested in a forest.
“In a bid to flush out criminal elements, especially kidnappers out of the state, a combined team of the Police, NSCDC, Amotekun, OPC and local hunters embarked on a bush combing operation through Oke-Osun, Ikere/Igbo-Okah, to the thick forest around Iju/Ikere boundary.
“During the Operation, five suspected kidnappers – Usman Jelili, Mohammed Bande, Abubakar Aliu, Isah Abdulahi and Suleiman Abdulahi, were arrested.
“During interrogation, the suspects claimed to be herdsmen but it was later discovered that none of them had cattle and no cattle was found with them in the forest where they were arrested.
“The following items were found with them in the forest – two motorcycles, one cutlass, one jack knife/ dagger and four mobile phones
Kidnappers of five pupils of Apostolic Faith Group of Schools, Emure Ekiti, and four staff members have demanded N100m ransom for the release of the nine victims who were taken away on Monday.
The principal of the secondary section of the Ekiti school, Boje Olanireti, confirmed the ransom demand in an interview on Tuesday.
The abduction epidemic has continued to defy the efforts of the security agencies as cases of kidnappings were being recorded in various parts of the country daily.
On Monday, gunmen killed two Ekiti monarchs-the Onimojo of Imojo, Oba Olatunde Olusola, and the Elesun of Esun Ekiti, Oba Babatunde Ogunsakin, while the Alara of Ara Ekiti, Oba Adebayo Fatoba, narrowly escaped.
The traditional rulers were returning from a function in Kogi State when their vehicles ran into the suspected kidnappers who were operating on the highway between Ipao and Oke Ako in the Ikole Local Government Area of Ekiti State.
The abduction of the schoolchildren and four staff members occurred when the school bus conveying 25 pupils home after school hours was waylaid by the gunmen in the Emure community in Ekiti State.
Shedding light on how the incident occurred, Olanireti explained that the abduction occurred about a five-minute drive from the school.
She said, “Immediately the school closed at 3pm, and by the time we gathered all the children, it was already 3:30pm. It was that time that they moved. So, the incident happened between 3:30pm and 4pm. The school is in a suburb of Emure village, so they were going back home in Eporo. The incident occurred just about a five-minute drive from the school to Eporo.
“When the gunmen attacked, the people around heard the gunshots and they came to Emure with motorcycles to inform the people in the school about what happened. We immediately reported to the police station at Emure.
“The students were over 25 on the bus when the incident happened. When the gunmen attacked them, they shot the tyre of the vehicle and asked the children to come out of the bus. They asked all of them to lie down. They picked five students and four staff members. They, after that, asked others to go.”
Olanireti added, “The five students comprise two from the secondary (school) and three from primary school while the four staff comprise two teachers, one driver and one bus assistant.
“When the parents heard about the incident, they came from Eporo and they have been making frantic efforts by reaching out to some security outfits, including the police and Amotekun.’’
“The security operatives have also been talking to the proprietor of the primary school and he has been giving them information. By the time they opened communication, they first called the husband of one of the teachers and demanded N10m for each kidnapped victim. But when they later called the headmaster, they demanded N100m for all of them.” the principal said.
A family source at Eporo Ekiti, who preferred anonymity, confirmed on Tuesday that the kidnappers had contacted the family of one of the children demanding N100m on the victims.
LeadingReporters gathered, that “They called the family of one of the school children and they are requesting N10m per victim. What we gathered is that there are nine persons kidnapped – five schoolchildren, two teachers, one bus assistant, and a driver.
“The parents are at Eporo. The bus was taking them home after closing. It was in the process that the kidnappers struck. None of the families of the abductees can afford the ransom.’’
Meanwhile, the Aremo of Emure Kingdom, Chief Clement Akinola, has appealed to the state government to assist in the release of their children.
Akinola, who in the company of the Emure Local Government Chairman and state government officials visited the families of the kidnapped persons at Eporo Ekiti, said, “One can imagine the condition the children will be in, one can imagine the state of mind of the parents, the entire Emure community and the Eporo people. There is tension, very high tension.’’
The chief called for the establishment of military posts on the many borders between the Emure community and Ondo State to tame kidnappings and the activities of gunmen in the area.
He said, “Emure is a border town, we have a boundary with Ondo State at Owo through Eporo, we have a boundary with Ondo State through Supare Akoko, and we have some farm roads pliable by motorbikes to Ondo State at Uso.
“My appeal is that there should be military checkpoints between Emure and Owo and Eporo and as well around Supare. These will reduce the violent crimes in the areas.
The Chairman of the Joint Security Committee of Ise, Emure and Ikere, Tunji Falana, who corroborated Akinola, said, “The boundaries are too porous. We have been appealing to the government to establish police posts and army checkpoints at the borders.
“This is not the first time kidnappers would kidnap there. The place is porous. But in this kidnap case, the Kabiyesi, the Elemure of Emure Ekiti, Oba Emmanuel Adebayo, a former commissioner of police, is working round the clock to ensure the release of the abductees.
Falana advised that in the meantime, “Bush combing should be at regular intervals, not more than two weeks interval. When the kidnappers realize the forests are free, they return especially during dry seasons like this when there is North-South migration.
“They destroy our farms at Ise Ekiti and Emure Ekiti here and nobody can control them. We commend the police because they are making arrests and taking them for prosecution.”
Meanwhile, the police in Ekiti State said on Tuesday that they had arrested five suspected kidnappers just as the command launched a manhunt for the kidnappers in collaboration with the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Amotekun, Odua Peoples Congress, and hunters.
The Police Public Relations Officer, Sunday Abutu, disclosed in a statement that the suspects were arrested during a joint operation with other security agencies.
He said, “The suspects were arrested by a combined team of policemen, civil defence corps, Amotekun Corps Odua Peoples Congress, and local hunters on Tuesday during a bush combing operation through Oke-Osun, Ikere/Igbo-Okah to the thick forest around Iju/Ikere boundary.
“During the operation, five suspected kidnappers namely- Usman Jelili, Mohammed Bande, Abubakar Aliu, Isah Abdulahi, and Suleman Abdulahi were arrested.’’
“During interrogation, the suspects claimed to be herdsmen, but it was later discovered that none of them had cattle and no cattle was found with them in the forest where they were arrested.
“The following items were found with them in the forest – two motorcycles, one cutlass, one jack knife/dagger, and four phones,” the PPRO stated.
In response to the killing of two monarchs by suspected kidnappers on Monday, Ekiti State communities wore sober looks on Tuesday when the Ekiti State Governor, Mr Biodun Oyebanji, paid condolence visits to the palaces of the two communities and the people of the two towns.
The indigenes of the two communities, who spoke on the deaths of their monarchs, described the incident as a great loss to the two communities.
At the palace of Elesun, they cut the trees to signify the passage of the monarch while red flags were flown on masts as people sat in groups singing dirges over the Elesun’s transition.
Oyebanji, who said Ekiti State had been very peaceful, lamented the attack and unexpected killings, which he described as “unfortunate and an affront to the peaceful nature of the state”.
The governor, who spoke at the Palace of the Elesun and a small hall at Imojo where the building of the palace was ongoing, said that the incident was a sacrilege to the traditional institution in the state.
He said it was a good development that President Bola Tinubu, who was on the phone with him for about an hour on Monday to commiserate with the Ekiti people had given directives to security agencies to fish out the perpetrators of the dastardly act and bring them to book.
Oyebanji said, “I have absolute confidence in the security agencies to fish out the people involved in this crime against the traditional institution in Ekiti. The government will continue to step up efforts at the security of the people because that is why we are here in government.
“My message to all the criminals is that Ekiti State is going to be too hot for them, we are going to get hot at them, and for those that are involved in this act, this sacrilege, they will be fished out.”
