Headlines

The Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Kaduna has sacked Governor Uba Sani of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

According to report, tribunal, on Thursday, declared the 2023 governorship election in the state inconclusive

The verdict was announced via Zoom after the judges shunned the physical hall.

The petition was filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate, Isah Mohammed Ashiru.

In a split decision with a 2:1 ratio, the tribunal instructed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct a supplementary election within 90 days in 7 wards across 4 Local Government Areas.

More to follow…

The Federal Government has declared Monday October 2 as a public holiday in commemoration of the 63rd independence celebration.

The Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, made the declaration in Abuja on behalf of the government.

He congratulated all Nigerians at home and in the Diaspora on the occasion.

He assured Nigerians of government’s continued commitment to tackling challenges facing the country.

“It is today a known fact that difficult Socio-Economic and Security challenges are global, and Nigeria is not isolated,”the Minister said in a statement signed by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry Dr Oluwatoyin Akinlade.

The Minister said that government is making efforts to confront the numerous challenges with all the might available until respite comes the way of the country.

Tunji-Ojo reiterated that the eminent position of Nigeria in the comity of Nations and the greatness ahead of the country is achievable if we all work together in unity.

He said the nation’s warm welcoming spirit and love as well as its unbounded human capital and the richness of the land makes Nigeria unarguably the leading black Nation in the World.

The Minister maintained Nigeria would remain Africa’s pride and beacon of hope for the Renewed Hope of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

A National Diploma student of the Nasarawa State-owned Isa Mustapha Agwai Polytechnic, Lafia, Taye Ajoke, who was abducted on Monday, has regained her freedom.

The victim was released after a ransom of N300,000 was paid to her abductors.

Ajoke was abducted after heavily armed men while shooting sporadically attacked her residence, Ombi 1, which is two kilometres away from the Polytechnic, and took her to an unknown destination.

The incident also left two other students and a prospective student of the institution with bullet wounds.

Speaking with newsmen on Thursday, September 28, the President of the Students Union Government of the polytechnic, Ekom Ayaka, said Ajoke’s kidnappers had earlier demanded for N50 Million but later reduced the ransom to N500,000 when they noticed that her family and well-wishers could not meet up with their earlier request.

Adding that after several appeals to the kidnappers for a further reduction of the ransom, the kidnappers agreed to release her in exchange for N300,000.

He said, “We are grateful to God that Ajoke has been released by the bandits. She was released around 7pm on Wednesday after a ransom of N300,000 was paid.

The kidnappers first wanted N50million but they later reduced the money to N500,000 when they understood that her family and friends will not be able to get such an amount.

“But after much appeal to them (kidnappers), they told her family to pay the sum of N300,000 that was in their possession. That was how she was released from captivity.”

The legal team of the Peoples Democratic Party presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, is planning to file a motion to challenge President Bola Tinubu’s plea for Chicago State University not to release privileged documents in his academic records.

Disclosing this to The Punch, the special Adviser to Atiku on Public Communications, Phrank Shaibu, said that the legal team had up to 48 hours to respond to the motion in the US court.

Atiku had earlier secured an order for CSU to make the president’s academic records available to his legal team.

A magistrate, Jeffrey Gilbert, had last week ordered Tinubu’s alma mater to provide all relevant and non-privileged documents to the applicant within two days.

Atiku is currently challenging the victory of the former Lagos State governor at the 2023 presidential poll and his recent affirmation by an election petition court in Nigeria.

The documents sought by the PDP candidate, through his counsel, Angela Liu, include the record of admission and acceptance at the university, dates of attendance including degrees, awards, and honors attained by the former governor of Lagos State at the university, among others.

But as the deadline given by Gilbert drew nearer on Thursday, Tinubu’s lawyers approached Maldonado, arguing that the earlier decision by Gilbert needed to be reviewed by a district judge.

The request for a review and delay of the order till Monday was eventually granted by the US district judge.

Tinubu’s application, filed by his lawyers, Oluwole Afolabi and Christopher Charmichael, advanced two reasons.

First was that his academic records in issue are not useful in Nigerian courts as claimed by Atiku because the Nigerian election proceedings and the Nigerian courts have explicitly been unreceptive to the discovery.

The second reason given was that Atiku’s request is unduly intrusive because it allows Applicant (Atiku) to conduct a fishing expedition into intervenor’s private, confidential, and protected educational record.

When asked on Wednesday to confirm if Atiku has filed the suit as he earlier threatened in Monday, Shaibu reassured our correspondent that the former vice president would submit the motion before midnight.

He said, “I am sure you have seen his application. We are working on our response. We have up till midnight today (Wednesday) to respond to them. And we will.”

On when they expect the court to rule over the matter, Shaibu stated that “It is after we have responded to the court, that it will fix the date and inform the parties.”

FCT minister, Nyesom Wike, has approved the immediate sack of 21 heads of parastatals, agencies, and government companies under him.

This was contained in a statement by his director of press, Anthony Ogunleye, on Wednesday, September 27.

Wike ordered the affected appointees to hand over the affairs of their offices to the most senior officers in rank.

Those affected are:

1. Group MD/CEO, Abuja investment Company Ltd
2. CEO/MD, Abuja Markets Management Ltd
3. MD/CEO, Abuja Urban Mass Transport Company
4. CEO/MD, Abuja Property Development Company
5. CEO/MD Abuja Technology Village Free Trade Zone Company
6. CEO/MD Abuja Film Village International
7. CEO/MD Powernoth AICL Equipment Leasing Company Ltd

8.MD Abuja Broadcasting Corporation

9. MD, Abuja Enterprise Agency
10. GM, FCT Water Board
11. DG, FCT Emergency Management Agency
12. Executive Secretary, FCT Primary Healthcare Board
13. Director General, Hospital Management Board
14. Director, Abuja Environmental Protection Board
15. Director, FCT Scholarship Board
16. Director FCT Christian Pilgrims Welfare Board
17. Director, Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board
18. Coordinator, Abuja Infrastructure Investment Center
19. Director, FCT Health Insurance Scheme
20. Coordinator, Satellite Towns Development Department
21. Coordinator, Abuja Metropolitan Management Council

“They are to hand over the affairs of their offices to the most senior officers in rank. Appointments into the offices will be made in due course,” the statement added.

THE Kano state police command has arrested one Ibrahim Adamu of Sallari Quarters, Tarauni Local Government Area of Kano State and recovered 106 stolen mobile phones, N115,940.00 and other items.

Other alleged stolen items recovered are 890 mobile phones, nine laptop computers, nine ATM cards and other accessories.

According to a statement signed by the Police Public Relation Office ( PPRO)SP Haruna Kiyawa and made available to journalists on Tuesday disclosed that the suspect has confessed to the crime

He stated that “The Police Command was following up on a public outcry received from the coordinators of Dansulaika GSM Market, Farm Center, Kano that on 24/08/2023 at about 2000hrs unknown person (s) broke into 11 shops through the roof ceilings and stole away the following items:

“Some Mobile Phones, Desktop and Laptop Computers some sales Money, ATM cards and other accessories, while the team of detectives conducted the discreet investigation with a view to arrest the perpetrator(s) and recover the properties stolen.

He however hinted that “A sustained intelligences led operation was launched that led to the arrest of one Ibrahim Adamu, ’m’, of Sallari Quarters, Tarauni LGA, Kano.’

SP Kiyawa further disclosed that the suspect confessed to the Police that he singlehandedly committed the offence and led them to the recovery of the 106 Mobile Phones, Nine Laptops Computers, sales money of the sum of N115,940:00, nine ATM cards, and other accessories

Further investigation led to the arrest of the following Persons who helped him to hide the Stolen Mobile Phones including other accessories:

They are: Musa Muhammad Shafi’u, ‘m’ 25 years old, Nusairu Nasiru, ‘m’ 22 years old, and Usman Muhammad, ‘m’ 25 years old, all of Dukawuya Quarters, Kano. Consequent to an in-depth investigation, a total of 890 Mobile Phones were recovered from them.

The suspects will be charged to court upon completion of the ongoing the PPRO said.

The PPRO in the statement said that the Commissioner of Police while appreciating the good People of the State for their understanding, support and cooperation, also advice shop owners to be mindful of whom they entrust with their business and further reiterates that the Police Command will continue to be committed to safeguarding life and property of all the inhabitants in the State.

A video featuring the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, showcasing his culinary skills while being inspected by the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, has taken the internet by storm.

The video, which has gone viral on various social media platforms, showcases a unique and light-hearted interaction between two prominent figures in Nigerian politics.

The video, which emerged today, captures Wike’s cooking, focusing on his culinary prowess.

Gbajabiamila can be seen observing the cooking process with keen interest.

The video showcases a jovial atmosphere, with both individuals sharing smiles and light-hearted banter during the cooking session.

Wike, dressed in a simple polo, was seen adding what looked like tomato paste to the meal being prepared.

A voice at the background was heard telling the FCT minister: ”Excellency, you humbled me, sir o.”

While the man recording said: ”We will scatter the internet today.”

Social media users have flooded platforms like X, Instagram, and Facebook with reactions and comments about the video.

Recall that in 2020, while as a governor, Wike was seen in a video cooking okra soup.