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Danladi Etsu Zhin, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Coordinator for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)/Atiku Abubakar Presidential Campaign, has been reported dead.

Zhin was also a former Chairman of Kuje Area Council of the FCT.

He died in the early hours of Sunday in Abuja after being hospitalised for about a month in a private hospital over an undisclosed ailment.

The news of Zhin’s demise was disclosed by his aide, Godwin Omonya, Politics Nigeria reports.

Before defecting to the PDP and eventually becoming the party’s FCT Presidential Campaign Coordinator for the 2023 general elections, Zhin was a House of Representatives aspirant for the Abuja South constituency on the platform of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2019 general elections.

His remains have been deposited at an undisclosed morgue in Abuja and he is expected to be buried soon.

He is survived by a wife and five children – three boys and two girls.

A former governorship candidate in Kogi State, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, has accused Governor Yahaya Bello of being responsible for the Owo Church massacre in Ondo State and the Kuje Prison break in Abuja.

Governor Bello has been at loggerhead with Apkoti-Uduaghan for some time now. The state governor had last week declared her wanted.

Apkoti-Uduaghan had alleged that the governor went around different prisons in the country releasing hardened criminals, especially those of them from Ebira.

She claimed one of such prisoners is known as Safiyu, who she alleged Governor Bello deployed to carry out the Kuje Prison break and Owo massacre.

Appearing on Arise Television’s Morning Show yesterday, Apkoti-Uduaghan, who is the Senatorial candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for Kogi Central, said: “I was in California because I left a day after my primary election and I only returned to Nigeria on the 20th of August.

“And at the time of these attacks (Kuje Prison and Owo massacre), Safiyu was with Yahaya Bello. He was in the Government House every day.

“He was living in the house of the Chief of Staff. So, if anybody should be held responsible for the Owo massacre and Kuje Prison break, it should be Yahaya Bello that should have questions to answer in conjunction with the Chief of Staff himself because they released him from prison for God knows what.

“I even got to know that Safiyu was on death row. I happened to know he was a hardened criminal on death row but Bello freed him just before the 2019 election. Why he was freed and the nature of his freedom is left for Yahaya Bello to explain.”

On how a governor could release a prisoner in a federal prison, Apkoti-Uduaghan said: “That’s one thing with Yahaya Bello. He knows how to get the ills done using the network.

“I’m actually surprised at how he could have such powers. He has also gone around the prisons in the country releasing hardened Ebira prisoners. People from our own tribe.

“This is why we have such a high rate of criminality in Nigeria. I got to know that a few months ago, the governor called on Safiyu again to carry out a series of attacks,” she alleged.

The Lagos State Police Command has revealed result of the autopsy conducted on the corpse of Ifeanyi Adeleke, son of Davido and his fiancée, Chioma Rowland and confirmed he died as a result of drowning.

The State Police PRO, Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed the development.

Punch had reported there were indications that the police might conduct an autopsy to determine whether Ifeanyi died as a result of drowning in a swimming pool at his father’s residence in the Banana Island area of Lagos State.

An impeccable source, who confirmed the development, said it was standard practice for the police to conduct an autopsy in such a case, adding, however, that the police would desist from the move if the deceased family members were against it.

“Though the family members are not saying anything yet because they are still in shock but until anybody says stop, the standard procedure is to conduct an autopsy and we are going to follow that procedure just like in any case of death,” the source said.

Explaining further, the source said out of the eight domestic workers interrogated by the police in connection with Ifeanyi’s death, the cook and nanny, whose job was to cater for the wellbeing of the three-year-old boy, had been detained for reasons including the failure to uphold the duty of care of the minor.

As of the time of filing this report, the nanny and cook were said to still be in detention.

Mixed reactions have continue to trailed recent decision of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to redesign the 200, 500 and 1,000 Naira notes as well as the sentiment expressed by the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed on the matter, a great number of analysts believe that the initiative would be positive for the economy.

However, President Muhammadu Buhari explained that the decision of the CBN to redesign the banknotes had his support, saying he was convinced that the nation would gain a lot by doing so.

According to the president, reasons given to him by the CBN convinced him that the economy stood to benefit from reduction in inflation, currency counterfeiting and the excess cash in circulation.

The CBN had also urged Nigerians to support the currency redesign project which it stressed is in the overall interest and that of the economy at large.

Part of the functions of the central bank is currency issuance and distribution within the country.

Central banks are required to redesign, produce and circulate new local legal tender every five to eight years, but the naira has not been redesigned in the last 20 years.

On February 28, 2007, as part of economic reforms, N20 was issued for the first time in polymer substrate, while the N50, N10 and N5 banknotes; as well as N1 and 50 kobo coins were reissued in new designs, and the N2 coin was introduced.

According to the central bank, the development was also aimed at checking the increasing ease and risk of currency counterfeiting evidenced by several security reports, and the increased risk to financial stability as well as the worsening shortage of clean and fit currency, with the attendant negative perception of the central bank.

The central bank further insisted that it followed the law and due process to carry out the redesigning exercise, which is 12 years due.

CBN Director in charge of Corporate Communication, Mr. Osita Nwanisobi said the CBN management, in line with provisions of section 2(b), section 18(a), and section 19(a)(b) of the CBN Act 2007, duly sought and obtained the approval of President Muhammadu Buhari in writing to redesign, produce, release and circulate new series of N200, N500, and N1,000 banknotes.

Meanwhile, Osita Nwanisobi pointed out that currency management in the country had faced several escalating challenges which threatened the integrity of the naira, the CBN, and the country in general, adding that every top-rate central bank was committed to safeguarding the integrity of the local legal tender, the efficiency of its supply, as well as its efficacy in the conduct of monetary policy.

On the timing of the redesign project, Nwanisobi explained that the CBN had even tarried for too long considering that it had to wait 20 years to carry out a redesign, whereas the standard practice globally was for central banks to redesign, produce and circulate new local legal tender every five to eight years.

While assuring Nigerians that the currency redesign exercise was purely a central banking exercise and not targeted at any group, the CBN spokesman expressed optimism that the effort will, among other goals, deepen Nigeria’s push to entrench a cashless economy in the face of increased minting of the eNaira.

CBN Governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele explained that there was significant hoarding of naira notes by members of the public, with statistics showing that over 80 per cent of the currency in circulation were outside the vaults of the commercial banks.

He said as of September 2022, a total of N3.2 trillion was in circulation, of which N2.73 trillion was outside the vaults of the banks, describing the development as unacceptable.

Emefiele also urged bank customers to begin paying into their bank accounts the existing currency notes to enable them to withdraw the new banknotes once circulation begins mid-December 2022. He said all banks were expected to keep open their currency processing centres from Monday to Saturday so as to accommodate all cash that would be returned by their customers.

Presidential candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu has commiserated with Davido and Chioma over the loss of their son, Ifeanyi.

Tinubu’s condolence message was conveyed in a statement via his verified Twitter handle on Tuesday.

Similarly, the wife of Tinubu, Senator Oluremi expressed her condolences to the late Ifeanyi’s parents.

The APC presidential candidate and his wife asked God to grant Davido and Chioma the fortitude and strength to bear their loss.

Tinubu’s tweet reads, “Oluremi and I send our heartfelt and deepest condolences to David, Chioma, and the entire Adeleke family over the tragic loss of their son, Ifeanyi. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family. May the Lord grant them the fortitude and strength to deal with this painful tragedy.”

Recall that Ifeanyi drowned in the family’s swimming pool on Monday night in their home on Banana Island in Lagos, while his parents were on a trip to Ibadan for a family function.

The Lagos Police Command, while confirming the death of Ifeanyi, revealed that all members of Davido’s domestic staff are in their custody.

Ifafunke Oketoyinbo Iyaosun, an Ifa priestess and Olokun goddess, has revealed some reasons responsible for the death of Ifeanyi, son of Nigerian musician, David Adeleke, aka Davido.

The Ifa priestess said the deceased might be a spiritual child who is against a loud celebration.

In an online viral video, she said Davido and Chioma should have carried out a spiritual enquiry before celebrating Ifeanyi’s third birthday. She also noted that certain careless words from Chioma when she separated from Davido could have been responsible for Ifeanyi’s death.

The Ifa priestess also said Ifeanyi might have a connection to Davido’s fame.

According to the Ifa priestess: “My condolence goes to Davido and Chioma; what happened isn’t what any parent would ever pray for. When this happened, I decided to find out what could be responsible. First, Ifeanyi just celebrated his third birthday, and this is where we come to play. This is why people should embark on terrestrial inquiry before celebrating children; embark on spiritual findings before celebrating a child; you don’t know if the child is from the mermaid world and doesn’t want a loud celebration. This is because this child had picked his day, which is after his third birthday. You can see that he died through water a few days after his third birthday.”

Continuing, she said: “Secondly, women should be careful of what they say; it could be that Chioma vowed that she would not reap from Ifeanyi if she returned to Davido when they separated. And when they reunited, this problem came. Thirdly, Davido is about to clock 30, and we don’t know what spiritual vow he made to attain fame. He may have vowed to renew his life with his first son because he is a glorious child and may also be a mermaid child.”

Dr Benson Uwheru, Managing Director, Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company (PHED) said more than 70,000 of its customers did not recharge their pre-payment meter in the last six months.

Uwheru disclosed this to the company’s executive members at a meeting in Port Harcourt.

According to a statement by PHED’s Head of Corporate Communications, John Anonyai on Monday, the action of the customers led to the company losing billions of Naira in revenues in the last six months.

“So, how will the company continue to provide stable and quality power supply to customers when the company is not being paid for services provided,” he asked.

Uwheru said that PHED must come up with innovative means to ensure customers recharged their meters as well as collect revenues owed the company.

“So, PHED employees must be solution driven and hungry for innovation and seek more creative ways of performing their assignments.

“We must deploy every available resource to collect monies owed the company by customers.

“Henceforth, every employee has become a techno-commercial staff that should be involved in the company’s revenue drive,” he said.

The managing director said the company would henceforth conduct regular checks on customers’ meters in the four states, to checkmate energy theft and meter by-pass.

He said PHED would also adopt more stringent measures to ensure the company fulfilled the target given to it by the Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC).

“NERC ordered that distribution companies in the country must set and meet its N6 billion monthly target.

“So, we must deploy all strategies towards revenue drive via the transformers, feeders as well as become technically and commercially driven in our franchise area,” he added.

In another development, Uwheru said that PHED had deepened its partnership with First Independent Power Limited (FIPL) for enhanced service delivery to customers.

He said both companies met recently to fine-tune strategies of providing uninterrupted power supply in the four franchise states.

“In 2020, FIPL delivered and added one megawatt of electricity to our network while in 2021 the global energy company added another 12 megawatts to our network.

“In view of this, PHED customers, mostly Maximum Demand (MD) customers in Port Harcourt metro have benefitted from our partnership with FIPL.

“Expansion to other areas in the PHED franchise is currently being considered,” he said.