The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has issued an interim order for the freezing of about 1, 146 bank accounts that were allegedly linked to unauthorized foreign exchange transactions.
The court, in a ruling that was delivered by Justice Emeka Nwite, ordered that the identified accounts, belonging to individuals and companies, should be frozen for at least 90 days, to allow the Federal Government to conclude its investigations that they could have been used for money laundering and terrorism financing.
“It is hereby ordered as follows: That the applicant’s application is hereby granted as prayed.
“That an order of this honourable court is hereby made freezing the bank accounts stated in the schedule below which accounts are owned by various individuals who are currently being investigated in a case involving the offences of unauthorised dealing in foreign exchange, money laundering and terrorism financing to the extant that the investigation will be for a period of 90 (Ninety) days,” the court held.
The order, dated April 24 but sighted by newsmen on Monday, followed an ex parte application that was brought before the court by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
The anti-graft agency had in the motion ex-parte marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/543/2024, maintained that the accounts it listed in a schedule it attached to the court process, were subject of its ongoing investigations.
“That preliminary investigation conducted thus far reveals that the bank accounts are linked to persons who take advantage of the virtual crypto currency exchange platforms to illegal manipulate the value of Naira and laundering proceeds of unlawful activities.
“That there is need to preserve the funds in the identified bank accounts pending the conclusion of investigation and possible prosecution,” the EFCC added in the affidavit that was filed by its lawyer, Mr. Ekele Iheanacho.
Some of the account names the EFCC listed in the attached schedule, included: Akitoye Adeyemi Ayomide with GTBank account number; 0165110025; Clyp Trading Ltd, Titan Trust Bank account number: 0000331101; Clyp Consulting Ltd, Providous account number: 9401374554; and Toyetech Platforms Ltd, Titan Trust Bank account number: 0000134962.
Others were: Winx International Platforms Ltd, Titan Trust Bank account number: 0000135055; Shutterscore Trading Platforms Ltd, Access Bank account number: 1532363954; Tradecillion Trading Ltd, Stanbic IBTC account number: 0045672922; and Nsofor Nmamdi, GTBank account number: 0449088666
They equally include Kora Payments Network Ltd-Operations, UBA account number: 1022242089; Renderstack Technologies Ltd, Zenith Bank account number: 1210355120; Korex Payments Ltd, Globus account number: 5000007837; and Awe Microfinance Bank Ltd, Providous account number: 5400760781; and Victor Asuquo, Opay Digital Services Ltd account number: 9020132068.
As well as: Akingbade Sabit Juwon, ECONANK account number: 3442053006; Nsofor Nmamdi, Union Bank account number: 0140460572; Asuquo Samuel, First Bank account number: 3153199542; Oty Ugochukwu Stanley, FCMB account number: 4039304011; Oty & Sons Global Concepts, Fidelity Bank account number: 6060410145; and Pelumi Ayandoye, Wema Bank account number: 0234852277; and David Ajala, Fidelity Bank account number: 5090680780.
Meanwhile, Justice Nwite adjourned the matter till July 23 for mention.
It will be recalled that the court had in March, ordered Binance Holdings Limited to release to the EFCC, a comprehensive detail of all persons from Nigeria that are trading on its platform.
Binance is a cryptocurrency exchange platform that lists more than 350 digital currencies that serve as alternative form of payment, created, using encryption algorithms.
FG had asked the company to disclose its top 100 users in the country, as well as all transaction history for the past six months.
The Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Mr. Olayemi Cardoso had on February 27, disclosed that about $26billion passed through Binance from unidentified sources.
In an abrupt move on March 8, the crypto firm discontinued all transactions in naira on its exchange platform, following reports that the government demanded $10bn as retribution for profiting from “its illegal transactions” in Nigeria.
However, in an ex-parte motion it filed before the court, the EFCC said it would need a detailed data of Binance users in the country to aid its ongoing investigation on issues relating to money laundering and terrorism financing.
In a supporting affidavit that was attached to the motion, deposed to by one Hamma Bello, an operative of the EFCC, he told the court that he was attached to the Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the commission domiciled in the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA).
Bello averred that following the inauguration of the Technical Committee on Currency Stability and Forex Manipulation by the ONSA, the SIT, “received an intelligence stating the nefarious activities (money laundering and terrorism financing) on Binance, a crypto currency exchange platform.”
According to him, “That from the information afforded to the team by Binance shows that the total trading volume from Nigeria in 2023 alone stood at $21.6 (twenty one billion, six hundred million dollars).”
FG had since charged both the company and two of its top officials to court for money laundering and tax evasion.
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has officially announced the release of the results for the 2024 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
Naija News reports that the announcement was made by JAMB’s Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, during a press conference on Monday at the board’s headquarters in Bwari, Abuja.
The examination body disclosed that the 2024 examination saw a record participation of over 1.94 million candidates, spreading across 118 towns and more than 700 centres throughout the country.
“The 2024 UTME has been successfully conducted, and we are pleased to announce the timely release of the results. Candidates can now check their scores via the official JAMB portal,” stated Prof. Oloyede.
The UTME, which began on Friday, April 19, and concluded on Monday, April 29, 2024, is a pivotal exam that determines eligibility for tertiary education in Nigeria.
The press conference highlighted the logistical efforts undertaken by JAMB to ensure a smooth and fair examination process.
“This year, we enhanced our monitoring and surveillance of the examination centres to curtail malpractices and ensure compliance with our strict testing standards,” added Oloyede.
More to follow…
[NaijaNews]
One year has elapsed since former President Mohammadu Buhari approved the postponement of the 2023 population and housing census.
The suspension was disclosed in a press statement signed by the former Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed. The minister noted that the president approved it following a meeting with Nasir Isa-Kwarra, the Chairman of the National Population Commission (NPC), and the Accountant General of the Federation, the Finance Minister and some other members of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
In 2022, the NPC declared that N532.7 billion would be needed to conduct the national census in Nigeria.
However, the former Minister of State for Budget and National Planning, Clem Agba, said that a total of N869 billion was needed for the census, noting that the government committed N291.5 billion with the need for an additional N327.2 billion from the private sector.
The census was slated for May 3-7, 2023, but was postponed indefinitely by the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari.
Despite the postponement, the NPC admitted having spent N200 billion for the planning mid-execution of the census.
How the money was spent
A Federal High Court in Abuja recently ordered the NPC to disclose expenditure details related to the suspended 2023 Population Census within seven days.
Justifying the amount spent, the former commission’s Director of Public Affairs, Dr Isiaka Yahaya, earlier said:
He said:
- “Consistent with global practice and inspired by an unswerving commitment to positively rewrite the history of the census in Nigeria, the Commission opted to conduct a digital census deploying the technology on a massive scale.
- “In a country struggling with an acute infrastructural deficit, this massive undertaking cannot come cheap but at a huge cost. Yes, it is true that N200bn has been spent on preparations for the 2023 census so far. However, this fund was not expended in the last few weeks, months, or years but rather since 2014 when preparations for the 2023 census actually began. Indeed, part of the N200bn was expended before the coming of the present Commission, which was inaugurated twice between 2018 and 2020 and even before the inception of the Buhari administration.”
The former director also disclosed that several items have been procured in preparation for the census, such as the procurement of computers, laptops, desktops, printers, software, and solar power systems for the census, among others.
He added that about 810,000 personal digital assistant devices were acquired for the 2023 census and were stored in all the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) offices across the country.
Yahaya also identified other expenses, noting:
- “The Commission procured vehicles, motorcycles, and boats for the movement of personnel and equipment across the length and breadth of the country. This was done along with renovation and equipping of all the 37 state and 774 Local Government offices for effective operational activities and storage for the 2023 Census.
- “Conducting a digital census requires a constant supply of electricity not only in the cities but also in the hinterland and hard-to-reach areas of the country for charging of PDAs and other equipment. Given the epileptic nature of power supply across the country, the Commission procured generators, power banks and installed solar power systems across the country.”
Also, during the Commission’s 2024 budget defence at the National Assembly (NASS), the House of Representatives Committee on Population urged the Federal Government to complete the census preparation process. This was even as the committee maintained that with the preparation process currently at 80%, nothing should stop the national census from holding.
What You Should Know
Nairametrics earlier reported that the NPC requested for N693.3 million in the 2024 budget to conduct the postponed national population and housing census. This is higher than the N10.52 million requested for the same fiscal item in the approved 2023 budget.
However, it was observed that there was another allocation of N30 billion for outstanding activities for the postponed 2023 census in the approved budget for this year. Also, it was observed that there are other census-related allocations of about N122.2 million in the proposed 2024 budget.
It has been reported that the postponed census may be held in November 2024.
Speaking with Nairametrics, a development economist, Dr Aliyu Ilias, said that conducting the census is necessary for economic development.
He said:
- “Majority of decisions to develop and provide facilities for a country, states, local government are based on the number of people using it. Census has direct relationships with economic development. A good example is the provision of schools, health facilities, and roads, among others.
- “If we don’t have a census, we will be providing facilities where it is not needed, while people that need it, suffer.”
Also, a Professor of Demography at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Kaduna State, John Laah, stressed the importance of the census in the country, urging the administration of Bola Tinubu to conduct the census as soon as possible.
- “This government needs census more than any other government. We don’t have the statistics to plan… If we conduct a census, it will help the government in making necessary plans. The absence of a complete census is a problem for Nigeria….
- “Census must be regular to make it useful and appropriate for government to plan for the deliveries of dividends of democracy. This government more than any other government needs to conduct census immediately so that it can kick-start the process of making genuine plans for the people.”
He further noted that the census is possible this year, adding that there is a need for refresher training for those earlier trained in 2022 and 2023, and that the census can be done within three to four months.
The Acting Director of the Public Affairs Department of the NPC, Mrs. Nkoyo Nwakusor, did not respond to calls and WhatsApp messages sent to her as of the time of filing this story.
[Nairametrics]
A Federal High Court in Abuja, on Monday, ordered the stoppage of the planned increase in DStv and GOtv subscription prices by Multichoice Nigeria Limited.
LEADERSHIP reports that the Pay-TV operator, Multichoice Nigeria Limited, had last week announced another price increment across its DStv and GOtv packages effective May 1, 2024.
The company attributed the price increases to “rise in the cost of business operations” in Nigeria.
According to the notice signed by Multichoice CEO, John Ugbe, and sent to its subscribers and customers via email last week Wednesday, a copy of which was sighted by our Correspondent, the new prices for DStv packages are Premium package will now cost N37,000 monthly as against the current N29,500 subscription fee.
The price of the Compact+ bouquet has also increased to N25,000 from 19,800 monthly.
DStv said subscribers on its Compact bouquet will now pay N15,700 as against N12,500 they are currently paying, while those on the Confam package are to pay N9,300, compared to N7,400 currently being paid.
Under the new price regime, viewers on DStv Yanga bouquet will now be paying N5,100 for the monthly subscription, instead of the N4,200 currently being paid.
Padi subscribers will, from May 1, 2024, be paying N3,600 instead of the current N2,950 price.
HDPVR Access subscribers will pay N5,000 as against the N4,000 being paid now.
For GOtv users, Multichoice said customers on its Supa Plus package will now be paying N15,700, from the current price of N12,500. Its Supa bouquet will now go for N9,600 as opposed to the current N7,600 being charged.
GOtv Max subscription has also increased to N7,200 from N5,700 while its Jolli package will go for N4,850 from N3,950. Multichoice said its customers on the lowest GOtv package, Jinja, will be paying N3,300 monthly, as opposed to N2,700 they are currently paying.
Users of Smallie will now be paying N1,575 as against N1,300
LEADERSHIP recalls that Multichoice had increased its subscription fees twice in the past year.
[Leadership]
The 2023 Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has urged Governor Sim Fubara of Rivers State and Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State to investigate the twin tanker explosions in their states thoroughly.
Atiku made the call while condoning with the families of those who lost their loved ones in the fire incidents.
Posting on X, with the title: “My condolences to the families of the victims of the twin tanker explosion in both Rivers and Ogun States,” Atiku wrote: “It hurts to say that I feel the anguish of those who have lost loved ones in these twin disasters. For those who lost their lives in these incidents, it is my prayer that their souls shall meet the promise of God’s mercies.
“For the bereaved that they left behind, I also pray that the Almighty shall ease the pains in your hearts and grant everyone the fortitude to bear the unfortunate loss.
“It is also my prayer, that everyone who has lost valuable belongings and property to the disaster, the Almighty shall enlarge His provisions to you and please you with something better than what was lost.
“My heartfelt condolences also to both Governor Similayi Fubara and Dapo Abiodun of Rivers and Ogun, respectively. I urged them to ensure that the government carries out thorough investigations into the incidents. -AA”
[DailyPost]
Rivers state governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has said that his team is winning the ongoing political battle in the state with Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Fubara spoke on Monday, April 29, when participants of the Executive Intelligence Management Course (EIMC-17 Syndicate 5) of the National Institute for Security Studies (NISS) paid him a courtesy visit at the Government House in Port Harcourt.
Fubara said: “You know, we are a government that does not believe in violence even when we are being provoked on all sides.
“What we want to use to fight our battles is AI. So, sincerely, we are winning with AI. When I said it, it was not a mistake. I know what I mean.”
Addressing the visitors, the governor said: “We feel very honoured at this particular time to have you in our State, especially considering the high level of security and intelligence work that you are doing.
“It will give us a good image as against what is being rumoured everywhere that the streets of Port Harcourt, are being paraded by cultists, kidnappers and all sorts of criminal elements.
“You might have also gone round and seen for yourself that Rivers State, even in the face of the political crisis, is also peaceful.
“This is because the management of the State, as of today, has always emphasised that peace is the only way and solution for development. So, I am happy that your presence here has also helped to make us score another point before our detractors.”
The governor said policy makers needed to draw up futuristic plans that to strengthen governance when implemented while also protecting the interest of the people.
Fubara in a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary (CPS), Nelson Chukwudi, emphasised that his administration was ready to leverage AI to significantly enhance operational efficiency and transform citizen experiences.
The governor said that advanced societies were accelerating the use of artificial intelligence for a faster data-driven decision-making process
He said: “Today, we are moving from the aspect of physical battle to intellectual battle and Artificial Intelligence (AI) is the right model to use to fight crime.
“As a state, we did not hesitate to accept your invitation because we want to tap into it. We want to be part of this success, knowing fully well that your success will also rub off on our state.
“I heard you say here that, at the end of the visit, your report will be part of what would be used to formulate policies.
“It’s very important and we know quite alright that, for us to do better than what we are doing, we need policies that are strong, futuristic, and can strengthen governance as well as policies that would protect the interest of the common man.”
Fubara assured that his administration was determined to work with the institute to build a strong synergy that would ease the processes of governance.
He directed the Secretary of the Rivers State Government, Dr Tammy Danagogo, to sustain contact with the group so that its final report could be made available to the state.
He said: “It is important we get the final report so that it can help us in some of our planning and other strategies”.
The governor said that to build a very successful nation, it was important for everybody to work as a team.
“Such teamwork will diminish tendencies to engage in unhealthy rivalry and frustrate politics of bitterness, particularly because government was a continuum.
“After my administration, another person, definitely, will take over, but what is important is for us to work for the common interest of everybody, not for self. If we are talking about self, we will be very destructive. Our policies will be very myopic and short-sighted.
“I want to urge everyone to think first about the well-being of our country. I want to appeal to everybody, let us stop this politics of bitterness and play politics of friendship.
“Let us liken it to a football match: somebody has to win, somebody has to lose. There will be another tournament, and you will try again to see if you can reclaim your medal. That is the way life should be seen.
“It shouldn’t be an issue of unnecessary competition. It shouldn’t be an issue of unnecessary rivalry that leads to bitterness, leads to sickness of the bone. We should try and emulate better relationships”, he said.
In his speech, the Head of the delegation, Didacus Egor Egbeji, said that officers at the rank of not less than deputy directors were in the state for a weeklong study tour as part of the requirements of their 10-month course at the institute.
Egbeji, who is also the Deputy Commandant of the National Institute for Security Studies, explained that the participants were strategic leaders who, in the next 5 years, would likely head their different agencies and would be using gains from the training to ensure efficiency at their agencies.
He said: “The training has to do with different modules. We have the security module; we have the crisis management module; we have the governance module; and we have the strategic module. As we are here, the other groups are in states, such as Cross River, Abia, Enugu, Zamfara, and Kogi.
“We are expected, after this one-week tour, to go back to the institute to make a presentation of what we found in Rivers State in terms of the theme of the course which is “Artificial Intelligence, Security and Emerging Economies in Africa: Challenges and Prospects.
“It is after this submission that we are also expected to embark on a study tour of six African states. By the end of next month, after the tour of the African states, by September, we will embark on a tour of six other countries across the globe.”
[TheNation]
The Executive Director of Citizens Advocacy for Social Economic Rights, Frank Tietie, has said it is disgraceful for Nigeria to be facing the Premium Motor Spirit crisis.
Tietie said he was surprised, shocked, and deeply embarrassed by the ongoing fuel scarcity in Nigeria when he featured on a programme on Arise TV on Monday.
He stressed that the purpose of subsidy removal for efficient petroleum supplies has not been achieved as there were long queues everywhere.
“I am surprised, shocked and highly embarrassed that this is happening after all the much talked about subsidy removal to ensure efficiency in the supplies of petroleum products.
“It is highly disgraceful that this is happening after a certain somewhat explanation by the NNPCL that the queues and shortage of PMS were a result of logistics problems. What a nebulous way to take Nigerians for granted. Whether it is logistics associated with lack of trucking facilities or anything that has to do with transportation,” he said.
He lamented that people are hawking fuel in jerricans in front of establishments like Transport Hilton and NNPCL in Abuja despite the scarcity in legal filling stations.
This, he said, demonstrated the inefficiency of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited and the regulatory authority responsible for ensuring stock availability.
He also criticised their negligence towards national security and job security for officials while taking Nigerians for granted.
“The resilience of Nigerians will always be considered something to be abused when you simply say logistics and nothing happens when it is four days after the so-called logistics problem.
“There is scarcity and queues are everywhere. In fact, one of the most embarrassing things you can experience is that in front of the NNPCL in Abuja, you will see people hawking petrol in jerricans. Another very terrible scene is the situation where one of Nigeria’s foremost hotels that hosts many International conferences, Transcorp Hilton, right in front of Hilton advertising to the world, you will see all of these persons hawking petrol in plastic jerricans,” he added.
Despite the logistics problem highlighted as a factor responsible for the scarcity of fuel, Tietie said there is enough fuel for sale in the black market.
He added that the NNPCL has not been efficient in discharging its role.
“Does it mean that these ruffians have a way of solving logistic problems more than the NNPCL? Somehow, this must stop because we must stop this idea of making our country a laughing stock.
“It all sounds like a joke because you said there are queues everywhere and when you go to the front of the Hilton, you will see some people hawking petrol. You go to the front of NNPCL, well it is understandable that you have two major petrol stations in front of the NNPCL headquarters and you will see street urchins hawking fuel.
“This is a result of clear inefficiency on the part of the NNPCL this time. It probably extends to the authorities- the Nigerian Mainstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority. They are supposed to be responsible for ensuring that there is some measure of stock in storage,” he stated.
Their negligence, he said endangers national security.
“What this means is that this authority and NNPCL are toying with Nigerian security. When you cannot guarantee for days the supply of PMS that is the mainstay of your national economy then it’s clear you are taking for granted the national security. That is the reason why the president is not calling them to order.
“Whereas we don’t have energy security, we have job security for the officials of the NNPC and NNPDRA and that’s the reason we continue to have it not minding what Nigerians are going through,” Tietie added.
Speaking further, Tietie said he is disappointed in the government for allowing such a situation to persist in a major oil-producing country like Nigeria.
He stressed that refineries in Nigeria would not function due to the benefits it give to a certain establishment class.
He added, “We all know that it is for certain mysterious reasons that refineries have refused to work whereas we understand it benefits a certain establishment class in this country that the refineries won’t and will never work no matter the commitment of any of the administrations whether it was Goodluck Jonathan, Muhammad Buhari or the current administration of Bola Tinubu.
“The refineries won’t work. Everybody is expecting the Dangote refinery to kick off so we can have a measure of the availability of PMS. We run a country in such a manner that takes the people for granted and we will now see people run the government and states without any sense of responsibility and shame.
“How can we as a major oil-producing country in the world have this kind of situation? And then we have an NNPCL that wants to pride itself that it is competing with a certain Saudi ARAMCO whereas it cannot provide any form of energy security for its country.
“In fact the NNPC is supposed to be a fallback on in terms of energy security meaning that it takes pride in being the sole importer of petroleum products. Why should we even be importing petroleum products in the first place? and if we must import, it will be to cater to issues of unnecessary disruption if ever we go to war, for example, not a norm that we should constantly have this uncertainty.
“Those who are running NNPCL should foresee any disruption problem that is about to come and the NNDPRA should have enough stock. What these guys are doing is just making a laughing stock the administration of President Bola Ahamed Tinubu.”
Residents of Lagos and other areas in Nigeria are currently facing difficulties in obtaining PMS as many filling stations have remained closed over the weekend.
Despite assurances from the Nigerian NNPCL that logistical challenges causing the fuel scarcity had been resolved, long queues at filling stations have persisted. Some stations were found to be selling PMS for prices between N700 and N800, providing an opportunity for black marketers to exploit desperate Nigerians by selling a litre for N1,000 or more.
[Punch]
Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State has announced a new minimum wage of N70,000 for civil servants.
The governor made this known on Monday, while inaugurating the Labour House.
Obaseki named the Labour House after Adams Oshiomhole, Senator representing Edo North, and former governor of the state.
“The new minimum wage regime in Edo will take effect from May 1, 2024,” the governor said.
Recall the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, and Trade Union Congress, TUC, have been pushing for a new minimum wage for workers across states. This is coming on the heels of the hardship occasioned by the economic reforms of President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
The removal of subsidy on petrol and unification of the forex windows in 2023, immediately led to food inflation and a spike in the prices of other goods and services.
Meanwhile, the national minimum wage has been pegged at N30,000 since April 18, 2019.
However, this sum has been described as “grossly inadequate” and “poverty wage” in the face of prevailing economic hardship.
More details coming on the minimum wage announced by Obaseki.
The Northern governors and monarchs have commended Aliko Dangote, billionaire businessman and president of the Dangote group, for the N15 billion food intervention programme launched to cushion the burden of economic hardship on Nigerians.
The governor of Nasarawa and Benue who joined others to laud Dangote’s effort said the scheme was monumental in scope and impactful.
Hyacinth Alia, governor of Benue who was speaking during the weekend at the commencement of the food distribution in the state described Dangote’s action as ”multifaceted philanthropic efforts benefiting the poor and vulnerable populace of the state”.
Alia who was represented by Abah Isaiah, his senior special assistant appreciated Aliko Dangote Foundation (ADF) for supporting the state with twenty thousand bags of 10kg rice.
Sen. Suswam Opposes Establishment of State Police, Citing Immaturity of Nigeria
He disclosed that a committee has been constituted to distribute rice palliatives to the poor, vulnerable, and all local government areas in the state, including non-governmental and faith-based organizations.
Other members of the distribution committee are; foundation for justice, development and peace; first step action for children initiative; Benue state emergency management agency (SEMA); national orientation agency (NOA), Benue directorate; and Islamic charity.
Alia said that the food intervention would support its citizens living in IDP camps that are yet to return to their farms, commending Dangote for creating thousands of jobs through the Dangote Cement Plant in Gboko.
He added that the job creation and economic activities as precursors to peace and stability.
Alia urged host communities to support Dangote, stating they would do everything possible to ensure its success in Benue
“We would do everything possible to make sure that Dangote succeeds in Benue. I also want to urge you to support this company,” he said.
“As you can see there is a cordial relationship between the Dangote Cement Plc and the host communities. You can see how Dangote staff and host communities have been relating with each other.”
The governor urged the company to continue its charity work in the state, stating that the state is ready to provide an enabling environment for businesses to thrive.
Speaking further, Abdullahi Sule, governor of Nasarawa, said the intervention would ‘undoubtedly’ ease economic hardship being faced by many Nigerians.
Emmanuel Agbadu Akabe, deputy governor of the state who represented Sule said each LGAs of the state were allocated 2,000 bags apart from Karu and Lafia who were allocated 2,500 bags each.
He lauded Dangote, describing him as the “father of charity in Nigeria.”
Jonathan Kunde, general manager of Dangote Cement Plant Gboko, praised the peaceful and supportive communities over the years and promised them of more interventional schemes.
Zaki Atoo Mande, a monarch and representative of the host communities pledged the support of the communities towards the continuous realization of a hitch-free mining and production activities.
Muhammad Shaibu, emir of Tunga in Nasarawa, said the ADF’s National Food Intervention Programme is supporting the government to cushion the impact of economic hardship being experienced in the country.
“The Aliko Dangote Foundation is not only a gift to Nasarawa State, but to all Nigerians,” he said.
Ibrahim Galadima, district head of Tunga
described Dangote as God’s gift.
The Adamawa state also said it received its share of one million 10Kg rice distributed nationwide by the foundation, he added that thirty-five thousand beneficiaries, primarily vulnerable and disadvantaged, have received support to combat hunger due to the country’s current economic situation.
Abdullahi Bello Dan Musa, chief operating officer of Dangote sugar refinery numan, confirmed successful distribution across zones and almost completed the exercise in Taraba.
He added that the foundation has partnered with community leaders in the state to ensure the commodity is delivered to its intended beneficiaries.
Anthony Chiejina, spokesperson of the company, stated that the food initiative is part of the foundation’s ongoing commitment to aiding the Nigerian government and populace in overcoming economic challenges.
Ivase Eugene, a representative of the Aliko Dangote Foundation, and deputy general manager social performance and community relations, said the company was sharing one million bags of 10kg rice in all LGA of the country.
On March 24, Dangote launched a N15 billion food intervention programme to cushion the burden of economic hardship on Nigerians
During the launch in Kano, Dangote said the distribution of food items will run from March to early April, adding that over one million 10kg bags of rice will be distributed across the 774 LGAs of the 36 states of the federation, including the federal capital territory (FCT).
The Foundation had equally distributed thousands of bags of rice to beneficiaries and vulnerables in FCT with at least 48 charity organizations and orphanages involved in the process.
The former presidential aspirant of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) from Abia State, Chief Cosmos Ndukwe, has announced his resignation from the PDP.
Chief Ndukwe posted his resignation letter on his official Facebook page on Monday.
Chief Ndukwe was once a Councillor, Deputy Local Government Chairman, Chief of Staff to the Executive Governor of Abia state, Deputy Speaker of Abia 6th House of Assembly, and also a presidential aspirant under the PDP umbrella.
Stating his reasons for leaving the party, he wrote, “My decision to resign as a member within the party stems from personal reasons and my reflection on my current commitments and aspirations.
“After careful consideration, I have concluded that porting out of PDP is the best course of action for me now”.
However, in his letter, he did not state if he was joining another party or quitting politics.
He also thanked Abia state PDP for their support and expressed appreciation for all the role the party played in his political career.
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Burkina Faso has suspended a swathe of international news organisations, some indefinitely, for airing accusations of an army massacre of civilians, with the communications regulator CSC adding more outlets over the weekend.
Among those named are French newspaper Le Monde, British publication The Guardian, German broadcaster Deutsche Welle and French broadcaster TV5 Monde.
They were suspended for reporting on a Human Rights Watch (HRW) statement accusing soldiers of killing at least 223 people in revenge attacks on two villages on February 25.
Other news media named by the CSC in an order dated Saturday, were French regional newspaper Ouest-France, African website APAnews and the Swiss-based Agence Ecofin.
Already on Thursday, the CSC announced it had directed internet service providers to suspend access to the BBC, VOA and HRW from Burkinabe territory for two weeks.
The military rulers of Burkina Faso have dismissed as “baseless” the HRW report on the massacre, which found 56 children were among the dead.
“The killings at Nodin and Soro led to the opening of a legal inquiry,” communications minister Rimtalba Jean Emmanuel Ouedraogo said in a statement late Saturday.
He expressed his surprise that “while this inquiry is underway to establish the facts and identify the authors, HRW has been able, with boundless imagination, to identify ‘the guilty’ and pronounce its verdict”.
HRW described the massacre as “among the worst army abuse in Burkina Faso since 2015”.
“These mass killings… appear to be part of a widespread military campaign against civilians accused of collaborating with Islamist armed groups, and may amount to crimes against humanity,” the New York-based group said on Thursday.
– ‘Grave and abusive decisions’ –
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) condemned what it called “grave and abusive decisions” from the junta.
In an email sent to AFP, the defender of press freedom said it “reminds the authorities that the publication of general news on the country’s security situation must not be a pretext for the worst attacks recorded against the media in recent months”.
According to the Burkina statement, “The media campaign orchestrated around these accusations fully shows the unavowed intention … to discredit our fighting forces.”
“All the allegations of violations and abuses of human rights reported in the framework of the fight against terrorism are systematically subject to investigations” followed by the government and the UN high commissioner for human rights.
The latest suspensions against media come after a series of similar moves, both temporary and indefinite, that have been taken since Captain Ibrahim Traore came to power in September 2022.
Under Traore, the junta has distanced Burkina Faso from France, which ruled the country until 1960, and has already targeted a number of French media outlets.
The West African nation has been battered by a jihadist insurgency that swept in from neighbouring Mali in 2015.
Thousands of civilians, troops and police have been killed, two million people have fled their homes, and anger within the military at the mounting toll sparked two coups in 2022.
AFP
The United Kingdom (UK) government has announced a crackdown on criminals such as terrorists, drug dealers, and fraudsters who use cryptocurrency to raise and hide money.
According to the UK government, over £1 billion illicit transactions occur via cryptocurrency annually.
The UK Home Office made this known in a recent post on its X official page declaring that the law enforcement agencies have been given the greenlight to go after those involved.
Vanguard reports that the UK has embarked on diverse policies bordering on immigration, economic and financial matters.
“Over £1 billion in illegal crypto transactions take place in the UK each year,” the UK Home Office said. “Drug dealers, fraudsters and terrorists use crypto to hide and raise money.
“We’re giving law enforcement new powers to seize, freeze and destroy crypto assets,” it added.
This clampdown on illegal cryptocurrency operators in the UK is coming weeks after major stakeholders are found culpable of criminal activities.
In late March, FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried was sentenced to 25 years in prison in the United States, for the securities fraud conspiracy that doomed his cryptocurrency exchange and a related hedge fund, Alameda Research.
Bankman-Fried also was ordered to pay $11 billion in forfeiture at the sentencing in Manhattan federal court.
In another development, five days ago, the US prosecutors wanted Changpeng Zhao, the founder and former chief executive of Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, to serve three years in prison after he pleaded guilty to violating laws against money laundering.
Foreign students likely using university courses as cheap means to obtain visas, UK laments
In February, the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Dr Olayemi Cardoso, said that over $26 billion in illicit flows has passed through the crypto platform Binance in the last year.
The revelation led to the arrest and detention of two Binance executives by the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA).
The two officials detained were Tigran Gambaryan, a US citizen and Binance’s head of financial crime compliance, and Nadeem Anjarwalla, a British-Kenyan who is a regional manager for Africa.
According to the ONSA, the duo were charged with four counts of tax evasion and with laundering over $35 million.
Meanwhile, Anjarwalla escaped from the custody of the security operatives, but was arrested by Kenya authorities, days later.
The Governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo State, Asue Ighodalo, has refuted claims that he has a hand in the impeachment of the state’s former Deputy Governor, Philip Shaibu.
Ighodalo who described the allegation as fake, added that the claims was cooked up to tarnish his reputation.
This was contained in a statement released by his media team on Monday.
The statement read, “While we would not usually join issues in response to every passing comment, it has become imperative to address the recent spurious allegations by former Deputy Governor Phillip Shaibu.
“It is necessary for the record, to state in no uncertain terms, that Mr. Asue Ighodalo has had no role or involvement in any form whatsoever in the very public process leading to Mr. Shuaibu’s impeachment and subsequent removal from office by the Edo State House of Assembly.
“These claims are completely without merit, and Mr. Ighodalo categorically denies any such involvement. These allegations are a clear attempt to unjustly tarnish his reputation and divert attention from the actual issues at hand.”
He, however, called on the public to disregard the claim, saying, “We urge the public and the media to regard these false statements with well-deserved skepticism.”
Ighodalo had earlier said he remained focused on running a governorship campaign based on issues and devoid of distractions.
On April 8, the state House of Assembly impeached the embattled state deputy governor after the adoption of the report of the seven-man investigative panel set up by the state Chief Judge to probe allegations of misconduct against Shaibu.
Shaibu was probed on allegations of perjury and leaking of government secrets
The scarcity of premium motor spirit (PMS), commonly known as petrol, continues to affect various parts of Nigeria, leading to the proliferation of black marketers who are selling the product at exorbitant prices, reaching as high as N1,200 per litre in some locations.
Reports from across the country indicate that many filling stations remain closed, while those dispensing petrol have long queues. Some stations in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and several states have increased their prices, selling petrol at between N750 and N800 per litre. However, Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) outlets are dispensing at N617 per litre, albeit with longer queues.
The scarcity has left many motorists stranded, with some residents resorting to trekking long distances. In Jigawa State, black marketers were seen selling petrol for N1,100 per litre, while in Lagos, dispatch riders were distributing fuel to black marketers. Transport fares have also increased in affected areas, such as Abeokuta and Akure.
The Independent Petroleum Marketers’ Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) has attributed the scarcity to a lack of stock at most depots in Lagos. However, the NNPCL has maintained that there is product availability and that the situation should clear up shortly.
In Cross River State, elders and youths in Okuku and Ishibori communities sealed petrol stations selling the product for N1,200 per litre following a protest by commercial motorcyclists. Station owners claimed that the unavailability of the product forced them to increase prices.
At the Apapa depot, some marketers who spoke to newsmen disclosed that there has been a drastic drop in the level of imports.
They lamented that priority attention was only for trucks loading products to Abuja at the detriment of other locations, especially Lagos and neighboring states
They said there was a strict instruction from higher authorities that only trucks heading to Abuja should be loaded.
Another marketer at the Apapa depot who simply identified himself as Alhaji kabiru said the shortage in supply may worsen in Lagos by Tuesday because of the priority attention given to trucks heading to Abuja.
“A particular depot in Apapa here that received 5,000 metric tons (200 trucks) of petrol on Thursday has loaded over 100 trucks for Abuja but our trucks that are meant to service Lagos outlets have been on the queue since Friday without consideration for us”.
In Abuja, black marketers are smiling to the bank as they pepper motorists with scathing petrol prices.
Mohammed Wudil, a taxi driver plying the Lugbe-Abuja Airport corridor has this to say over the scathing issue: “Never in my wildest imagination did I think that I’ll sleep in the filling to get petrol after the government had deregulated it and yanked off subsidy payments on it. “But how wrong I was. Today, at almost N700/litre, I’m still chasing petrol tankers at night to know where they’ll discharge their products so I quickly queue their overnight so I’m among the first set to be served in the morning.
“But this was not the promise made to us when they removed subsidy. If you’re queuing and sleeping at the filling station to buy petrol at N170/litre, so you can well, it’s worth the stress. But at N690/litre?”
Another motorist, Mrs Mary Agu, a civil servant said she could not help but be at a filling station by 4am. “I’m a woman and my hubby is not around. So, I run the house. But since this scarcity horror began about a fortnight ago, I hardly sleep well because once my fuel indicator stick points downwards below half tank, I’ll start panicking.
“When will this torture end? The petrol is even like methylated spirit. It practically disappears without any meaningful trip. “Black market is hell. You’ll buy a litre for N1,200 or N1,100 at best. Who can survive on that? What of inflation that has pushed products’ prices to unimaginable heights? This is totally unacceptable”, she said. Black marketers who spoke to Daily Sun said the development was a golden opportunity to make brisk business as inflation and growing unemployment was battering them with reckless abandon. Musa Janjere, a 20-year old petrol hawker on Kubwa-Zuba expressway said he has a flourishing rapport with petrol attendants at filling stations. “We take our cans to them at night and they fill them up for an extra charge. So, it’s a win-win situation for me and them. “The profit is worth the stress. So, it checks out”, he said.
Aliyu Sani, another hawker who sells across from the NNPC towers in the Central Business District, mentioned that this time marked a period of thriving business for him.
“I make about N15,000 to N25,000 profit daily depending on how many cans of fuel I am able to sell. I buy 10 liters for around 7,000 and sell at 10,000-12,000. I suspended my pop corn and ground nut business to switch to this because it is more profitable. I hope the scarcity continues so that I can save up enough funds to start up a provisions store like I have always dreamed of”, he said.