Category: Featured

Nigeria Consul-General in Johannesburg, Godwin Adama, says 320 Nigerians have been registered to be evacuated from South Africa on Tuesday Sept. 17.

Adama disclosed this in a telephone interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja, while giving update on plans to evacuate the second batch of Nigerians.

The consul-general, who said that the flight would be leaving South Africa around 6 p.m on Tuesday, added that the number of Nigerians willing to come back home following the attacks had increased to over 1000.

News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the first batch of 187 Nigerians willing to return were transported back home from South Africa on Wednesday Sept. 11.

The envoy said the evacuation process was difficult, adding that proper documentation was ongoing to transport those willing to return home as number keep increasing daily.

“More Nigerians are still coming to register; delay was due to compilation of names and in order to .tell the airline operators about our arrangement.

“We register over 100 intending returnees every day and as we talk now, they are over 1000; they are increasing every day.

“Already, we have 320 names so far registered in the manifest and the next evacuation will be tomorrow, Tuesday at 6p.m.,” he said.

The envoy also said that the flight had to be scheduled for Tuesday to ensure hitch-free flight.

“We also wanted to ensure that we have more than enough passengers; we do not want more seats to be empty as previous evacuation.

“We have liaised with the authorities now; we have held joint meeting with the host immigration service and other protocol. So, we are all on the same page,” he added.

The Chairman of Air Peace, Allen Onyema, had volunteered to release aircraft, free of charge, for evacuation of Nigerians willing to return home following the xenophobic attacks.

“Air Peace is willing to support the Nigerian government’s efforts in this matter by deploying our aircraft to evacuate Nigerians back home,” Onyema said.(NAN)

By Jennifer Y Omiloli

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibadan Zonal Office, has captured one Olumide Agbabiaka, a sales agent with a new generation bank, for supposedly taking N137 million.

This was contained in a statement marked by the commission’s representative, Tony Orilade on Monday, September 16 in Ibadan, NAN reports.

Agbabiaka’s capture was because of a petition filed by the bank’s regional security officer and the cluster control and compliance manager.

Orilade said that the suspect allegedly suppressed, diverted and stole the money from a customer’s personal corporate account in Ibadan.

He said the suspect supposedly committed the offense between January 2017 and July.

He said the suspect, who was the account officer assigned to the client, had been visiting the business premises of the unfortunate victim week by week to gather money.

Orilade said the suspect was to deposit same to the client’s records domiciled in the bank’s Challenge branch.

He said the suspect, rather than depositing the cash at various occasions, remitted just a bit and on numerous occasion, diverted the entire sum to personal use.

“In order to cover its criminal acts, the suspect, according to the petition, would rather issue fictitious bank slips to deceive the customer that he truly deposited the sums.

“This continued until the customer reviewed the statement of his account and reconciled same with the cash collection register,” he said.

By Jennifer Y Omiloli

A report demonstrates that all may not be well in the camp of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) governorship applicant in Kogi state, following a looming mass defection from the opposition party.

As per the report, the residue raised by the primary election that created Engr Musa Wada as a candiddate is yet to settle as more PDP chieftains in the state have communicated their eagerness to either defect to the ruling party APC or remain within the PDP and work against the gathering.

A PDP chieftain from Kogi West cited in the report said the contention that trailed the primary election may have ruined the odds of the party to come back to control soon.

As indicated by the chieftain who talked under the state of secrecy, PDP may have turned the November 16 race to a no-contest for the incumbent governor, Yahaya Bello.

By Jennifer Y Omiloli

A Court of Appeal sitting in Akure, the capital city of Ondo state has expelled a request documented by the United People’s Congress Party (UPCP) to invalidate the rise of the Nicholas Tofowomo as the senator representing Ondo South area at the ninth Senate.

The court on Monday, September 16, maintained the judgment of a Federal High Court which expelled the application recorded by the Candidate of Action Alliance (AA), Olatunji Felder, on July 5.

During the judgment consistently given by a three-man board – Justices M.A Danjuma, R.M Abdullahi and P.A Mahmood – the Appeal Court said that the request needed legitimacy.

Judge Danjuma while conveying the judgment additionally granted the total of N300,000 cost against UPCP.

Tofowomo had during the decision accumulated 79,036 votes against Yele Omogunwa (APC) who scored 51,993 as an incumbent senator at the time.

The discretionary body, notwithstanding, announced the election uncertain as the gap was between the competitors was not exactly the complete votes dropped in 56 polling units of four boards.

It was after the supplementary election that the INEC official, Kayode Onifade, pronounced Tofowomo champ with 81,892 votes against Omogunwa’s 55,610.

Detectives from Bariga Police Station have arrested one Emmanuel Olatunde (aka “Pastor”), a notorious cultist.

He was arrested in connection with some robbery and murder cases within Bariga Local Government Area.

This was contained in a statement signed by the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Bala Elkana, on Sunday.

Elkana said that Olatunde, 31, of No 27 Oremenunu Ibafo Street, Bariga is an ex-convict and a member of the ‘Eiye Confraternity’, responsible for terrorizing people in Bariga.

“He is responsible for the murder of one Ahmed Karowi, an Aiye Confraternity Kingpin on Sept. 11, 2019.

“Investigation is ongoing and the suspect will soon be charged to Court,” he said.

Elkana also said that one Innocent Ifunayachi, 34, has been arrested for defiling a 14 year-old-girl in her family house after he laced her food with Indian hemp.

“The suspect, being a friend to the family visited and found the girl eating Indomie.

“While she left to get him some drinks, he quickly put some quantities of dry leaves suspected to be Indian hemp into the food.

“She lost consciousness after eating the food and he took advantage of that to rape her,” he said.

Elkana said that Detectives from the Family Support Unit have arrested the suspect who has confessed to the crime.

“The victim has been taken to hospital for medical treatment and forensic examination.

“The suspect will be charged to Court,” he said.

The House of Assembly Elections Petition Tribunal sitting in Ibadan on Sunday upheld the elections of two People’s Democratic Party (PDP) assembly members in Oyo State.

The three-man tribunal led by Justice D.M Igyuse upheld the elections of Hon Olasunkanmi Babalola (PDP-Egbeda State Constituency) and Hon. Akeem Adeshina (PDP- Iwajowa State Constituency).

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the duo were dragged before the tribunal by their All Progressives Congress (APC) opponents in the election to challenge their emergence.

Babalola, who is the Deputy Majority leader of the assembly, was dragged to the tribunal by Olalekan Usman of the APC, while Adeshina was challenged at the tribunal by Johnson Eroyalesun.

The tribunal dismissed the separate petitions on account that the petitioners could neither prove nor establish their claims of irregularities in the election.

Babalola, who expressed joy after the judgment, said the outcome would further strengthen him in representing his constituents well.

“I feel amazed by the judgment. I don’t have any opponent at all. It is good to challenge so that you can learn how to move forward.

“I did not allow the case to distract me and I am sure it will make me more focused. It will also help me to know the value of the mandate,” he said.

He promised to ensure that he fulfills his electioneering promises, thanking the people for standing by him and the mandate.

On his part, Adeshina lauded the judgment delivered by the tribunal, saying he emerged from a free, fair and transparent election.

“My mandate is ordained by God. I respect my opponent up till this moment as an uncle. I give glory to God and thank my people.

“They believed in the mandate they gave me and stood by it. I thank them and promise to fulfill my promises during the campaign,” he said.

Hon. Yusuf Adebisi (PDP- Ibadan South West Constituency II), who was at the tribunal to show solidarity with his colleagues, expressed joy on the judgment.

Adebisi, who is the Deputy Chief Whip, said the judgment would help them to be more focused on delivering the dividends of democracy to their constituents.

“Babalola and I are the youngest in the 9th assembly. We share a lot of things in common and have been doing things together.

“He gets distracted sometimes over this case and thank God he has been vindicated now. We have been doing fine in our legislative duties and will give our best to our constituents,” he said.(

The repentant bandits in Katsina State have released additional 30 kidnapped victims, following the dialogue initiated by the state government with their leaders.

The victims were presented to Gov. Aminu Masari at the Government House on Sunday in Katsina.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the victims were kidnapped by the bandits from Kankara and Shimfida, both in Jibia Local Government area of the state.

They were thereafter taken to their hideout in Damsadau forest, Zamfara State, where they spent some weeks.

Addressing the victims, Masari said that government would continue to persuade the bandits to release more kidnapped people until all of them were freed.

He directed that the released victims be taken to hospital for medical check up before reuniting them with their respective families.

One of victims, Zinatu Sani from Kankara, while narrating her ordeal in the hands of the bandits, said that she was kidnapped from her matrimonial home, with two of her children.

She said that the bandits demanded for a N20 million ransom before they could release her and the children.

Sani explained that the ransom was later reduced to N6 million which, she said, her family could still not afford to pay.

She said that the suspected bandits used to give them rice to cook, with only water and salt.

“For 55 days, we slept in an open place without a roof, not minding the rainfall or heat,” she lamented.

Sani expressed appreciation to the governor for securing their release, adding that there were still several other victims in the forest yearning for their release from the bandits.

The returnees were handed over to the Transition Committee Chairmen of Kankara and Jibia local government councils to ensure that they were reunited with their families after medical check up.