In a recent development at the Ikeja Special Offences Court, startling revelations emerged about the alleged involvement of former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Godwin Emefiele, in financial irregularities. The court heard how Emefiele purportedly utilised his former dispatch rider, now a CBN staff member, to collect a total of $3 million in cash through multiple transactions. On Monday, Osasuwa, the said CBN staff member, testified before Justice Rahman Oshodi, disclosing details of the transactions. Osasuwa, who previously worked as a dispatch rider at Zenith Bank and later joined CBN in 2014, recounted his interactions with Emefiele during his…
Author: Editor Francis
The Senate has embarked on an extensive investigation into 774 federal government agencies following queries raised in the 2019 report of the Auditor-General for the Federation (AuGF). Chairman of the Senate Public Accounts Committee (SPAC), Senator Aliyu Wadada (SDP-Nasarawa West), revealed this during a press conference held on Friday, April 12, at his residence in Keffi, Nasarawa State. Senator Wadada emphasised the committee’s commitment to conducting its duties with integrity and impartiality, assuring that the aim is not to victimise any individual or entity. He highlighted plans to amend the 2007 Procurement Act, with the support of President Bola Tinubu…
Channels Television reporter Joshua Rogers was abducted by gunmen on Thursday, April 11, near his residence in Rumuosi, Port Harcourt, according to the Centre for the Safety and Protection of Journalists (I-CSPJ) in Lagos, Nigeria. Rogers, who was returning from an official assignment at the Government House after covering a government event in Andoni, was driving his official Channels Television branded car when the assailants intercepted him. They reportedly pointed a gun at him and forcefully took him away in the same vehicle. The I-CSPJ disclosed that the gunmen have contacted Rogers’ wife, demanding a ransom of N30 million for…
The Nigerian Naira has surpassed expectations, with projections suggesting it may soon breach the 1,000 Naira mark against the US dollar. This optimistic forecast, endorsed by renowned multinational investment bank Goldman Sachs, attributes the naira’s bullish performance to a combination of assertive central bank policies and President Bola Tinubu’s strategic economic reforms. Goldman Sachs, widely respected for its financial expertise, initially anticipated a Naira-dollar exchange rate of 1,200 by the close of 2024. However, recent developments have prompted a reassessment, with economist Andrew Matheny of Goldman Sachs suggesting that the Naira could potentially hit the 1,000 mark against the dollar…
A bipartisan group of senators has unveiled a new bill aimed at extending the U.S. trade agreement with sub-Saharan Africa, which is set to expire next year. Led by Senators Chris Coons, a Democrat, and James Risch, the top Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, the bill has garnered support from both sides of the aisle. Co-sponsors include Senators Dick Durbin, Michael Bennet, Chris van Hollen, Todd Young, and Mike Rounds. The proposed legislation, obtained exclusively by Reuters, seeks to renew the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) for a significant 16-year period, extending through 2041. The bill is…
In a move to address the pressing humanitarian needs of refugees in Uganda, the United States has pledged over $25 million in additional funding. Spearheaded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Department of State, this aid is designated to bolster the efforts of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the World Food Programme (WFP). With Uganda hosting the largest number of refugees on the African continent, totaling more than 1.6 million individuals, the influx of new arrivals from conflict-ridden nations such as South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Somalia, and…
As the one-year anniversary of the conflict in Sudan approaches on April 15, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield highlighted the devastating impact the war has had on Sudanese women and girls. Speaking at a public event hosted by the Alliance for Peacebuilding, Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield recounted the horrific accounts she has heard from Sudanese women, including girls as young as 14 being abducted and brutally raped by the Rapid Support Forces. “Girls have been kidnapped from the streets as they walked to school in Khartoum. They have been handcuffed to the back of trucks, and transported…
Minister of Works, David Umahi, has announced that not all property owners affected by the construction of the Lagos to Calabar coastal road will be compensated. Umahi emphasised that shanty owners would not receive compensation, and the exact number of houses slated for demolition has yet to be determined. Speaking during a tour of the coastal road project in Lagos, Umahi stated that while normally unapproved property owners wouldn’t be entitled to compensation, President Bola Tinubu’s humane stance ensures they will be duly compensated. Engagements with affected property owners will commence next Wednesday to determine compensation, marking the first phase…
A prominent Vietnamese real estate magnate, Truong My Lan, has been condemned to death for her role in one of the largest corruption scandals in history, implicating an estimated $27 billion in damages. Lan, who chairs the influential development firm Van Thinh Phat, was found guilty of orchestrating a complex scheme to syphon funds from Saigon Commercial Bank (SCB) over a span of ten years. The verdict, delivered by a panel consisting of three jurors and two judges, dismissed all of the defendant’s defences. The court’s ruling emphasised the erosion of public trust in the governing Communist Party and state…
The throne of Olubadan of Ibadanland, left vacant after the passing of Oba Mahood Olalekan Balogun, has found its next occupant. High Chief Owolabi Akinloye Olakulehin has been unanimously appointed as the 43rd Olubadan of Ibadanland by the kingmakers, who also constitute the Olubadan-in-Council. The decision to appoint Olakulehin was reached during a meeting convened at Mapo Hall on Friday. Commencing at 11:00 am and concluding shortly after 12:00 pm, the gathering saw the ratification of Olakulehin’s nomination. The nomination, proposed by Osi Balogun of Ibadanland, High Chief Lateef Adebimpe, received unanimous approval from all members present, including the former…
Adil Muhammad, a Somali, sits in a Russian military uniform among other prisoners of war (POWs) in a press conference in Ukraine’s capital in mid-March. Kyivindependent, the Ukrainian news outlets report that the former infantryman was captured in combat near Marinka in Donetsk Oblast while fighting with the Russian army in Ukraine in early 2024, five months after he came to Moscow on a tourist visa to work and only four days after being deployed to the front lines. Three months into working for $140 a month at a clothing factory, Muhammad saw a billboard with a Russian army advertisement.…
Controversial social media personality Idris Okuneye, widely recognized as Bobrisky, has been sentenced to six months in prison by the Federal High Court in Lagos. More details to follow shortly.