N8bn currency scam: Court remands six CBN officials, others

Some of the accused

JUSTICE Ayo Emmanuel of a Federal High Court, Ibadan, on Tuesday remanded six officials of the Central Bank of Nigeria arraigned for stealing and circulating mutilated Naira notes meant for destruction by the apex bank.

The six — Patience Okoro, Afolabi Johnson, Ilori Sunday, Kolawole Babalola, Olaniran Adeola and Fatai Yusuf — were arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, charged for conspiracy, diversion and stealing of mutilated naira notes worth N8bn.

Suicide bomber kills 50 after shouting Sai Buhari

Director, Defence Information, Maj. Gen. Chris Olukolade

Another bomb blast rocked the troubled Borno State capital of Maiduguri   late on Tuesday morning , leaving many dead and others wounded.

Prior to the explosion at the popular Kasuwan Shanu (meat market), residents were rudely woken up at 12:45am on Monday by gunshots that boomed in parts of the city till 2pm.

No official reason was given by the military authorities for the gunshots which many of the residents feared were fired by advancing Boko Haram insurgents.

Senators, Reps to leave with 109 jeeps, 360 exotic cars

National Assembly building, Abuja

Senators and members of the House of Representatives will go home with the operational vehicles of the National Assembly currently in their possession as the 7th Assembly winds down on Friday.

Each of the 109 senators has a Toyota Land Cruiser Prado, commonly referred to as ‘jeep’, assigned to them for “operational” purposes like carrying out committee and oversight duties.

Buhari likely to head oil ministry in new cabinet

President Muhammadu Buhari

There are speculations that President Muhammadu Buhari will keep the petroleum minister portfolio for himself in the new cabinet rather than trust anyone else with the ministry, which currently contributes over 80 per cent of Nigeria’s revenue.

Reuters quoted some close associates of the President as saying this on Tuesday.

One long-standing associate of Buhari, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the cabinet decision was still under wraps, said Nigeria’s oil sector was so dirty that nobody’s hands were clean enough to do the “surgical changes” needed.

Lagos tanker fire destroys 40 shops, 25 vehicles

| credits: Saheed Olugbon

No fewer than 40 shops, four buildings, 25 vehicles and six tricycles were ravaged by fire on Tuesday in the Iyana-Ipaja area of Lagos after a fuel-laden tanker marked, KJA 238 XN, skidded off the bridge and was engulfed in flames.

The tanker, carrying 33,000 litres of petrol, was said to have fallen on a van parked under the bridge, spilling its content which ran through the drainage channels from Iyana-Ipaja Road to Adebanjo, Oremeji, Oki and Bakare Jafojo streets.

Military aids electoral fraud –Okorocha

Governor of Imo State, Rochas Okorocha
| credits: File copy

The Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha, has frowned on the way the Peoples Democratic Party “rigged” the elections of Saturday and has therefore called for the outright cancellation of the results in six local government areas of the state.

He also said that the election in the state was full of combined conspiracy with military intervention.

The governor, who addressed journalists on Monday at the Government House, Owerri, accused notable chieftains of the PDP in the state of using the military to terrorise voters.

He alleged that such areas as Oru East, Ohaji/Egbema, Ngor Okpala, Aboh Mbaise and parts of Owerri West did not only witnessed unprecedented rigging but also abduction and kidnapping of agents of rival political parties who were manhandled and forced to lie prostrate on the ground by soldiers acting on the orders of the Federal Government.

Military frees women, children seized by B’Haram

 

Nigeria Defence spokesman, Major General Chris Olukolade

The Director, Defence Information, Maj. Gen. Chris Olukolade, has said that troops of the Nigerian Army have recovered some women and children who were locked up by insurgents in Gwoza.

Olukolade said that the hostages were being given medical attention and necessary care by troops pending the arrival of troops in the area.

He said that some of the freed hostages were providing useful information to troops on the activities of the soldiers.

“A number of women, the elderly and children who were locked up by fleeing terrorists in Gwoza have been freed by troops as cordon and search along with mopping up operations continue in the town.

“The freed hostages some of whom are so weak are being given medical attention while others are also receiving necessary care pending the arrival and activities of aid agencies.

“Some of them are also providing useful information for the intelligence in aid of troops operations in the area.”