FG suspends 5% telecoms tax on calls, data

The Federal Government has suspended the proposed excise duty on telecommunication services.

The suspension was announced by the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof Isa Pantami, on Monday during the inaugural meeting of the Presidential Committee on Excise Duty for the Digital Economy Sector in Abuja.

According to the minister, the Information, Technology and Communication sector, especially the telecom industry, is already overburdened by excessive and multiple taxations, which will likely adversely affect the sector, if the government fails to take any precaution.

Pantami noted that the ICT sector has been the backbone of the Nigerian economy both in the area of its contribution to the Gross Domestic Product and taxes collected by the Federal Inland Revenue Service.

The minister said,

“However, in spite of the contributions and achievements of the sector, we have been recording some challenges coming up from time to time that if care is not taken these challenges could be a barrier to the development of this sector in the next few years to come.

One of them is the issue of excessive taxation and sometimes, multiple taxations in the sector.”He further disclosed that the number of taxes from both federal and state levels paid by firms in the ICT sector rose from 39 in August to 41 in September 2022, within a period of about a month.

“The ICT sector is being overburdened with so many categories of tax,” Pantami stressed, adding, “If care is not taken, this is going to jeopardize the achievements and gains we have recorded so far in the sector.”

The Federal Government, through the Budget Office of the Federation, had earlier revealed that it would begin the implementation of its proposed excise duties on telecommunication services and beverages in 2023.

However, Pantami has maintained that he is against implementing this tax, which would increase the cost of telecommunication services for Nigerians.

The minister noted that with the increase in operating costs due to inflation and rising diesel, among others, there were more than 15 attempts to increase the price of telecommunication services within three years, which he kicked against.

The minister also said that he rejected the excise duty on telecoms because such a tax is usually introduced on luxury products or services.

He added that in most countries, it is usually introduced to reduce the consumption of certain things in the country, such as cigarettes.

Pantami noted that by implication, it means the government is discouraging Nigerians from using telecommunication services, which have become a necessity for many Nigerians.

He said that introducing the tax would likely destroy the sector and further contribute to more hardship for Nigerians.

The Federal Government, however, inaugurated a committee to review the possibility of introducing the excise duty in the digital economy sector and advise the presidency on the necessary steps to take.

Building collapse: Four more corpses recovered, commissioner resigns

Search and rescue operatives combing the rubble of the seven-storey building that collapsed at Oba Idowu Oniru Street, Lekki, Lagos State, have recovered four more corpses.

The Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, in a statement on Monday, confirmed the development 24 hours after emergency responders had recovered two corpses at the scene of the incident on Sunday.

Oke-Osanyintolu said,

“The agency alongside other first responders has been working for over 24 hours at the seven-storey building which collapsed yesterday.

Another four bodies have been extricated from the rubble bringing the fatalities to six. The process is ongoing.”

Similarly, the Lagos Territorial Coordinator, National Emergency Management Agency, Ibrahim Farinloye, in a chat with our correspondent, also confirmed that four corpses including that of an adult male were recovered.He said,

“Six corpses including that of an elderly man have been recovered from the rubble as recovery efforts continue.”

NPG had reported that some persons were sleeping in the seven-storey building under construction when the building collapsed around 3am on Sunday.

While some of the occupants escaped death, it was learnt that some other persons, who were unlucky, were trapped in the rubble of the collapsed building.

Emergency responders including officials of the LASEMA, the NEMA, and the police, among others, had been engaging in a search and rescue operation to rescue the trapped victims.

Reacting, the state Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Dr Idris Salako, had in a statement, ordered the arrest of the developer and other professionals involved in the collapsed building.

However, a series of building collapses that claimed the lives of residents had been recorded in the state.

Angered by these tragic developments, residents alongside experts in the building industry had slammed developers, among others, for using substandard materials and not conforming to standard building regulations in Lagos State.

Also, the Lagos State Government, particularly the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development, had also been under heavy criticism for the reoccurring building collapse killing people in the state.

Amid the criticisms, a statement by the state Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso, confirmed Salako’s resignation, noting that the commissioner’s resignation was part of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s efforts to restructure the ministry and its agencies.

“Governor Sanwo-Olu thanked the Commissioner for his services to the state and wishes him success in his future endeavours.

“The Governor warns all players in the sector to respect the law or face the consequences of any indiscretion, no matter who the perpetrators are,” the statement said.

Suspected stowaway discovered in parked aircraft at Lagos airport

A suspected stowaway has been arrested at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.

The middle-aged man was found in one of the aircraft belonging to United Nigeria Airlines which was parked at the MMA domestic terminal two on Sunday morning, September 4, 2022.

Head, Corporate Communications of the airline, Achilleus-Chud Uchegbu, who confirmed the incident in a statement said the suspect looked “unkempt and unconscious,” Uchegbu said the suspect was discovered during the pre-flight inspection in the morning, adding that he had been handed over to the security agencies, saying the aviation security (AVSEC) personnel of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN).

He added that the aircraft last operated Abuja-Lagos at 7.30pm on September 3, 2022 and was securely parked at the apron following post flight inspection.

“During preflight inspection this morning, a stowaway was found in one of our aircraft parked at MMA2 Ikeja,” the statement read.

“The middle-aged man, who looked unkempt and is suspected to be unconscious, was arrested and taken in for interrogation,” “FAAN, AVSEC and Bicourtney security services are on the ground and investigation has opened into this security breach at MMA2.

“The affected aircraft is being screened and prepared for service in accordance with United Nigeria Airlines strict security and operating standards.

“Meanwhile, the development will result in rescheduling of some flights to accommodate the investigations.

“We regret the delay this incident will cause our esteemed customers whose scheduled flight will be affected. United Nigeria Airlines remains absolutely committed to your safety at all times.”

Excitement As Olu Of Warri Unveils N1m Cash Prize For Warri Tech Challenge

In bid to entrench a digitally educated populace in his domain, especially among the youths, His Majesty, the Olu of Warri, Ogiame Atuwatse III, has blazed the trail by introducing the ‘Olu of Warri Tech Challenge” with cash prize of N1m for the winner.

The Tech based innovative idea of the monarch is aimed at exploring and harnessing the potential among youths by providing the platform to enable them to develop an inventive technological culture.

The hunt for brilliant talented I.T youths is targeted at those between the ages of 18 and 35 years to participate in the Olu of Warri Tech challenges with a passion for technological innovation and state –of – art digital solutions.

According to a post on the official Instagram handle of the wife to the monarch, Olori Atuwatse, III had stated

“With cash prize of one million Naira, the Tech challenge is the golden opportunity for you to showcase your skill and position yourself for global relevance by being technologically innovative.

The challenge requires you to apply technological solutions to solving contemporary problems.

The challenges require you to apply technological solutions to solving contemporary problems. Initiatives and creative idea submitted should solve any prevalent problem across different areas of society.

So in line with the vision of empowering the people and expanding the influence and prestige of Warri Kingdom, His Majesty is intent to driving innovation and technological advancement in Warri through STEM education.

To be eligible, you will have to go through a thorough screening and assessment process and also meet these three criteria which includes, Identifying a problem, designing a creative solution and incorporating relevant features of digital –technology into solution”

Lexus SUV, Toyota Camry recovered as EFCC arrests 41 suspected fraudsters in Awka

Operatives of the Enugu Zonal Command of the EFCC have arrested forty-one (41) suspected internet fraudsters in Awka, Anambra State.

They were arrested on Wednesday, August 31, 2022, following actionable intelligence on their alleged involvement in cyber crimes and other related activities.

A statement released by the commission says sixteen(16) of the suspects were arrested at Umuodu Tansi Road, Awka, Anambra State while the remaining 25 were arrested at Umudu Okpuno Village, Awka South Local Government Area of Anambra State.

The commission gave the names of the suspects as Eze Stanley Chineze, Emmanuel Chijioke Ejikeme, Chinonso Edwin Abonyi, Emmanuel Akoi Chibuike, Henry Umenyi Chukwualuka, Ayo Iteze Chidiebere, Emeka Justice, Emmanuel Ayakem, Ememuo Innocent Ifeanyi and Odinaka Udeh.

Others are: Okonkwo Stanley Chukwuma, Ezeakolam Godswill Chihurumnanya, Emmanuel Mgbakor kenechukwu, Benneth Odinaka, Ndefor Chukwudi, Ngadi Chima, Akalam Lucky Ibuchi, Akalam Michael, Justus Akalam Chunazom, Akalam Kenneth , David Monday Ebuka, Uchechukwu Kingsley Ebuka, Henry Echezona, Onyedika Chukwu, Abuchi Awa, Henry Adumaka, Chidera Chika, Malachi Asonbe, Cosmos Obidimma, Akuma Wisdom, Agwu Victor, Godwin Okoro, Obumneke Nwankwo, Igboanugo Charles, Ibeh Chisom, Agbafuna Ifeanyi, Chukwu Joseph, Chukwu Benard, Anson Ugochukwu, Mathew Chukwuemeka and Temple Emmanuel.

The commission added that items recovered from them are several mobiles phones, laptops, one Lexus RX350 Sports Utility Vehicle, one Lexus ES350 car, another unregistered Lexus ES350 car and one Toyota Camry car.

NYSC DG seeks affordable housing for officials

The Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps, Brigadier General Muhammad Fadah, has assured members of staff, that his administration will ensure conducive work environments and personnel accommodation to boost workers’ morale.

The NYSC boss gave the assurance when he paid a courtesy visit to the Managing Director of the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria, Madu Hamman, Wednesday, in Abuja, adding that a friendly working environment and residential apartment were a necessity for every worker.

Fadah also made a request for the FMBN to sensitise the NYSC officials to enable them benefit from the Federal Government Housing loan and other welfare packages of the bank.

In his remark, the Managing Director of the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria, stated that every human being was expected to have affordable accommodation.

Hamman added that the bank offered various housing plans across the country with many developers, and was still partnering with other organisations and cooperative societies.

He said;

“The bank is doing a lot to make accommodation affordable to Nigerians through mortgage loans. We will come to sensitise the NYSC staff because there are areas of mutual interest where we need to collaborate.”

ASUU extends strike again

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has extended its ongoing strike again.

The decision was taken after the National Executive Council meeting at the union’s headquarters at the University of Abuja on Monday morning, August 29. The ASUU strike began on February 14, 2022, and was initially to last for 4 weeks.

However, on March 14, exactly one month after, ASUU extended its ongoing industrial action by another two months to afford the government more time to address all of its demands. The strike has now entered its 196th day.

The union is on strike over the inability of the Federal Government to implement previous agreements both parties entered into.

The lecturers’ agitations include funding for the revitalization of public universities, earned academic allowances, University Transparency Accountability Solution, promotion arrears and others.

Aircraft fails to land in Imo

Air Peace management has confirmed that its Flight P47154 which departed Lagos at 12pm on Saturday August 27, 2022, for Owerri, could not land due to a bird strike.

The airline management in a brief communique released on Sunday August 28, said the strike got the bird stuck on the left main landing gear of the craft.

The strike also affected the operating parameters of the landing gear which made the pilots follow regulatory safety procedures by returning to Lagos where they landed the aircraft safely without any incident.

Passengers disembarked normally and another aircraft has been deployed to operate the flight.

The airline apologised for the inconveniences caused to all passengers affected by this situation and be assured of its strict compliance with established safety standards

CBN unveils USSD code for eNaira transactions

Godwin Emefiele, Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria on Thursday August 25, inaugurated the unstructured supplementary service data (USSD) code for the eNaira to enhance financial inclusion in the country.

Emefiele who was represented by Folashodun Adenisi-Shonubi, CBN’s Deputy Governor of Operations at a five-day Northern eNaira fair 2022, in Kano, said the new code — *997# — was introduced to engender financial inclusion and avail Nigerians opportunities endless possibilities through financial services.

He also said that the eNaira is a strategic initiative developed in accordance with the bank’s mandate to preserve monetary and financial stability.

Emefiele said;

It captured the slogan ‘same naira, more possibilities’, and designed to positively impact lives of Nigerians, and transform the economy.

“The eNaira is expected to enhance inclusion, support poverty reduction, enable direct welfare disbursement to citizens, support a resilient payments ecosystem, improve availability and usability of central bank money.”

The CBN Governor who expressed hope of the eNaira facilitating diaspora remittances, reducing the cost of processing cash, and improving the efficiency of cross-border payments, among others, also revealed that approximately 45 percent of Nigerians do not have bank accounts, while 35.9 percent are excluded from formal financial services.

He added that about 81 percent of the adult population in Nigeria representing 86 million of the 106 million, own mobile phones.

Emefiele said;

“In addition, there are 150 million mobile subscribers in Nigeria, according to NCC, June 2022.

“Therefore, eNaira seeks to leverage the huge opportunity mobile telecommunication presents, as a distribution channel, for the offering of digital services to the underserved and unbanked population.”

Anthony Joshua lacked confidence against Usyk – Deontay Wilder

American Heavyweight boxer, Deontay Wilder has claimed that Anthony Joshua lost his rematch to Oleksandr Usyk due to a lack of confidence.

Wilder, who is set for a ring return on October 15 against Finland’s Robert Helenius, believes Joshua showed a lack of confidence in the build-up to the fight and has questioned the 32-year-old’s mentality.

“Sometimes you just look at both fighters, and sometimes the eye test will tell it all,” Wilder told ESNews.

“The body language is telling a story, the way the momentum of a fighter is telling a story, you could look at Usyk and tell how confident he was, how the tables have turned, you could tell he owned it, he feels like who he is.

“With Joshua, you could tell that he wasn’t himself, his usual self of being motivated and secure within himself.”

Wilder also claimed he received an offer from Eddie Hearn before Joshua’s fight with Usyk, adding that it was a sign the promoter did not have full confidence in Joshua’s ability to reclaim the heavyweight titles.

“Eddie Hearn came to us, after everything is over with my fight, talking about offering a deal,” said Wilder.

“My thing is we’re busy. For me, it’s easy to see what was going on. Boxing’s solely a business, it’s not a sport. It’s strictly a business.

“But he was trying to contact us for reassurance.

All of a sudden you want to make a fight because even you don’t have confidence in your own fighter that he was going to win.

“For me, he was trying to make a deal to ensure he can lock something in but the thing about it is when you lose that price goes up. He ain’t going to get no solid deal locked in. We’re not stupid, when you’re

EFCC kicks against creation of Electoral Offences Commission

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has opposed the creation of a National Electoral Offences Commission.

Abdulrasheed Bawa, Chairman of EFCC, who was represented by Deborah Ademu-Eteh, an EFCC Assistant Commander, at a public hearing organised by the house of representatives committee on electoral matters for a bill to establish the National Electoral Offences Commission on Tuesday August 23, said the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), the police, EFCC and other law enforcement agencies are already empowered by extant laws to investigate and prosecute electoral crimes.

Bawa said;

“There is no need to create an agency solely for the purpose of investigating and prosecuting electoral offences most especially when our electoral process is seasonal in nature and elections are held once in four years in the country.

“Furthermore, it is our suggestion that the existing law enforcement agencies should be strengthened to achieve maximum output instead of creating a new agency for investigation and prosecution of electoral offences in the light of the ongoing plan to implement the Oronsanye Committee’s proposal by the Federal Government Of Nigeria.”

Elon Musk alleges Twitter is hiding key witnesses in lawsuit over him backing out of $44 billion-dollar buyout

Elon Musk is reportedly accusing Twitter Inc. of hiding key witnesses in their legal battle over whether he must consummate a $44 billion buyout of the company.

According to Bloomberg, Musk is allerging that the social media company isn’t producing the names of employees specifically responsible for evaluating how much of Twitter’s customer base is made up of spam and robot accounts.

This was disclosed by people who asked not to be identified because they weren’t authorized to speak publicly about the matter.

Musk’s lawyers have asked the judge in the case to force Twitter to identify the workers so the defense can get their records and question them, the people said.

A letter asking Delaware Chancery Court Judge Kathaleen St. J. McCormick to compel Twitter to hand over the names was filed Tuesday under seal. Under the court’s rules, Twitter’s attorneys have five business days to decide what should be redacted from the filing as proprietary information.

A Twitter spokesman declined to comment on the filing.The letter comes as the Tesla Inc co-founder said Tuesday he is selling $6.9 billion of Tesla shares to avoid a sudden sale in the event he is forced to go ahead with the deal to acquire Twitter. That has prompted some analysts to predict the billionaire may settle the case.

The report said Twitter has handed over the names of “records custodians,” who aren’t as familiar with the data at issue, the people said. Musk wants McCormick to force Twitter to come up with the names of the employees charged with monitoring those accounts, they said.

Both sides have issued a torrent of subpoenas to banks, investors and lawyers involved in the teetering transaction as they seek ammunition for an October 17 trial.

“It’s another salvo in the discovery wars that are common in this kind of litigation,” said Carl Tobias, a University of Richmond law professor who specializes in securities and merger and acquisition law. “Both sides are jockeying for position by targeting different information.”

Both Twitter’s lawyers say they’ll need only four days in court to prove Musk is using questions about spam and bot accounts as a pretext to walk away from the deal. The company said it has turned over all its information about those accounts and that it intends to make Musk pay the $54.20 per share he originally agreed to.

Musk counters in court filings that Twitter’s handover of the that material hasn’t been robust and that the company has failed to produce evidence that spam bots account for fewer than 5% of its active users, as it has said in regulatory filings. He argues this gives him a legitimate basis for canceling the buyout.

He alleges Twitter’s disclosures show that the actual number of monetizable daily active users, or mDAU as the industry calls it, is 65 million less than the 238 million Twitter has claimed.

He says Twitter also misrepresents how many of those users view advertising, the company’s main source of revenue. By his estimate, fewer than 16 million users see the majority of ads and should be counted as monetizable.

Nigeria is facing existential threat – World Bank warns

The World Bank has raised an alarm that Nigeria might be facing an existential threat due to its dwindling economy.

The international financial institution opines that the dwindling revenue, the continued payment of trillions of naira on fuel subsidy by the government, and the attendant economic challenges put Nigeria in an unfavorable position economically.

The Senior Public Sector Specialist, Domestic Resource Mobilisation, at the World Bank, Mr Rajul Awasthi, raised the alarm at a virtual pre-summit, with the theme ‘Critical Tax Reforms for Shared Prosperity’, organized by the Nigerian Economic Summit Group on Wednesday, August 10. He insisted Nigeria would have to eliminate the subsidy regime eventually.

In a slide he shared during his presentation, which showed Nigeria’s Development Update, Awasthi explained that between 2015 and 2019, Nigeria’s non-oil revenues were among the lowest in the world and as a result the second lowest in spending, and that oil revenues were also falling even when oil prices were higher.

“Nigeria has the largest economy in Africa and the largest country in Africa by population, so it is critical to Africa’s progress. There is no doubt about that. But the government of Nigeria, from the public finance perspective, is really facing an existential threat.

Let’s not downplay the situation. That is the actual reality. he said Nigeria is 115th out of 115 countries in terms of the average revenue to Gross Domestic Product ratio.

Despite the oil prices rising the way they have been, net oil and gas revenues have been coming down because of the tremendous impact of the subsidy.So, what is going to happen in 2022? The federation’s revenues are going to be significantly lower.

They are already very low, and Nigeria is already the lowest in the world out of 115 large countries and this year, it’s really going to be lower than what it was in 2020 because of the debilitating impact of fuel subsidy.”

Speaking on how to get out of the impending threat, Awasthi stated that in the non-oil sector, Value Added Tax compliance gaps were immense and they needed to be breached as well as rationalise tax expenditures.

Ask Niger Republic to immediately refund N1.4 billion and use it to offset ASUU funding – SERAP tells Buhari administration

SERAP has asked the Buhari administration to demand a refund of the N1.4billion it gave to Niger Republic authorities and use the refund to offset ASUU funding.

The Nigerian government on Wednesday, August 3, confirmed that President Muhammadu Buhari approved the purchase and donation of vehicles, worth N1.4 billion, to neighbouring Niger Republic.

This revelation sparked outrage and the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed, said that the donation was to help Niger address its security concerns. Reacting, civil society group, Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) tweeted:

“The Buhari administration must immediately ask Niger Republic authorities to refund the N1.4 billion approved for them to buy vehicles, and use the money to offset the funding for ASUU, so that poor children can go back to school.”

Sanwo-Olu restates commitment to affordable housing

The Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has restated his commitment to providing affordable housing for different strata of citizens in the state.Sanwo-Olu said this on Tuesday during the inauguration of the Channel Point Apartments project executed by the Lagos State Development and Property Corporation and Brook Assets and Resources Limited on Victoria Island.

He said,

“In the housing industry, this is the 16th housing project that we have handed over to our citizens and I want to assure you that there are still a whole lot more. For instance, before the end of the year, I am sure the Ministry of Housing has about four major projects to hand over hundreds of flats to citizens.

We are not just building; we are ensuring that we build affordable housing for different strata of our citizens – from the low budget to the middle budget to beautiful apartments like this in the heart of Victoria Island and we are also building in Ikorodu, Badagry, Epe, Ilupeju, Surulere, and Ikota.

As we pursue this housing agenda, we are also rigorously pursuing a comprehensive urban renewal.”The Managing Director of LSDPC, Ayodeji Joseph, disclosed that its partnership with the private sector will lead to more projects in the next 18 months.

“We are glad that through this joint venture with Brooks Assets and resources Limited, we have been able to deliver 38 family residential units of commensurable value and quality, and the flats have modern facilities,” he stated.

Attempts to secure lawyer, Inihebe Effiong’s release through sustained engagement has been unsuccessful – NBA President, Olumide Akpata

The President of the Nigerian Bar Association NBA, Olumide Akpata, has said that various attempts employed by the association towards the release of a popular lawyer, Inihebe Effiong, have been unsuccessful.

On July 27, Effiong raised an alarm on social media after an Akwa Ibom Chief Judge, Justice Ekaette Obot, sent him to jail for one month following his alleged contemptuous conduct while in court. He alleged that he was sentenced to one month in prison after he asked the Chief Judge to remove the armed policemen in the courtroom. He shared photos of himself in the prison van after he was escorted out of the court premises. Read here.

In an update given this morning on social media, Akpata said efforts to get the matter resolved and get Effiong released from prison have been unsuccessful. According to him, the Chief Judge indicates that she is ”unwilling or unable to further entertain the matter.’ Akpata says findings by the NBA show the court did not follow due process in the committal proceedings.

He said Effiong was not given a ‘fair hearing in court and an opportunity to recant or purge himself.’ He added that the NBA will now explore the option of appealing the decision of the judge.

Read his statement below…

”Last week, I provided an update on the efforts being made by the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) towards securing the release of our colleague, Mr. Inibehe Effiong, who was remanded in custody on the order of the Chief Judge of Akwa Ibom State on account of alleged contemptuous conduct in Her Lordship’s court.

Unfortunately, attempts to secure Mr. Effiong’s release through sustained engagements at different levels have been unsuccessful with the Chief Judge indicating that she was unwilling or unable to further entertain the matter.In the circumstance, the NBA is left with no choice but to work on an appeal against the decision of Her Lordship, and I have instructed the NBA team to work with Mr. Effiong on an immediate appeal.

This is not the outcome that we had expected because there is a high chance that Mr. Effiong would serve out his one-month custodial term before the end of the appeal.

Regardless of the conduct of Mr. Effiong in the courtroom on the date of the proceedings that led to his committal, one thing that has come out from the various accounts that the NBA has so far received is that Hon. Justice Ekaette Obot did not follow due process in the committal proceedings.

Mr. Effiong was not put in the dock, told what his wrong or contempt was, given fair hearing or even an opportunity to recant or purge himself (a courtesy that the Bench should, at the minimum, extend to counsel where counsel’s conduct is said to be contemptuous).

This on its face not only runs afoul of known practice and procedure in such cases but is also unconstitutional. In view of the foregoing and depending on the outcome of our ongoing investigations, the NBA may be forced to take this matter up with the National Judicial Council.”

“The numbers used to communicate with them can easily be traced” – Actress, Monalisa Chinda says after two Nollywood colleagues were kidnapped

Nollywood actress, Monalisa Chinda has revealed that the numbers used to communicate with her kidnapped colleagues can easily be traced. Monalisa, who is the Director of Communications of the Actors’ Guild of Nigeria (AGN), took to Instagram to question the kidnap of actress Cynthia Okereke and actor Clemson Cornel after they didn’t return home from a movie location. The kidnappers have demanded ransom of $100k. Expressing shock over the amount demanded by the kidnappers, Monalisa said she doesn’t understand why anyone would think Nollywood actors have such money. She added that the numbers used to communicate with the actors in captivity can easily be traced.

Recall that Isa Pantami, the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy in Nigeria, had directed that all SIM cards should be linked to their owners’ National Identification Numbers (NIN) to tackle insecurity in the country. Phone lines not linked to owners’ NIN were barred from making calls earlier this year.

Broadcaster Under Fire Over Traffic Offence

A broadcaster, Rufai Oseni, has come under fire from the Lagos State Police Command spokesman, Benjamin Hundeyin and the Chief Press Secretary to the Lagos State governor, Gboyega Akosile, for committing a traffic offence.

Oseni first tweeted, claiming that a gun was pointed at him and his vehicle driven away.He said, “A Nigerian police officer pointed a gun at me and forcefully took my keys and drove my car off, because he wanted to enforce a traffic infraction.”

Responding, Hundeyin said,“Rufai, let’s not do this. You admitted to me that you passed a BRT lane. It’s against the law. Your claim that Google maps took you there is not tenable. You disobeyed and resisted the officers. We’ll sanction the officer who misused firearm if proven.”

Oseni fired båck saying, “#BenHundeyin, a gun was pointed at me and my car was forcefully driven off. Now you are lying Ben, if I resisted how did they drive my car off and why did you ask me to send my car details? All I want is justice. I noted there was an infraction.

It’s best you stop the lies!”Meanwhile, the CPS joined the fray saying, “Thank you Rufai, while the #PoliceNG deal with the police officer in their own way, we’d ensure that necessary action is taken against you for driving on BRT lane as you’ve admitted to the police.