52 members of the Biafra Zionist Front (BZF) led by Benjamin Onwuka, who were arrested in Enugu on May 30, while allegedly on their way to hoist the Biafra flag inside the Enugu Government House, have been remanded in Enugu Correctional facility.

The Pro-Biafra agitators had concluded a procession near the Okpara Square and were marching to the Government House when they were arrested.

They were arraigned at the Enugu Magistrate Court Wednesday, May 31, and remanded in prison alongside their leader Benjamin Onwuka.

This is reportedly the third time in recent years that the Ben Onwuka-led BZF had attempted to gain access to the Enugu House failing on each occasion.

They had also in the past allegedly tried to seize the Enugu Broadcasting Service but were stopped by the police.

One of their members was shot dead in the process.

Police in Lagos State arraigned a 42-year-old Quran teacher, Suleiman Araromi, before an Ogudu Magistrates Court on Thursday for allegedly having sexual intercourse with a lady and defrauding her of N536,000.

Mr Araromi, who resides at Balogun Ilawe Street, Alapere, Lagos, is facing a three-count charge of stealing, fraud and unlawful sexual intercourse with the lady.

Police prosecutor, Insp Donjour Perezi told the court that the defendant committed the offences in February at Mile 12, Lagos.

Mr Perezi said the defendant told the lady, who sold medicinal herbs to pay N536,000 to him so he could pray for her for her blessings to manifest.

He added that the defendant fraudulently obtained the N536,000 through his bank account in installments paid by the lady.

Mr Perezi said the Quran teacher also had sexual intercourse with the lady without her consent.

He said the offences contravened Sections 260, 287 and 314 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State (2015).

Mr Araromi pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Section 260 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State stipulates life imprisonment for rape, while Section 314 stipulates 15 years for fraud.

Presiding magistrate, Mrs M.O Tanimola, remanded Araromi in a correctional facility pending advice from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions on the matter.

Ms Tanimola adjourned the case till June 26 for mention.

On Wednesday, at least eight people died in an auto crash at Shadarki village along the Bauchi-Darazo road in Darazo local council of Bauchi.

FRSC sector commander Yusuf Abdullahi, who confirmed this in a road traffic crash report released in Bauchi on Thursday, said six other persons sustained various injuries.

The crash involved a white Toyota Hilux pick-up vehicle with number plate BPP 041 and a white commercial Volkswagen Golf 3 car with registration number DX 65 EKY, which occurred around 1:32 p.m.

He added that it took FRSC’s personnel barely 10 minutes to arrive at the crash scene to clear the site.

Mr Abdullahi, who attributed the cause of the crash to wrongful overtaking, said that items recovered from the crash scene included four mobile phones and other personal effects.

“Fourteen persons were involved in the fatal road crash, and there were five male adults, six female adults, two male children, and one female child.

Eight of them lost their lives on the spot, and there were two male adults, three female adults, two male children and one female child,” said the FRSC commander.

The wounded and deceased were taken to the General Hospital, Darazo.

The police command in Delta has foiled a kidnap and killed two suspects in an ensuing shootout.

The spokesman of the command, DSP Bright Edafe, disclosed this to reporters on Wednesday in Warri.

Mr Edafe said the deceased were neutralised by the police operatives attached to the Ovwian/Aladja Division, Udu Local Government Area.

He explained that the Divisional Police Officer (DPO), CSP Aliyu Shaba, received a distress call at about 1:30 p.m. on May 31 that suspected kidnappers had abducted a couple on the DSC/Effurrun Expressway in Warri, Delta State.

“The DPO swiftly trailed the suspected kidnappers and eventually intercepted the vehicle on Warri-Sapele Road,” he said.

Mr Edafe said the kidnappers, upon sighting the police team, opened fire on them to escape.

He said the police responded, and in the process, two gang members were neutralised while the others abandoned the vehicle and escaped.

The police spokesman said the victims were rescued unhurt, and one AK-47 rifle with breach Number 16869; 46 rounds of 7.62 live ammunition, one pump action gun and 13 live cartridges were recovered.

Mr Edafe said the command had launched a manhunt for the fleeing suspects to apprehend and prosecute them.

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has rejected the new pump price of petrol fixed by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL).

Outlets across the country were asked to sell fuel between N480 and N570 per litre.

Garba Deen Muhammad, Chief Corporate Communications Officer, NNPC Ltd, said the price adjustment was made in line with “market realities”.

Reacting to the increment, NLC President, Comrade Joe Ajaero, said they won’t accept the fuel hike. He stated that the federal government cannot increase fuel price unilaterally.

Bandits killed 25 people in three separate attacks in Kanoma district, Maru Local Government Area of Zamfara State on Tuesday, May 30, 2023.

Residents told Daily Trust that the armed men had earlier trapped a prominent vigilante leader in Kanoma identified as Dahiru Dangamji and three of his lieutenants in a forest 5km south of Kanoma town and shot them dead.

A resident, Ibrahim Aliyu, said the armed men had, for quite a long time, been targeting the vigilante leader and some of his top boys.

“The news of the killing of the vigilante leader filtered into the community. Shortly afterwards, dozens of armed vigilantes mobilised and headed to the forest to confront the armed criminals and avenge the killing of their leader,” he said.

“But the gunmen who were informed that the vigilantes were coming into the forest laid an ambush and shot dead 16 of them. However, casualties were also recorded on the part of the armed men. Reports said more than ten of them were killed. But, this cannot be independently verified.

“The armed criminals thereafter moved to a goldmine near the Danzara community and shot dead five artisanal miners. The bodies of the slain miners and the vigilantes are being scooped from the forest for burial.

“As I’m talking to you there is a tense security climate in Kanoma community as armed men were spotted approaching the town apparently for attack. We are calling on the security operatives to expedite action against them,” Ibrahim said.

The Lagos State Police Command has arrested a 28-year-old man, Olumide Oyewole, who allegedly raped and robbed a woman in her apartment in the Ilasan area of Lekki.

Oyewole allegedly broke into the house of the victim simply identified as Cynthia around 8pm on Monday, May 29, 2023, tied her legs before raping her at knifepoint.

After raping the victim, the suspect stole an iPhone 12 Promax, one Samsung S9, one small Nokia phone; two bottles of perfume, two wristwatches, one necklace, an iPhone charger and $10, 000.

The victim was said to have reported at the nearest police station and the suspect was arrested.

Spokesperson of the command, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, who confirmed the incident in a statement on Tuesday, May 30, said detectives were sent to the crime scene and the suspect’s house where some of the exhibits were recovered.

“The police made an arrest this morning around 9.50 am at the Ilasan, area of Lekki, Lagos State. One Cynthia (surname withheld) visited the Ilasan Police Division and reported that she was raped and robbed by one Olumide Oyewole,” the PPRO stated.

“She (the victim) in the company of some policemen went and arrested the suspect. She reported that on Monday around 8 pm, she was in her room when she heard a knock on her door, she said when she went to open the door, the suspect, Oyewole forced himself into her room with his face masked and a knife in his possession.

“Oyewole allegedly tied her two hands with a rope and had canal knowledge of her. He afterwards ransacked her room and went away with an iPhone 12 Promax, one Samsung S9, one small Nokia phone; two bottles of perfume, two wristwatches, one necklace, an iPhone charger and $10 000.”

Hundeyin added that an investigation was ongoing and that the case would be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department, Panti.

The federal government has changed the date for the collection of the National Honour Award for the recipients to yet undisclosed date.

Ibiene Roberts, permanent secretary of the ministry of special duties and intergovernmental affairs, disclosed this in a circular issued on Tuesday.

The date for the collection of the award certificates and medals was earlier fixed for June 1.

The circular cited “circumstances beyond the control” of the ministry as the reason for shifting the date, informing award recipients that a new date would be communicated to them.

“All award recipients are to send copies of their citations/resumes to the secretary, National Honours Awards Committee, Federal Ministry of Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs (FMSDIGA) on or before June 9,” said the circular.

It added, “The soft copies should be sent to the following e-mail addresses: umaruahmadu82@yahoo.com, doobisag@yahoo.com in the following format: A. biodata:, title:, surname:, other names:, gender:,, phone no.:, email:, state of origin:, address:. B. citation and biography (not more than 500 words):, early life:, educational qualifications:, career/achievements:, personal life hobbies etc.): and C. passport photograph.”

The permanent secretary apologised for any inconvenience the change of date might have caused the recipients.

“For further enquiries or clarification, please contact the Secretary, National Honours Awards Committee on the following Tel. Nos: 08059382659 and 08034508837,” stated the circular.

A renowned Ondo-based lawyer, Olurotimi Daudu, has thrown his weight behind the removal of the fuel subsidy, saying the action is in the interest of the ‘poor and not the rich.’

Mr Daudu, who was reacting to the removal of the fuel subsidy by the new President, Bola Tinubu, said Nigerians needed to exercise little patience as the decision is in the interest of the common man and the majority.

“Anytime we talk about fuel subsidy, what we do is to subsidise for the rich and how many poor Nigerians have the vehicle we talking about?

“So for me, that’s a good thing that he (Tinubu) has removed it. Although it’s going to be hard, there is nothing good that comes easy,” he said on Tuesday in Akure.

On Monday, Mr Tinubu announced that his government would no longer pay fuel subsidy, saying it’s only profiting the rich at the expense of the country’s economic growth.

He explained that subsidy can no longer justify its ever-increasing costs in the wake of drying resources, adding that the fund should be re-channelled towards infrastructure and investment.

“We shall instead re-channel the funds into better investment in public infrastructure, education, health care, jobs that will materially improve the lives of millions,” Mr Tinubu said while delivering his speech, shortly after he took the oath of office.

Positing further, the Ondo lawyer said Nigerians would soon overcome the challenges that come with the removal of the fuel subsidy.

He specifically noted that the decision must have been a very tough one to make for Mr Tinubu, adding that the new President already meant well for the country with some of his policies.

“Initially, we are going to feel the pains, I just encourage Nigerians to trust in Tinubu. He means well for Nigeria, and are going to overcome those initial challenges and the time of prosperity will be enthroned on our country, ” he said.

While stressing the need to boom the economy of the country, Mr Daud said that governance under Mr Tinubu’s administration would need a ‘paradigm shift’ to attract development.

“We expect a complete paradigm shift in governance as this is a man who is passionate about the development of Nigeria. He is a man with tremendous capacity and a global network.

“So, we know he is going to build our economy, and there will be jobs for our youths. Nigeria will gain tremendous international recognition because of the goodwill he possesses,” he added.