Premium Gist sees all, knows all
Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai and his wife, Hajiya Aisha Ummi Garba El-Rufai, have welcomed their fourth child together.
The baby has been named Fatima Layan El-Rufai.
The Governor’s sons, Bashir and Bello, shared photos from the ceremony held to welcome the addition to their family.
“With the latest El-Rufai in town. Fatima Layan. Allah ya raya mana. So glad to have Aunty Umms back,” Bello wrote.
A 35-year-old teacher identified as Aderonke Makinde has been arraigned before the Ogba Magistrates court sitting in the Ikeja area of Lagos State, for allegedly flogging a nine-year-old girl, Oyinkansola Kayode, with a cane at her school located in the Mushin area of Lagos State.
The police prosecutor, DSP Ajayi Kehinde, told the court that Makinde is facing one count of assault and that she committed the offense on March 28, 2023.
The charge sheet read;
“That you, Aderonke Makinde, on March 28, 2023, at Westgate Land Emperial Creche, Nursery and Primary School at No. 1 Okesanya Street, Papa-Ajao, Mushin, Lagos State in the Lagos Magisterial District did assault one Oyinkansola Kayode, nine-year-old by flogging her with a cane and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 172 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.”
When the charge was read to her, Makinde pleaded not guilty.
The Magistrate, E. Kubenje, granted the defendant bail in the sum of N50,000 with one surety in like sum and adjourned the case was adjourned till June 7, 2023.
Former Emir of Kano, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi has warned against petrol subsidy which he said is having a negative impact on the nation’s economy.
Speaking at a book presentation in Abuja on Tuesday, May 9, Sanusi said it amounts to “stupidity” for the Federal Government to continue subsidy payments when it is clear that it is pushing the nation into ”bankruptcy.”
The former Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria who called on the incoming government of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu to stop the policy, added that those in support of subsidy must realise that “cheap fuel” is not more beneficial to the poor than education, healthcare and power.
He said;
“In 2011, we tried to explain that it’s bad economics; for every $1 billion Nigeria spends on fuel subsidy, it is $1 billion out of education, $1 billion out of healthcare, $1 billion out of power, $1billion out of infrastructure.
“What you (people in support of subsidy) are saying is that for the poor people in this nation, cheap fuel is more important than education, more important than healthcare, more important than power, etc. If you do that for 30, 40 years, what kind of country are you going to have? Which is what we have had.
“As subsidy is, you’ll say if the price is X, we’ll pay 20 percent of it. That’s a subsidy. You will never pay more than X. For a product, whose price I do not control, it doesn’t matter whether the oil price is $200 or $150 a barrel, the Nigerian government has an unlimited pocket, and it will fund the difference.
“The exchange rate can move from N150 to N500 and the Nigerian government will fund it (subsidy). It’s stupidity. You’re heading to bankruptcy. We are walking into bankruptcy with our eyes open.
“We can’t ignore that, and therefore, if I have a new government on May 29 that tells me, ‘Oh, I’m going to continue paying this subsidy for the next three years,’ I’m going to say you’re not serious.
“I’m going to just close my eyes and get ready for the next election in 2027 because we’re going to be here in 2027 talking about the same things.
“People say phase it, but what happens if you start phasing and a year from now you’ve had a massive devaluation? ”
The returnees were from Lagos, Kano, Katsina, Jigawa and Kaduna, among other states and comprised 94 males, 25 females and 29 children (13 males and 16 females).
Between February and April, NEMA received 548 stranded Nigerians from Niamey, Niger Republic and Chad.
The NEMA coordinator explained that the returnees were brought back under the custody of the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) from Niamey through a voluntary repatriation programme.
Mr Abdullahi said the programme was designed for the distressed who had left the country to seek greener pastures in various European countries and could not afford to return.
“The returnees will undergo a three-day training on how to achieve self-sustainability and will be provided with capital to enable them to engage in productive ventures to be self-reliant,” he said.
The NEMA coordinator advised Nigerian youths to avoid endangering their lives by travelling illegally to seek greener pastures in other countries, saying no country is better than Nigeria.
He urged them to be determined to start a new slate by putting behind their experiences, adding that they should be ambassadors in sensitising Nigerians against irregular migration.
The evacuated Nigerians were received by NEMA together with SEMA, Nigeria Red Cross, the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and IDPs and the State Security Service.
Plateau State University (PLASU) says its security operatives repelled an attack on the campus by bandits on Tuesday night.
The school authority said the gunmen invaded the female hostel of the institution in Bokkos between Tuesday night and Wednesday, but there was no abduction.
The spokesman for the school, John Agams, confirmed the incident.
Mr Agams disclosed that the attackers stormed the university to kidnap students, but the local security men in the university repelled them.”
It is true that gunmen attempted to kidnap some of our students, but the attempt was repelled by our local security men.
In the process, one student was injured, but no student was abducted,” the official stated.
He added,
”The vice-chancellor, Prof Benard Matur, is currently at the school premises and appealing to students to be peaceful.”
However, the police command in Plateau has not commented on the attack.
The Ogudu Chief Magistrates’ Court in Lagos has remanded a couple, Omolara Alashe, 36, and her husband, Ramoni Lateef, 40, for assaulting and raping their 19-year-old housekeeper.
The couple, who reside in Igbonla, Ketu, Lagos, is facing trial for alleged rape, assault, stealing and sexual assault.
The chief magistrate, M.O. Tanimola, who did not take the defendants’ plea, ordered their remand at the Ikoyi Prisons pending receipt of advice from the state director of public prosecutions (DPP).
Ms Tanimola adjourned the case until June 8 for mention.Earlier, the prosecutor, Insp Donjor Perezi, told the court that the defendants committed the offences sometime in March at their residence.
Mr Perezi told the court that the husband, being the first defendant, had sexual intercourse with their 19-year-old housekeeper.
According to Mr Perezi, as the second defendant, the wife usually woke the girl up at night, stripped her naked, and instructed her husband to rape the victim.
“Alashe beat the victim up and penetrated her v*gina with her fingers till she started bleeding. She also denied the victim of her salary and seized her GTB ATM and SIM cards,” stated the police officer.
“She also converted her salaries to her personal use,” the prosecutor told the court, adding that “the case was reported to the police, leading to their arrest.”
Innoson Vehicles Awards N3 Million Scholarship to Indigent Overall Best UTME Candidate Ejikeme Joy.
Innoson Vehicles, a leading Nigerian automobile manufacturer, founded by Chief Dr Innocent Chukwuma OFR, has once again demonstrated its commitment to academic excellence by awarding a N3 million scholarship to Ejikeme Joy, the overall best-performing candidate in the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) for the 2023 academic year.
This gesture by Innoson Vehicles is not only a celebration of academic excellence but also a reflection of the company’s dedication to investing in the education of young Nigerians.
The scholarship will go a long way in providing financial support to Ejikeme Joy, enabling her to pursue her tertiary education with ease in the next five years.
Innoson Vehicles’ decision to award the scholarship to the best UTME candidate is a commendable one, as it not only rewards academic excellence but also serves as an inspiration to other students to strive for excellence in their academic pursuits.
The company will continue to demonstrate its commitment to social responsibility through various initiatives, including scholarship awards, job creation, and support for local communities.
This latest scholarship award is a testament to Innoson Vehicles’ dedication to empowering young Nigerians and investing in the future of the nation.
Ejikeme Joy, An indigene of Enugu State, but resides in Nnewi with his Father who is an Okada rider, thanked the Chairman for the scholarship and promised to make him proud.
Ejikeme Joy, a student of Anglican Girls Secondary School in Nnewi, Anambra state, emerged as the overall best student in the 2023 UTME with a score of 362 Joy’s scores in English Language, Physics, Biology, and Chemistry were broken down as 98%, 89%, 94%, and 81%, respectively.
Cornel Osigwe
Head Corporate Communications
IVM Innoson Group.
The police in Katsina state has arrested a 17-year-old Senior Secondary Student identified as Abdulrahman Ibrahim, for allegedly killing a man after he had snatched the deceased’s phone.
While being paraded before newsmen on Monday, May 8, the police said the teenager who resides in Kofar Sauri quarters, Katsina, was arrested on April 21, 2023, shortly after he lured a phone dealer to the Modoji area of the town “where he attacked and stabbed him with a knife on his neck.”
Speaking to newsmen, the accused said he killed the victim “in self-defence.”
“I killed him when he wanted to kill me and wounded me in the hand,” he told journalists in the Hausa language.
Also paraded was one Dahiru of Central quarters, Sabon Garin, Daura, who had broken into the house of one Murtala Abdullahi, attacked his pregnant wife with a knife and attempted to rape her.
The police added that Dahiru had before his arrest, attacked, robbed and raped two housewives also in Daura.
Dahiru did not deny the allegation during an interview with journalists.
The command said the suspects will be arraigned in court soon.
The Indigenous People of Biafra have declared May 30 as a day for sit-at-home in the South-East to honour its fallen heroes and those who died during the civil war.
In a statement released by its Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, on Monday, May 8, the group called on industries, companies, transport companies (air, land and sea) hotels, schools, and churches to shut down in honour of its heroes and heroines.
The pro-Biafran group stated that the lockdown would be total as every economic, social, religious, and political activities in the region would be suspended with the exception of hospitals, doctors, nurses, ambulances, and other health workers.
The statement read in part reads“IPOB, ably led by the leader, Nnamdi Kanu, wishes to remind Biafrans, friends of Biafra, and lovers of Biafra freedom across the world that May 30 is sacrosanct and every Biafran must remember and honour those who died for us to live.
We remember those who died in the Nigeria genocidal war against Biafra, the mothers and fathers bombed in the marketplaces, hospitals, churches, and those children that the Federal Government starved to their early death. We cannot forget them till eternity.We must remember those who died in slave chains and in tortures in the hands of the slave masters, those thrown overboard, and those that preferred death than to be taken as slaves. We remember them all.
We remember our eternal leader, Ikemba Nnewi Dikedioranma Chukwuemeka Ojukwu, General Philip Efiong, Dr Frank Opigo, Okonko Ndem, Col. Achzie, Bruce Mayrock, Christian aid workers, Biafra aid volunteers, and many others who contribution during the civil war.
We remember IPOB members who were brutally murdered during peaceful protests and rallies, those murdered in Aba, Onitsha, Asaba, Igweocha, Enugu, Nkpor, Ebonyi in cold blood by the Nigeria Army at the resident of our leader, Mazi Nnamdi Okwuchukwu Kanu, in 2017.
This year’s event will be special, and the one-day sit-at-home in Biafraland will be total and will be from 6am to 6pm on May 30, 2023.
Every economic, social, religious, and political activity in Biafraland will be suspended, with the exception of hospitals, doctors, nurses, ambulances, and other health workers. All other people and workplaces are advised to sit at home.
Also, Biafrans in Lagos and other parts of Nigeria are encouraged to join the sit-at-home order on that day; it’s only one day.
We, therefore, advise Biafrans and other residents in Biafra territory to avoid endangering their lives or their businesses by obeying the sit-at-home order from IPOB’s leadership.Wherever our people are or gathered on that day, they must pray with lit candles and must observe three minutes of silence immediately at 12 noon.
Finally, the only joy and rest to appease our fallen heroes and heroines is Biafra restoration. So, ‘we must continue’.”
Bandits have released three of the remaining seven students of the Federal Government College, Birnin Yauri, Kebbi State abducted about two years ago.
Those released are Elizabeth Ogechi Nwafor, Esther Sunday and Aliya Abubakar.
The chairman of parents of the Abducted School Girls’ Forum, Malam Salim Kaoje, said that the newly released girls arrived Kebbi on Monday afternoon, May 8, 2023.
“Yes they released three of the school girls to us on Sunday evening. They are already with the State Government,” Kaoje said.
He did not state if any ransom was paid. Recall that 96 of the FGC students were abducted when bandits attacked the school on June 17, 2021.
While some of the abductees regained their freedom shortly after the attack, 11 of the students remained in the bandits’ captivity.
It will be recalled that four of the girls, Bilha Musa, Faiza Ahmed, Rahma Abdullahi and Hafsa Murtala were released by notorious bandit leader, Dogo Gide last month.
Kaoje said they had paid an undisclosed amount of money to secure the release of the four girls after they sold their properties and a fund raising that saw many Nigerians assist the parents financially.
The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has issued a traffic advisory for travellers using the Lagos-Ibadan expressway to explore alternative routes due to a crash along the road.
FRSC spokesman Bisi Kazeem disclosed this in a statement on Sunday.
“This is, however, not only for the outward Lagos section where the RTC occurred alone but also the inward Lagos section as well. All road users going into and out of Lagos are therefore advised to explore alternative routes,” said the statement.
It added,
“Such routes include Ikorodu through Sagamu and Ijebu-Ode, and Epe for Lagos-bound vehicles,” advising some to ply Abeokuta through Sagamu Interchange “as well for their own good.”
The statement said the crash involving a tanker occurred in the early hours of Sunday under the Ibafo pedestrian bridge on the outward Lagos section of the expressway.
It said FRSC officers and security agents had been on top of the situation since the crash.
The FRSC added that the content of the tanker had been trans-loaded into another one while Ogun firefighters were on the ground to forestall any fire outbreaks.
“Unfortunately, some inpatient drivers who choose to drive against the flow of traffic from all available exit points have done so, thereby causing traffic jams,” the FRSC statement explained.
A man identified as Abdulwahab Sunusi has been arrested for clubbing his 16-year-old son, Mustapha Sunusi, to death for allegedly stealing one measure (mudu) of millet in Tanagar village in Warawa LGA of Kano State.
The incident reportedly occurred on Friday evening, May 5, an eyewitness told Daily Trust;
“Abdulwahab went overboard in an attempt to instill discipline on his 16-year-old son. He lost control of his emotions and clubbed the poor boy to death.” the witness said.
This is coming barely 48 hours after a 22-year-old man hacked his mother to death at Rimi Kebe area of Kano metropolis.
A 48-year-old Lagos landlord, Kehinde Davies, has been arraigned before an Ikeja Magistrates’ Court sitting in Ogba, for allegedly beating up his female tenant.
Punch reports that Davies who is an auto dealer, was arraigned by the police before Magistrate O. I. Raji, on Thursday, May 4, on a two-count charge bordering on battering and conduct likely to cause a breach of public peace.
The prosecutor, Inspector Emmanuel Ajayi, told the court that the defendant allegedly beat his tenant Nafisat Sanusi, on April 16, 2023, around 8.30pm, at No. 17, William Elliot Estate, the Abule Egba area of Lagos.
The prosecutor also told the court that the defendant conducted himself in a manner likely to cause a breach of peace by allegedly beating his client and causing her bodily harm.
According to the prosecutor, the offence committed contravened Sections 172 and 168 (D) of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State of Nigeria 2015.
However, the defendant denied the allegations and pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Following the not-guilty plea, the prosecutor asked the court for a trial date and also urged the court to remand the defendant to a correctional centre pending the determination of the charges against him.
However, the defendant, through his lawyer, pleaded with the court to admit him to bail in the most liberal terms on the ground that he is a first-time offender and that the charges against him are bailable ones.
Consequently, Magistrate Raji, who stood in for Magistrate O. Fagbohun, admitted bail to the defendant in the sum of N100,000, with two sureties in like sum.
The magistrate ordered that the defendant be remanded in the correctional centre till the perfection of the bail conditions, and adjourned the matter till May 25 for mention.
The corpse of a missing Islamic cleric based in Ifon-Orolu, Osun State, Kazeem Lasisi, has been found floating on the Owala River.
The spokesperson of the police in the state, Yemisi Opalola, who confirmed the incident said the command has launched a manhunt for the prime suspect said to be a friend of the deceased.
“Investigation has commenced into the matter. We are looking for his friend that they said saw him last. When he is found, he will be able to shed light on what happened to the deceased,” Opalola said.
It was gathered that the prime suspect and the deceased left for an undisclosed location on Friday and they were not seen again until Lasisi’s corpse was found floating on the river on Saturday, May 6, 2023.
A resident, who was present at the scene where the body was retrieved from the river, told the Punch that when the family of the deceased contacted the suspect, he claimed to be in Edo State.
“Relations of Lasisi that reported the matter to the hunters and police said one of his friends came to pick him up at home on Friday, but he (Lasisi), didn’t return home since then,” the resident said.
“They said they initially thought maybe Lasisi was inside his room, praying, but when they opened the door to his room, he was not found there.
“They told the police and hunters that they saw Lasisi’s mobile phone and the luggage he wanted to travel with inside his room.
They also called the number of his friend who came to pick him up, Ibrahim, and he told them he was already in Benin (Edo State).
Some residents, after searching every part of the town, later found the corpse of the deceased floating on River Owala.”
Two employees of Pizzaman, Seidu Karim and Rashid Abdullah, have been sentenced to 5 years imprisonment for stealing 20 boxes of chicken wings and two gallons of cooking oil from the company’s warehouse located at Nyankyerenease in Kumasi, Ghana.
Prosecuting officer, ASP Jonas Newlove Adjei told the court presided over by H/H Fred Obekyere Esq, that on Monday May 1, 2023, the complainant who is the executive chef of Pizzaman received a call from his warehouse manager that two cooking oil and eight boxes of chicken wings have been stolen.
The chef upon hearing the news quickly went to take their daily stock and discovered that indeed the items had been stolen.
In an emergency meeting the same day, workers were asked to provide the stolen items.
Upon interrogation, Rashid Abdullah said he saw Seidu Karim hiding two gallons of Oki cooking oil behind the fence wall.
Seidu Karim in his defense stated that he saw Rashid Abdullah hiding two boxes of chicken wings at the back of the fence wall as well.
The stolen items were retrieved from them and they were later handed over to the Asuoyeboah police command where investigations were conducted.
In the course of investigations, Seidu Karim confessed that in a period of two months he had stolen twenty (20) gallons of Oki cooking oil from the company.
The accused persons were charged with the offense and were sentenced to 5 years imprisonment in hard labor each by the Kwadaso Circuit Court.
A suspected kidnap kingpin has been arrested by operatives of Benue police command who also gunned down a notorious armed robber in two separate operations in Zaki Biam and Taraku communities of Ukum and Gwer East Local Government Areas, LGAs, of the state respectively.
The state’s police Public Relations Officer, Catherine Anene said the kidnap kingpin was arrested a few days ago after information was received that he was allegedly threatening to abduct a Zaki Biam based businessman.
Anene said;
“Information was received that a kidnapper was threatening one Mr. Innocent of Zaki- Biam town to pay the sum of N5million to an account or he will kidnap and kill. The victim paid the sum of N500,000 to the said account provided by the kidnapper but the threat persisted.
“Police investigation led to the arrest of one Elijah Elisha. A Police uniform and military camouflage trousers were recovered from the suspect during a search in his house and the suspect confessed to the crime.”
The notorious robbery suspect on the other hand, was gunned down at Ankyoor village during an alleged robbery operation.
Anene added;
“While men of Operation Zenda JTF were on routine patrol along Taraku – Otukpo road, they ran into an armed robbery incident at Ankyoor village. And the syndicate engaged the police team in a gun duel.
“Consequently, one of the robbers received gunshot injuries and was rushed to hospital where he was confirmed dead. The corpse has been deposited at the hospital morgue while other gang members escaped with gunshot injuries.
“Item recovered from the suspect includes; one locally made pistol loaded with three rounds of 9mm live ammunition and dried leaves suspected to be Indian hemp. Investigation is ongoing to arrest the fleeing suspects.”
A building belonging to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in Enugu has been gutted by fire.
EFCC Head of Media, Wilson Uwujaren who confirmed this in a statement issued on Friday afternoon, May 5, said one of the buildings within the Zonal Command was consumed by the inferno. No life was lost during the incident.
Uwajuren said;
“The incident which occurred at about 12.30 am Friday, was triggered by a surge in public power supply.
“The ensuing inferno was later put out through the combined efforts of the Enugu State and Federal Fire Service.”
The Kano State Police Command has arrested a 22-year-old man, Ibrahim Musa, who stabbed his mother to death in Nassarawa Local Government Area of the state.
Spokesperson of the command, DSP Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa, who confirmed the development in a statement on Friday, May 5, 2023, said the suspect was arrested at a criminal hideout in Dawakin Tota LGA on Thursday night.
According to the PPRO, the suspect confessed to the crime and also admitted to dealing in illicit drugs.
“On the 4th May 2023 at about 2200hrs (10pm), Ibrahim Musa, ‘m’, 22 years old was arrested at a criminal hideout in Dawakin Tofa LGA, Kano State after stabbing his 50-year-old biological mother to death at Rimin Kebbe Quarters, Nassarawa LGA, Kano State,’ the statement read.
“The suspect confessed to the crime and also confessed to dealing in illicit drug abuse. He will be charged to court upon completion of the investigation,”
“The Commissioner of Police, Kano State Command, CP Mohammed Usaini Gumel, FIPMA, psc appreciates those that assisted with information that led to the arrest and commended the Police Tactical Teams that ensure that the culprit is brought to book.”
A 15-year-old student of Bishop Otubelu Juniorate, Trans Ekulu, Enugu, named Lotanna Azuokeke, who sat for the just-concluded Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, reportedly scored 99 marks in Mathematics.
Dr Chiwuike Uba, Media Adviser to the Bishop of the Diocese of Nike (Anglican Communion), the Founder of the school said Azuokeke, a native of Ọba in the Idemmili South LGA of Anambra State, scored a total of 337 marks in the examination; 88 marks in Chemistry, 86 in Physics, and 64 in the English Language.
The statement read;
“Azụokeke broke record set by Chidera Obi who scored 329 marks to emerge overall best, five years ago.
“Report shows that Azuokeke applied to study Electrical/Electronics Engineering at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka.”
The Transmission Company of Nigeria and the Market Operator have begun a massive disconnection of debtor electricity distribution companies from the national grid over debt.
This came after notices of disconnection from the grid served on some of the Discos by the Market Operator. Punch reported that the MO, a division of the Transmission Company of Nigeria had informed some Discos, including generating companies of the disconnection plan, due to failure to make remittances of ancillary services bills.
After a 60 days extension of the grace period following an intervention by the Minister of Power, Abubakar Aliyu, the market defaulters were expected to comply with the provisions of the Market Rules with respect to payment of their outstanding invoices, posting of adequate bank guarantees, and forwarding of their active Power Purchase Agreements as the case may be, to the MO/TCN.
Discos and Gencos listed among defaulters by the Market Operators included;
Abuja Electricity Distribution Company, Benin Electricity Distribution Company, Enugu Electricity Distribution Company, Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company, Ikeja Electric, Jos Electricity Distribution Company, Kaduna Electric, Kano Electricity Distribution Company, Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company, APL Electric Company Aba, Ajaokuta Steel Company- a special electricity customer.
The defaulting Gencos are Niger Delta Power Holding Company plants and Paras Energy.
Following the development, IBEDC Managing Director/CEO, Kingsley Achife has already announced that there would be a mass disconnection from the national grid following poor remittances by customers.
The action may result in power outages to customers within the IBEDC franchise areas, especially locations with the highest population of defaulters.
Areas to be affected by the mass disconnection are Oyo, Ogun, Osun, Kwara, and parts of Niger, Ekiti and Kogi states.