Speaker of the Kaduna State House of Assembly, Honorable Yusuf Liman, has warned Bello El-Rufai, against threatening and intimidating the House over the probe of his father’s 8-year tenure in office.

The House of Assembly had on Tuesday set up a committee to investigate financial dealings, loans, grants, and project implementation from 2015-2023, during the administration of ex-governor El-Rufai.

However, the speaker alleged that Bello took to social media with two tweets, insinuating a call to “fight” and disrespecting all the members of the Kaduna State House of Assembly.

He further expressed concern that Bello, a member representing Kaduna North in the House of Representatives, sent insulting and subtly threatening messages to him.

The speaker in a statement by his Media Aide, Malam Suraj Bamalli said the screenshots of those tweets and messages have been widely circulated, causing concern among the citizens of Kaduna State.

“It is disheartening that a federal lawmaker, entrusted with representing the people, would resort to such behaviour, attempting to obstruct the lawful functions of the state Assembly,” he said.

According to him, threats and intimidation from anyone, including federal lawmakers, would not deter the Assembly from its pursuit of justice and accountability, adding that the House remained resolute in its mandate to provide checks and balances and uphold the rule of law in Kaduna State.

He urged the people of the state to remain steadfast in their support for transparency, accountability, and the rule of law.

He said the members of the Assembly took an oath to uphold the integrity of their office and ensure due diligence in their duties, regardless of any attempts at intimidation or threats.

Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday issued a warrant of arrest on the immediate-past governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello.

The warrant was issued following an ex-parte motion filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on April 17, 2024.

In the motion, marked FHC/ABJ/CR/98/2024, the anti-graft agency prayed the court to serve Bello the charge and the proof evidence on the defendant through a substituted means.

The EFCC also sought an order seeking the immediate arrest of Bello for arraignment.

The EFCC reliefs partly reads: “An order granting leave to the complainant/applicant to effect service of the charge together with the proof of evidence on the defendant by substituted means to wit, by pasting the charge at the last known address of the defendant within the jurisdiction of this honourable court being 9, Benghazi Street, Wuse Zone 4, Abuja.

“An order directing and/or issuing an arrest warrant for the immediate arrest of the defendant for the purpose of bringing him before this honourable court for arraignment.”

In his ruling on the motion Justice Emeka Nwite, ordered the immediate arrest of the former governor of Kogi State.

He also directed that the former governor be produced before him on Thursday April 18 for arraignment.

Nwite said: “It is hereby ordered as follows:

“That an order of this honourable court is hereby made directing and/or issuing a warrant for the immediate arrest of the defendant to bring him before this honourable court for arraignment.

“That case is adjourned to the 18th day of April 2024 for arraignment.”

It will be recalled that a High Court sitting in Lokoja, Kogi State, had restrained EFCC from arresting and infringing on the fundamental human rights of the former governor.

The Kaduna State House of Assembly has set up a fact-finding committee to probe all finances, loans and contract projects awarded under the former Governor Nasiru El-Rufai administration.

The PUNCH reports that Governor Uba Sani, during a town hall meeting on Saturday, lamented the huge debt inherited from his predecessor, El-Rufai, on May 29, 2023.

Sani had said the state was left with a few amounts, not enough to pay salary, adding that his administration inherited a total of $587 million, N85 billion, and 115 contractual liabilities from the ex-governor.

“Despite the huge debt burden of 587 million dollars, 85 billion naira, and N115 billion in contractual liabilities sadly inherited from the previous administration, we remain resolute in steering Kaduna State towards progress and sustainable development.

“We have conducted a thorough assessment of our situation and are sharpening our focus accordingly,” the governor had said.

However, on Tuesday, the state’s Assembly set up a fact-finding committee during plenary, among others, to also investigate the former governor’s top associate and Senior Counsellor on Investment, Jimi Lawal.

Besides, the panel would probe financial dealings, loans and grants and other project implementation from 2015-2023.

The State Assembly also mandated the committee to invite notable personalities including the former speakers of the 8th and 9th Assembly, commissioners of finance, former Managing Directors of Kaduna Markets, and Commissioners of Budget and Planning, among others.

The All Progressives Congress, APC, has cleared the 16 aspirants seeking their ticket to contest the November 20 Ondo State Governorship election.

The seven-man screening committee, led by Sen. Joshua Lidani, gave all the aspirants the nod to contest the April 20 primary election.

A report submitted to the party’s Directorate of Organisation in Abuja on Saturday said the committee considered eligibility, suitability, character, and support base, among other areas.

Among those cleared were the incumbent Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, Isaac Kekemeke, former APC National Vice-Chairman (South West), Olusoji Ehinlanwo, a former member of the House of Assembly, Olugbenga Edema, and Sen. Jimoh Ibrahim.

Others are Mrs Funmilayo Waheed-Adekojo, Akinfolarin Samuel, former Commissioner for Finance, Adewale Akinterinwa, Chief Olusola Oke, Ohunyeye Felix and Morayo Lebi.Also cleared were Garvey Iyanjan; Prof. Francis Faduyile, Mrs Judith Omogoroye, Ifeoluwa Oyedele and Okunjimi John.

“All aspirants demonstrated a willingness to support the aspirant that emerged as the party’s candidate for the November 2024 governorship election,” the report said.

It tasked the party’s leadership to ensure that the April 20 primary election is free, fair, credible and acceptable to all.

Some people suspected to be Yoruba nation agitators have stormed the Oyo State Secretariat in an attempt to take over the House of Assembly Complex.

The House of Assembly is located within the state secretariat and a few meters away from the governor’s office.

It was gathered that the agitators, Saturday morning, stormed the secretariat in an attempt to take over the Assembly Complex.

The agitators, who were dressed in military uniform, engaged in fierce gun duel with members of Western Nigeria Security Network (WNSN), also known as Amotekun, the Police and Operation Burst personnel before they were eventually overpowered.

Sources said that the suspects had earlier taken over the assembly complex premises, and hoisted their flag before in arrival of backup security personnel.

At the time of filing this report, our correspondent gathered that the presence of Police, Amotekun, and other security personnel had put the situation under control.

It was also gathered that some of the agitators have been arrested.All roads leading to the secretariat have been deserted as a result of the incident.

The incident is coming few months after some agitators hijacked a radio station in Ibadan.

Chieftains of the ruling All Progressives Congress have expressed their condolences to the family and friends of the first civilian governor of Abia State, Dr Ogbonnaya Onu.

Onu, an ex-minister of Science and Technology in the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari, reportedly died in a health facility in Abuja on Thursday following a brief illness.

He resigned in 2022 to join the APC presidential race.President Bola Tinubu won the party’s ticket.

Efforts to get the reaction of the National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Felix Morka, were unsuccessful.

But the death of the 72-year-old politician was confirmed in separate interviews by two members of the All Progressives Congress National Working Committee.

Speaking with PUNCH Online, Deputy National Organising Secretary of All Progressives Congress, Nze Chidi Duru, described the late party man as deliberate and focused, adding that his death was a big blow to the APC.

He said, “I also just heard about the sad news from a credible source. Although I don’t have all the details yet, we are waiting for the announcement by the family before we can make an official comment on his death.

“He was a gentleman, focused and very deliberate. Everything we know about life is a continuum. He has run his race and gone to his maker. We can only continue to wish for his soul to be at rest wherever he is.”

The National Vice Chairman (South-East) of the party, Dr Ijeoma Arodiogbu, also confirmed the death of the politician, who he described as a founding father of the APC.

“Oh, yes. I just heard the news myself. In fact, I am planning to go to his place (Abuja residence) in the next one hour,” he said.

Arodiogbu also confirmed that the late minister was nursing an undisclosed illness for a while before his death.

“He has been ill for a while and had not been seen in public circle. Ogbonnaya Onu was a wonderful man. He was one of our best.

“You remember he was a presidential candidate but had to drop his ticket for Chief Olu Falae when the presidency was zoned to the South West.

“During the merger, he was one of the founding fathers of the party and remained a party man until his death. He was a big wig of the party in the South East. We will miss him so much,” he stated.

Barely an hour after the news of his death went viral, his residence in the Federal Capital Territory has become filled with mourners.

A graduate of the University of Lagos, Onu became a teacher at St. Augustine’s Seminary in the Ezzamgbo area of Ebonyi State.

After the completion of his doctoral studies at the University of California, he became a lecturer in the Department of Chemical Engineering at the University of Port Harcourt, where he rose to become the pioneer head of the department.

The ex-minister began his political career as an aspirant for a senatorial seat in the old Imo State under the umbrella of the National Party of Nigeria.

In 1991, he contested for the position of Governor of Abia State on the platform of the National Republican Convention and won.Onu was sworn in as the first executive governor of the state in January 1992.

Ogbonnaya Onu, former minister of science and technology, is dead.He was aged 72.

He was a former Abia governor.

His family has yet to make an official announcement about his demise.

According to the BBC, Mr Onu died from a strange illness in a medical facility.

“It is true that Mr Ogbonnaya Onu is dead, but it is up to his family to speak about it,” BBC quoted a ranking member of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) as saying.

The suspended Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Betta Edu, has said the N30 billion recovered by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, does not belong to her.

On January 8, President Bola Tinubu suspended Edu following allegation of N585.2 million fraud.

Tinubu also directed the EFCC “to conduct a thorough investigation into all aspects of the financial transaction” involving her ministry.

But the anti-graft agency disclosed that N30 billion has been recovered, while over 50 accounts were being investigated.

In its bulletin titled “EFCC Alert,” the anti-graft commission said: “Moreover, with respect to this particular case, we have recovered over N30 billion, which is already in the coffers of the Federal Government.”

However, a letter issued on Wednesday by Edu’s lawyer, Chikaosolu Ojukwu, denied knowledge of the money recovered.

The letter reads: “Neither N30bn nor any amount whatsoever has been traced to or recovered from our client’s bank accounts nor has any proceed of crime been traced or recovered from her.

“First and foremost, the language used in describing our client’s purported involvement in the alleged corruption case suggests guilt without allowing for the presumption of innocence, which is fundamental in any fair and unbiased reporting.”

Katsina State Governor, Dikko Radda has secured the release of 222 inmates from various correctional facilities in the state by settling their fines.

This is according to a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Ibrahim Kaula-Mohammed on Tuesday in Katsina.

He said the decision was part of the compassionate move to bring happiness to the inmates in the Holy Month of Ramadan, to enable them celebrate the Eid-el-Fitr festivities with their families.

The inmates, according to him, were those detained due to their inability to pay fines imposed on them by different courts of law.

Kaula-Mohammed quoted the Commissioner for Justice and Attorney General of the state, Hajiya Fadila Muhammad-Dikko, saying that the initiative would go a long way in decongesting the custodial centers.

“The commissioner, who expressed sincere gratitude to the governor, also acknowledged the significance of this gesture by providing relief to those incarcerated for minor and non-capital offenses.

“The selection process for the beneficiaries involved thorough verification and recommendations to the state government for intervention in paying the fines holding them in the correctional facilities,” he quoted Muhammad-Dikko as saying.

The Ikeja Special Offences Court on Monday remanded the embattled former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele, to the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission after he took his plea over alleged abuse of office and allocation of $4.5bn, N2.8bn.

Emefiele, who was earlier arraigned alongside his co-defendant, one Henry Isioma Omole, on fresh 26 counts before Justice Rahman Oshodi pleaded not guilty to the charges against him.

The charge was marked ID/23787c/2024 and dated April 3, 2024.

The defendant’s lawyer, A. Labo-Lawal, however, pleaded with the court to grant Emefiele bail in self-recognisance and allow him to continue with the bail earlier granted him by the Abuja court.

He also urged the court to grant the second defendant bail earlier granted him by Justice O – Sule-Hamzat.

The prosecution counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), did not oppose the bail applications.

But Justice Oshodi, after listening to the submissions of both counsel, remanded Emefiele to EFCC custody and the second defendant to the Ikoyi Correctional Centre and adjourned the case till April 11, for ruling on the bail and commencement of trial.

The attorney general and commissioner for justice in Ogun, Oluwasina Ogungbade, says the government will expedite action in fast-tracking inmate trials in courts to decongest prisons.

Mr Ogungbade said this on Thursday during a visit to Ibara and Oba prisons in Abeokuta.

He noted that the present administration was committed to a renewed focus on addressing the long-standing issues plaguing correctional centres.

The attorney general said that all efforts would be intensified to improve services at the correctional centres. He noted that the visit was necessitated by the need to assess the facilities, gain insights into issues affecting them, and serve as a beacon of hope for both the staff and the inmates.

“Various initiatives are in the pipeline to streamline legal processes and expedite the appearance of prisoners in courts for hearing. The ministry is working out strategies and efforts in facilitating the smooth transfer of prisoners to court when needed.

“This approach will allow us to understand the multifaceted issues affecting the correctional system and formulate targeted strategies for improvement,” he said.

The commissioner called for synergy between the ministry and correctional centre authorities to uphold the rights and dignity of inmates while ensuring public safety.

He added that the government remained committed to championing reforms that promoted fairness, efficiency and rehabilitation within the criminal justice system.

Saliu Adepoju, the controller of the prison in Ogun, appreciated the commissioner and his entourage for the visit, pledging to be more dedicated to upholding the ethics of the facility.

FCT minister Nyesom Wike has appointed Maureen Tamuno as the new managing director of Abuja Investment Company Limited.

Anthony Ogunleye, the minister’s spokesman, disclosed this in a statement in Abuja on Thursday.

He said the appointment was with immediate effect.

Mr Ogunleye said Ms Tamuno, an experienced public officer, entrepreneur, and diplomat, was the Nigerian high commissioner to Jamaica, Belize, Haiti, and the Dominican Republic.

The director also announced the termination of Integrated Facility Management Services Ltd’s contract to manage the International Conference Centre, Abuja.

He said the termination was with immediate effect, adding that Julius Berger Nigeria Plc has been contracted to renovate the centre immediately and comprehensively.

President Bola Tinubu has asked Nigerians not to lose faith in his administration over the skyrocketing inflation assailing the nation’s economy, assuring citizens that he and his team are working to “bring it down” like he did when the naira dipped drastically against the dollar.

Mr Tinubu gave the assurance at the State House in Abuja while hosting members of his party, All Progressives Congress (APC), particularly those in the Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) and Independent Campaign Council (ICC) to Iftar Wednesday evening.

The Nigerian leader said it was evident that the economy was already “looking much better” than it was “a year ago” when “borrowing was higher,” implicitly taking a jab at his predecessor, Muhammadu Buhari, whose eight-year rule was characterised by taking heavy loans from other nations.

“The economy is looking much better,” Mr Tinubu said Wednesday evening.

“Yes, we have challenges of inflation, but we will bring it down. When the exchange rate was going haywire, it looked like we were asleep, but we worked on it diligently, and it is going down; it is getting better.”

The president stressed that he was committed to restoring the lost dignity of Nigeria among its international counterparts.

“Borrowing was higher a year ago, but today, we are reengineering the financial landscape, and our revenue is expanding.

And we are taking up our sovereignty and earning our respect back in the comity of nations,” Mr Tinubu added in the statement released by his media aide, Ajuri Ngelale.

The naira, which in February traded as high as N1825 to one dollar, has appreciated in value, trading at N1250 against the dollar as of Thursday afternoon, according to Aboki Forex, a website that publishes the official and parallel rates of the naira against dollar and other currencies.

But despite the naira’s gain in the international market, prices of goods and services have yet to come down, adversely affecting the purchasing power of citizens.

According to the National Bureau of Statistics, the inflation rate reached a record high of 31 per cent in March, up from 29.9 per cent in February.

At his inauguration in May 2023, Mr Tinubu scrapped the fuel subsidy, a move that caused inflation and distress to the economy, as the price of fuel rose sharply from N145 to N617.

US President Joe Biden has reportedly warned his Chinese counterpart, President Xi Jinping, not to interfere in the upcoming US presidential election scheduled to take place on November 5.

According to a report by Voice of America on Wednesday, Mr Biden had a phone conversation with Mr Jinping on Tuesday, which is part of the United States’ efforts to maintain open communication channels and prevent unintended conflicts regarding the statement by the White House.

During his November meeting with Mr Jinping in Woodside, California last year, Mr Biden last brought up the subject of Chinese meddling in American domestic affairs. But the Chinese government has consistently denied having any desire to meddle in US’ domestic matters.

China is “committed to the principle of non-interference,” according to Liu Pengyu, a spokesman for the Chinese Embassy in Washington, who also described allegations that Beijing is meddling in the U.S. presidential election as “completely fabricated.

”President Joe Biden, a member of the Democratic Party, is seeking re-election. His predecessor Donald Trump, a member of the Republican Party, is hoping for a second, non-consecutive term.

A serving Deputy Commissioner of Police under the Lagos State Police Command, DCP Gbolahan Oyedemi, has been found dead in his private home in Ogbomoso, Oyo State.

DCP Oyedemi served as the Aide de Camp (ADC) to a former governor of Oyo State, Late Christopher Adebayo Alao Akala, in 2006.

The deceased, a native of Ogbomoso, had visited the town for the Easter celebration last weekend from Lagos before he was found dead.

It was gathered that his body was found hanging in the house on Monday, suggesting he committed suicide.

As of press time, efforts to speak to the spokespersons of both the Lagos and Oyo Police Commands were futile.

But it was reported that the Police Public Relations Officer of Force Criminal Investigation Department, FCID, Alagbon, DSP Eguaoje Funmilayo, confirmed Oyedemi’s death.

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has returned to Nigeria ahead of the much-anticipated National Executive Committee, NEC, meeting of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

Mr Atiku, who had been out of the country for weeks, returned in the early hours of Tuesday.

The Ambassador Illiya Damagum-led National Working Committee, NWC, of the PDP was pressured into fixing the NEC meeting for April 18, having refused to hold the meeting for over one year.

The NEC, the second most influential decision-making organ of the party after the national convention, is expected to meet every quarter as stipulated by the party’s constitution.

The anticipated NEC meeting, according to sources, is shaping up to be a make or mar one for the party.

Atiku, who is regarded as the de facto leader of the party, being the presidential candidate in the last elections, is expected to spearhead other meetings ahead of the NEC meeting.

This comes as agitations have mounted over the poor management of the party against the backdrop of allegations that it is being controlled by external forces, as alleged by former Benue State governor, Senator Gabriel Suswam.

Also, the North Central zone has called for Damagum to relinquish the acting national chairmanship seat and allow the emergence of a substantive national chairman from the region to which the party originally zoned the position in 2021.

Former Senate President, Senator Iyorchia Ayu, from Benue State (North Central) emerged national chairman at the party’s last convention.

But Damagum, deputy national chairman (North), who hails from Yobe State (North East), was made acting national chairman in 2023 after a court order removed Ayu from office.

It would be recalled that some governors and party chieftains openly worked against Atiku as PDP presidential candidate in 2023 and also recently reiterated their resolve to support President Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress, APC.

First Lady Oluremi Tinubu has advised Nigerian youths to expand their horizons and financial status by exploring the different programmes of the government.

She advised on Monday while welcoming members and executives of the Youth Wing of the Christian Association of Nigeria (YOWICAN) to the State House, Abuja, amidst the Easter celebrations.

Mrs Tinubu received the association with the exchange of the season’s greetings and prayer that God would continually lift the nation and its youths to greater heights.

“I congratulate you all for the giant strides you have been able to achieve since you started. All your programmes are quite laudable; however, you all have to align yourselves with the government programmes.

“I want you to key into what the government is doing. You have to be innovative, as there are different innovative ways of farming now,” she said.

She also encouraged the executives to involve female youth in their executive arm.

“There won’t be a better world without women. They should be part of decision-making since they are the ones advocating.

“We have to start talking about who we are as a nation without throwing away our culture,” Mrs Tinubu said.

Earlier, YOWICAN national chairman Enwere Belusochukwu solicited the support of Mrs Tinubu over the planned building of a national resource centre for skill acquisition training for youths.

Mr Belusochukwu said Mrs Tinubu was their grand patroness, recalling that her investiture was held in 2023.

“We will continue to pray for her and Mr President for God to always guide, guard, protect them, and to always direct them right.

“I want to tell you authoritatively that all Christian youths in Nigeria are ever ready to align themselves with the vision of President Bola Tinubu,” he said.

President Bola Tinubu has ordered the installation of CCTV cameras on Third Mainland Bridge, Lagos.

This was disclosed in an interview Sunday evening.

Works minister David Umahi said the surveillance cameras would be part of efforts to counter crimes and illicit enterprise under the bridge.

Mr Umahi said after discussing the matter with the president, he determined that installing solar-powered lights and surveillance cameras was imperative.

The minister said Mr Tinubu’s fears were validated after he assesed the bridge and confirmed that criminal miners went as far as “destroying the concrete to anchor their small boats.”

According to Mr Umahi, the surveillance cameras would be mounted on top of the bridge and also below the bridge.

“We are putting up CCTV both on top of the bridge and under the bridge because the president told me that part of the problem we are having is people who are doing illegal mining of the sand,” Mr Umahi explained. “And I agree with him. I have seen it. They even go as far as even destroying the concrete to anchor their small boats.”

He disclosed that the president released the fund needed “and I can say that 99 per cent of the project is done.”

Mr Umahi added, “But what is to be done is additional work, we are putting up solar lights. We are replacing the generator lights with solar lights.”

Senate President Godswill Akpabio has urged Nigerians to make sacrifices like Jesus.

Jesus, the biblical messiah of the world was long-suffering and selfless. He endured ridicule and an eventual brutal death in the hands of his countrymen.

“Just as Jesus Christ in His humility and love offered Himself for the redemption of mankind, I admonish us all to emulate Him and make sacrifices for one another,” Mr Akpabio said on Sunday in an Easter message.

He added, “Let us, therefore, show love to one another, our neighbours, our leaders and our dear country. If we do not show love to our leaders and country, no one will do that for us.

“As we celebrate, let us not forget to pray too. Let’s continue praying for the betterment of our nation and our leaders and God listening to us, Nigeria will be great again.’

Nigerians have already endured a gruelling stagflation and widespread hunger occasioned by offensive hike in food prices. Despite the economic hardship, Mr Akpabio and all other senators received 2023 model of the Toyota Landcruiser worth N160 millon each.

President Bola Tinubu, his party men and other individuals and groups sympathetic the ruling APC government have appealed to Nigerians to endure the historic hardships.

In desperate search for food, several people have been killed in stampedes as they rushed for palliative distributed by government and private agencies.

Mr Tinubu described the pains his compatriots are going through as needed sacrifices for a bright future.

Recently, the president appealed to Muslim and Christian clerics not to curse Nigeria and its leaders but to pray for them and preach patience to their followers.

Gov. Bala Mohammed of Bauchi state has approved the payment of N2.1 billion as subsidy for the state’s 2024 intending Hajj pilgrims.

Each of the state’s 2,290 intending pilgrims will get a subsidy of N959,000 amounting to 50 per cent of increment announced on 2024 Hajj fares by the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON).

The increment per person is N1,918,000.

NAHCON blamed the increment on foreign exchange elements.

It also set March 28, 2024 as the deadline for intending pilgrims to make their payments.

“It is on this note that the governor came in to assist,’’ commissioner for religious affairs and community orientation, Yakubu Hamza told journalists in Bauchi on Friday.

He explained that benefiting intending pilgrims were those who had paid the fare increment announced by NAHCON and those who were yet to pay.

“Those awarded Hajj slots by the state government would also benefit,” he said.

“There are people who already made their payments, but suddenly there was an increment in the Hajj fares,’’ Mr Hamza noted.