Soldiers of the Nigerian Army operating under 81 Division have prevented a suicide attempt by one Francesca Spark who plunged into the Lagos lagoon around the Officers’ Mess in Marina, Lagos.

This was disclosed in a statement by the Acting Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, Lieutenant Colonel Olabisi Ayeni, on Monday, November 6.

The statement read, “The troops of 65 Battalion NA deployed at the Officers’ Mess, who sighted Mrs Spark quickly used their military riverine skills and ingenuity to rescue her.

“She was given first aid and stabilized by the battalion medical team. After stabilization, the family was contacted and she was handed over to her husband, one Mr Spark Oghene Ovie residing at Awoyaya Lagos.

“The General Officer Commanding 81 Division, Major General Muhammed Usman, also commended the soldiers for being observant, and for their ingenuity, and courage.

The GOC said he is pleased that soldiers brought their training in disaster management to salvage such a critical situation that could have claimed the life of a fellow citizen.

He added that the troops have been trained to support leading agencies during emergencies and assured residents of the Nigerian Army’s commitment to protect them and their properties even during emergencies.

The National Drug Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has smashed a syndicate of drug traffickers and peddlers run by blind men.

According to a statement on Sunday by the spokesman of the anti-narcotics agency, Femi Babafemi, the blind run the illicit business of drug trafficking between the two most populated states of Kano and Lagos.

He said arrested by NDLEA operatives are three blind men operating an illicit drug ring between Lagos and Kano, while another blind member of the syndicate is still at large.

Babafemi said the lid was blown off the group following the arrest of a blind suspect, Adamu Hassan, 40, along Gwagwalada expressway Abuja with 12 kilogrammes of skunk on his way from Lagos to Kano on Saturday 28th October.

Investigations however established that he was totally oblivious of the content of the bag handed to him to deliver in Kano.

Follow up operations then led to the arrest of the arrowhead of the syndicate, Bello Abubakar, 45, who is also blind. In his statement, Bello who is married with five children said he has been living in Lagos for 30 years but started the illicit drug business five years ago.

Another suspect, Muktar Abubakar, 59, who is equally blind has been living in Lagos for 40 years and married to three wives with 14 children.

Both Muktar Abubakar and Bello Abubakar are joint owners of the business, while the third suspect, Akilu Amadu, 25, also blind equally contributed money to the criminal trade and was indeed the one who delivered the consignment to Adamu at the motor park in Lagos to deliver in Kano.

Another blind suspect who is the expected receiver of the consignment in Kano, Mallam Aminu is currently at large.

Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr. Olayemi Cardoso, reaffirmed his determination to change the narrative about the bank and make its policies have a more forceful effect on the populace.

Cardoso stressed that under his watch, the apex bank would focus on its core mandate of price stability, specifically curtailing the rising inflation, which has continued to distort prices.

The CBN governor gave the assurance while playing host to former Governor of the central bank, Mr. Muhammadu Sanusi II.

Cardoso had received the Impact Investing Community, led by Sanusi, who is the 14th Emir of Kano and Khalifa of the Tijaniyyah Sufi Order of Nigeria and neighbouring countries.

Cardoso expressed hope that at the end of his tenure, he would have left behind a central bank whose “policies have positively impacted people’s lives”.

Addressing the visiting team in his office, Cardoso said his team was determined to change the narrative about the apex bank and make the bank more impactful in the lives of Nigerians by curtailing inflation.

He thanked the community for visiting the CBN, stating that it represents an excellent future for Nigeria, with the potential to transform the country’s economy by tapping into the investment opportunities available across the country and the world.

Cardoso hailed the quality of leadership of the community, especially in its effort to create awareness, and build partnerships.

In a statement, Cardoso said the CBN would collaborate with the Impact Investing Community to initiate frameworks that would encourage investments as well as positively influence the lives of Nigerians, and contribute to economic growth.

Sanusi highlighted the role of the central bank in massively impacting the lives of Nigerians through its activities. He said oftentimes, people did not seem to appreciate the impact of a central bank activity until it failed.

The former CBN governor expressed concerns about the current inflation rate.

He urged the new leadership at the CBN to work persistently at driving down the rate, which he noted had severely impacted the wealth of individuals.

He also acknowledged the importance of long-term planning by the CBN in achieving its goals, stressing the need for the fiscal authorities to focus on agriculture and education, especially for the girl-child.

Sanusi pledged his continued support, along with the Impact Investing Community, to the CBN in achieving its goals.

In her remarks, Chair of the community, Mrs. Ibukun Awosika, said they were at the CBN to register their willingness to support what the bank and the federal government were doing in terms of changing Nigeria’s investment climate by redirecting resources to areas where they would make the most positive impact.

Awosika said over $200 trillion was available around the globe as investment funds, with $1 trillion of it with impact investing.

She stated that the community, with a presence in over 41 countries, was willing to blend with traditional investment practitioners to make an impact in the country.

Awosika stressed the importance of social investment and sought the support of the CBN to enable the body to achieve its goal.

On his part, CBN Deputy Governor, Corporate Services Directorate, Dr. Bala Bello, underscored the importance of investment, stating that global capital is moving towards social investment.

Bello thanked the team for its support, pointing out that collaboration and effective communication are vital in successfully navigating the current challenges in the country.

The Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation has bagged the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission 2023 Ethics and Integrity Compliance scorecard for Ministries, Department and Agencies.

Director, Communication and Public Affairs Department of NDIC, Bashir Nuhu, said this in a statement in Abuja on Sunday.

Mr Nuhu said that the assessment encompassed the measurement and monitoring of key performance indicators in categories such as management culture and structure, financial management and administrative systems.

Mr Nuhu said that the corporation excelled with a score of 91.30 per cent at the EIC which involved 404 MDAs.

He said, “The EICS report emphasises the ICPC’s commitment to mitigating abuse of office and corruption by promoting ethics and integrity benchmarks within government agencies, ultimately contributing to more effective service delivery.

“These achievements have been possible due to the corporation’s effective and ethical operational procedures aimed at instilling transparency and accountability.’’

Mr Nuhu said the corporation remained dedicated to ensuring the safety of deposits and contributing to the stability of the country’s financial system.

Some Islamic religious groups have called on Nigerians to adopt orphans and homeless children for them to attain their potential.

They made the appeal during the 2023 awareness walk with the theme “Fostering…Reviving Sunnah,” organised by Halal Children’s Home in Abuja.

President of the home, Hajiya Ramatu Abubakar emphasised the benefits of fostering less-privileged children and reintegrating them into homes.

Ms Abubakar said fostering the children would make them feel loved and guide them towards harnessing their potential, adding that the organisation had found several families and homes for some of the orphaned and vulnerable children.

“The increasing cases of orphans, we can do better. Being able to take a child into your home does not diminish your love, but increases your capacity to love, so let’s not let the fear of poverty stop us from doing what we can for these children.

“Our aim is to make them productive citizens. We rehabilitate them so that they can enter into society easily. So let us open our homes and let’s build a better future for our country,” she urged.

She also appealed to the government to make more provisions or modifications for fostering in the constitution that would allow Muslims take up such children legally.

“For the government, we would like to see a drive for making fostering more visible, each state has a different Child’s Rights Act.

“So we would like to see the provision for fostering as it is in the Islamic sense of the word because there are differences between the adoption process and the fostering.

“The fostering is what Muslims can do. A lot of Muslims do not go through the adoption process because our faith is an important part of us. So, if we can have the laws changed or modified to allow more Muslims take up these children and even the documentation should be made easier,” she advised.

In her contribution, Chief Executive Officer, Baynakum Family Counselling Centre, Abuja, Dr Abdulfattah Adeyemi, expressed concern over the increasing number of orphans and vulnerable children roaming around the streets.

“Many of these children that we see have a bright future ahead of them, only if we contribute or do something for them.

“If we allow them to roam around the streets, they can be susceptible to criminals, who may adopt them and make them carry out some criminal activities. There are people who do a lot of nefarious activities against the law and they recruit these vulnerable children on the street.

“So, we are helping ourselves as individuals and as a nation, when we carry out the responsibility. It is godly, civic and what we need now for humanity, especially in action building,” he said.

He, therefore, urged religious leaders to encourage people to adopt or foster vulnerable, orphans and street children to enable them reach their potential and contribute to national development.

“I urge religious leaders to discuss and encourage people to foster so that the humanity in us is not just to worship God and go to paradise, we should also be concerned about humanity,” he said.

Also, Public Relations Officer, Amani Muslim Women Empowerment Initiative, Naimat Akewusola, the group came to support Halal Home and sensitise the public on ways to keep the homeless children off the street.

“With this awareness, many people are now aware that they can actually foster these children and take them into their homes as this will help to reduce the number of street children in our society,” she said.

Also speaking, a consultant neurologist, Dr Saheed Alimo, commended the organisers for engaging the public not only on religious aspects, but health talks and free medical care to improve their health and wellbeing.

Mr Alimo also advised the public to engage in regular exercise, adopt a healthy lifestyle and eat well to improve their health.

No fewer than 14,481,519 pills of tramadol and bottles of codeine syrup worth over N13bn in street value have been recovered by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency in three major busts of drug cartels operating in Amuwo Odofin, Idumota and the SAHCO shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos State.

The anti-narcotics agency noted that the three intelligence-led operations began with the raid of House 8/10 Hon. Wahuha Avenue, Divine Estate, Ago Palace area of Amuwo Odofin on Sunday, October 29, where 490,000 pills of tramadol and 81,519 bottles of codeine syrup measuring 4, 510, 000mls were recovered.

In a similar operation on Tuesday, October 31, the NDLEA operatives swooped on a secret warehouse operated by a billionaire Idumota trader, Nwaoha Anayo, located at Onitire, Aguda area of Surulere where 12,700,000pills of tramadol were recovered.

In the same vein, at least six members of a syndicate using their official cover to facilitate the smuggling of illicit drugs through the Skyway Aviation Handling Company warehouse at the Lagos airport into the country have been arrested and 1,210,000 pills of tramadol seized from them in a painstaking operation that lasted for weeks.

The spokesperson for the NDLEA, Femi Babafemi, revealed the developments in a statement obtained by our correspondent on Sunday.

Babafemi noted that six suspects – Oladele Sanya-Olu; Lawal Itunu Temitope; Sanamo Daniel; Udeh Monday; Musa Mutalib and Unege Icibor, in relation to the illegal drug trade through SAHCO, were already in the NDLEA custody, while three other suspects – Sarki Salami; Abdullahi Aliyu (aka Aboki); and Monday Anwal, were now on the run and wanted by the NDLEA.

At the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, the NDLEA operatives on Sunday, October 29, intercepted another businessman, 50-year-old Nwokolo Ifeanyi, during the outward clearance of Air France flight AF 878 to Amsterdam, the Netherlands via Paris, France at the boarding gate and was body scanned.

Babafemi revealed that the result turned out to be positive for illicit drug ingestion.

He noted, “The suspect who travelled from Lagos to board the flight was subsequently kept under observation for some days during which he excreted a total of 86 pellets of heroin weighing 1.330kilograms.

“Similarly, NDLEA operatives of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation, attached to courier firms on Monday, October 30, intercepted 22 parcels of cocaine concealed in the walls of a carton containing sewn local fabrics popularly called Aso Oke, heading to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia,”

Meanwhile, the NDLEA operatives have arrested three blind men operating an illicit drug ring between Lagos and Kano, while another blind member of the syndicate is still at large.

The lid was blown off the group following the arrest of a blind suspect, Adamu Hassan, 40, along the Gwagwalada Expressway, Abuja with 12kgs of skunk on his way from Lagos to Kano on Saturday, October 28.

The spokesperson for the NDLEA noted that investigations, however, established that he was totally oblivious of the content of the bag handed to him to deliver in Kano.

“Follow-up operations then led to the arrest of the arrowhead of the syndicate, Bello Abubakar, 45, who is also blind. In his statement, Bello, who is married with five children, said he has been living in Lagos for 30 years but started the illicit drug business five years ago.

“Another suspect, Muktar Abubakar, 59, who is equally blind, has been living in Lagos for 40 years and married to three wives with 14 children.

Both Muktar Abubakar and Bello Abubakar are joint owners of the business, while the third suspect, Akilu Amadu, 25, also blind, equally contributes money to the criminal trade and was indeed the one who delivered the consignment to Adamu at the motor park in Lagos to deliver in Kano.

Another blind suspect who is the expected receiver of the consignment in Kano, Mallam Aminu, is currently at large,” Babafemi noted.

While operatives in Osun State on Saturday, November 4, stormed the Obada sawmill forest in Owena-Ijesa, Oriade LGA where they arrested a suspect, Monday Sylvester, 37, on a 6.01 hectares of cannabis farm which was destroyed and 489.8kgs already processed plant recovered, their colleagues in Edo State raided a trans-loading point inside Avbiosi forest, Owan West LGA where 603 kilograms of the illicit substance were seized.

Also, the NDLEA officers in Ogun State on Friday, recovered a Toyota Sienna bus from a ditch, at the Ajebo area, along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.

A search of the vehicle led to the seizure of 460kgs of the same substance, while a total of 116.5kgs of cannabis sativa belonging to a suspect at large were seized at Olagunju, Mushin area of Lagos.

As part of moves to curb the outbreak of Cholera in some parts of Ogun State, which has killed at least 12 people, the Ogun State Government, through the Ministry of Environment, is set to commence the verification of producers of table water and beverages in the state.

The Commissioner for Environment, Mr Ola Oresanya, according to a statement on Sunday, disclosed this during a stakeholders’ meeting with the Table Water and Beverages Producers Association of Nigeria held at the ministry’s Conference Hall, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta.

Oresanya said the meeting was necessary for the agency to know the registered water producers in order to fish out illegal operators in the industry.

“The state will not tolerate any factory that is not ready to follow the due process of production, because you are registered or enlisted with NAFDAC does not mean that as a state we will not follow up with your production process to ensure that due diligence is done to avert health issues that can affect the lives of people living in the state,” Oresanya noted.

He said the ministry would collaborate with NAFDAC, the Ministry of Health, and the Ministry of Industry, Trade, and Investment to ensure compliance with the hygienic process of production while periodic on-the-spot assessments will be done to fish out the bad eggs among the producers.

Speaking on behalf of the water producers, Mr Femi Olukoya and Lawan Shobiye assured of the association’s readiness to cooperate and support the state government in ensuring that the health and lives of the people were protected.

Operatives of the Katsina State Police Command on Saturday afternoon rescued a 40-year-old kidnap victim, Tukur Adamu, in Kankara Local Government Area of the state.

According to the police, the man was shot and wounded in his left thigh by his captors before being abandoned on the outskirts of the Masaku village in the council.

A police team on a routine patrol discovered the man, rescued him and took him to a hospital where he is currently receiving treatment.

The victim is said to hail from the Masaku village of the Kankara LGA.

He added that the state Commissioner of Police, Adamu Aliyu, commended the command’s operatives for their efforts.

The spokesman said,” On November 4, 2023, at about 1.00 p.m during a routine patrol, the command succeeded in thwarting a kidnapping attempt and rescuing one Tukur Adamu, age 40, of Masaku village, Kankara Local Government Area.

“On reaching Masaku village’s outskirts, the command’s operatives encountered a distressing kidnapping situation with the victim in a perilous situation. Without hesitation, the officers responded promptly and decisively to the situation, effectively neutralising the threat and rescuing the victim.

“The victim, who sustained a gunshot injury to his left thigh, was rushed to the hospital for immediate medical attention and is currently responding well to treatment.

“The Commissioner of Police, Katsina State Command, CP Aliyu Abubakar Musa, while commending the officers for an exceptional display of gallantry, reemphasised the command’s commitment to ensuring the safety and security of the people of Katsina and will continue to work diligently to ensure crime has been brought to the barest minimum in the state.

He further urges anyone with useful information related to this incident or any other criminal activity to come forward and assist in the ongoing efforts to maintain law and order in the state. Investigation is ongoing.”

A top Chinese military official has vowed to ‘show no mercy’ toward any move for Taiwan’s independence.

General Zhang Youxia of the People’s Liberation Army stated, “The Chinese military will never agree and will show no mercy, regardless of who wants to separate Taiwan from China in any form.” Mr Zhang is the vice chairman of the Chinese Communist Party’s Central Military Commission.

He made these statements on Monday in Beijing at the 10th Xiangshan Forum. The two-day meeting, China’s largest annual gathering centred around military diplomacy, drew over 1,800 attendees.

Voice of America, who quoted China’s official Xinhua news agency, reported that these attendees comprised 99 official delegations, defence ministers from 19 nations, military chiefs, members of international organisations, specialists, scholars, and observers.

In what was perceived as a minor warning regarding the ban on military-to-military interactions between the US and China, the U.S. dispatched a delegate.

China reportedly sent seven ships and forty-three military planes to the self-governing island of Taiwan on Wednesday, according to AP.

This is the latest indication that Beijing will not ease up on its campaign of intimidation, threats, and harassment.

According to Taiwan’s Defense Ministry, the number was accurate for the 24 hours ending at 6:00 a.m. on Wednesday, and 37 of the aircraft had crossed the Taiwan Strait’s median line — which China no longer recognises as an unofficial border between the two countries.

Former leader of Guinea’s military government, Moussa Dadis Camara, who escaped from the central prison in Conakry, the capital of Guinea, Saturday morning, has been recaptured, according to Guinean armed forces.

Ibrahima Sory Bangoura, the chief of staff and General of the Armed Forces of the Guinean transitional government, who confirmed this in a statement, explained that Mr Camara is safe and sound and is now back in the central prison of Conakry.

According to him, two other fugitives, Col. Moussa Tiegboro Camara and Col. Blaise Gomou, have also been recaptured and taken back to the prison.

The armed forces said that all measures were being taken to find the last fugitive, Commander Claude Pivi.

In a statement released by the ministry of justice, the attorney general at the Court of Appeals in Conakry has issued instructions to initiate proceedings for serious charges against all four detainees who were exfiltrated Saturday from the central prison by an armed commando.

These detainees included Mr Camara, the former transition president, Tiegboro Camara, the former minister in charge of tackling organised crime and grand banditry at the presidency, Mr Gomou, a former member of the anti-drugs squad and Mr Pivi, the former minister responsible for presidential security.

Mr Camara launched a coup on Dec. 23, 2008, and became the leader of the military government.

He lost power in January 2010 and went into exile abroad.

He returned to Guinea in December 2021 and was subsequently accused of violently suppressing the protests that took place in Conakry on Sept. 28, 2009, resulting in the deaths of more than 150 people and more than 1,000 injuries.

Mr Camara, along with two other military officers, was detained in the prison in the Kaloum commune.

The federal government is ready to support adire, a locally-produced fabric, with some form of subsidy to enhance its production.

The minister of humanitarian affairs and poverty alleviation, Betta Edu, disclosed this to journalists on Saturday during her visit to the Adire mall at Itoku in Abeokuta.

Mrs Edu, who also visited the fabric’s production grounds at Asero, said the government would create an industrial hub across the country to further boost revenue for market women.

She, therefore, assured market women of the government’s intention to ensure the fabric became known around the world.

This is why there is a need for government to ban the importation of foreign adire products.

“First, you must be able to push local production to meet the demand. Local production must be enhanced at all costs to meet the demand.

“When local product is enhanced, subsided and supported by government, it will automatically eliminate whatever infiltration comes into the market.

“We do not want to be selling fake adire, made-in-China adire brought into Nigeria. What we want is the local one made by our people,” the minister said.

She pointed out that this would create jobs, build the micro and macro economy and help Nigeria to be more of a manufacturing country than an importing country.

“These are the things that are affecting the exchange rates. Government will provide that subsidy for the people.

“Since we took the subsidy off fuel, we will provide it for the adire makers so that they can provide local adire that will be used and exported out of the country,” Mrs Edu said.

She appreciated Gov. Dapo Abiodun of Ogun, whom she said had promised that the state would create hubs in Abuja where the original adire would be sold.

“It is another opportunity to showcase the fabric to the world.

“Our adire is a precious fabric all over the world; people recognise and identify with it.

“So, we can build the local production and ensure that more people make money for themselves and their families,” the minister said.

The organised labour on Friday declared Wed, 8th November 2023 a nationwide strike following Monday’s manhandling of the national president of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC ), Comrade Joe Ajaero in Imo State.

Ajaero was whisked away by the police at a protest on non-payment of workers by the Imo State Government in the state capital.

NLC accused the Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma, of conspiring with the state Commissioner of Police, Barde, to ‘abduct’ Ajaero.

On Friday, November 3, the Deputy President of NLC, Comrade Adewale Adeyanju, and the deputy president of the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) in a joint briefing with journalists in Abuja gave implementation of six-point demands to the federal government to avert the looming strike.

Among the demands include; “the immediate removal of the Imo State commissioner of police, area commander, and other state government officials fingered in the alleged brutalisation of Ajaero and other workers who were humiliated in the assault.

“The NLC’s Deputy President, Adeyanju Adewale, and TUC’s Deputy President, Tommy Okon, addressed the press saying;

“The NLC President was blindfolded and whisked away by security operatives in the state before intervention from the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu.

“He was also beaten along with other workers with his phone seized, and journalists also maltreated with evidence shrouded away from the public.”

“The Commissioner of Police, Mohammed Barde, should not only be investigated and redeployed but should also be held accountable for his action on Ajaero.

“The Area Commander and the other officers who supervised the brutalisation of our President and other workers in Owerri should be relieved of their office and stripped of their commission.

“Mr Nwaneri Chinasa, Adviser on Special Duties who supervised the terror on workers and brutality meted out to Congress President, Comrade Joe Ajaero, be arrested immediately and prosecuted for his crimes against workers and the President.

“We demand an unbiased and thorough examination of the President.

Jeff Bezos is moving to low-tax Miami from Seattle, leaving the city after almost three decades as Amazon’s home state mulls a wealth tax.

Mr Bezos announced the move on his Instagram account, saying he wanted to be closer to his parents who moved to Miami, Florida, earlier this year.

Miami, which has no income or capital gains tax, has become increasingly popular among the ultra wealthy in recent years. Mr Bezos last month paid $79m for a seven-bedroom mansion on a private island near the city, known as Billionaire Bunker.

Mr Bezos’s new neighbours will include Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump and hedge fund billionaire Carl Icahn. Other nearby residents include Tom Brady, the American football star, who bought $17m waterfront property in the area three years ago.

Miami’s low taxes contrast with Seattle, Washington, where Amazon is based and Mr Bezos has lived since 1994.

The State of Washington has a 7pc tax on capital gains, introduced in 2022, and officials have proposed a 1pc wealth tax on residents with over $250m in assets. It also has one of the highest retail sales taxes in the country, at 6.5pc.

In a post on Instagram, Mr Bezos said: “Seattle has been my home since 1994 when I started Amazon out of my garage.

“I’ve lived in Seattle longer than I’ve lived anywhere else and have so many amazing memories here. As exciting as the move is, it’s an emotional decision for me.”

Mr Bezos, 59, will move back to Miami, along with fiancée Lauren Sanchez, 53. The Amazon founder lived in the city with his family as a teenager, attending high school in the city.

The billionaire’s rocket company, Blue Origin, is also relocating some of its operations to Cape Canaveral, the US rocket base in Florida.

Mr Bezos will follow his parents to Florida after they recently returned to the state. Mr Bezos’s adoptive father Mike and his mother Jackie spent $78m on two waterfront homes in Coral Gables, an upscale area in Miami, earlier this year.

Mr Bezos said: “I want to be close to my parents, and Lauren and I love Miami. Also, Blue Origin’s operations are increasingly shifting to Cape Canaveral.”

The Amazon founder has bought two adjoining properties on Billionaire Bunker, located on Indian Creek, creating a vast waterfront estate. One is worth $79m and another for $68m.

A now-deleted listing for one of the mansions reads: “Expect to live royally at America’s Billionaire Bunker.”

The more expensive of the two mansions boasts of timeless “European glamour” across its seven bedrooms and 14 bathrooms. It features a wine cellar, a home cinema and a sauna, “stately grounds”, “soaring ceilings” and “endless art walls”.

The properties are located on a private island of just 80 homes – as well as a country club and a golf course.

Florida has the fifth lowest tax burden out of all the US states, at 6.3pc of total income.

While Mr Bezos was chief executive, Amazon long faced scrutiny of its corporate tax affairs around the world. In 2021, Mr Bezos said he supported increasing US rates of corporation tax.

In a post on Instagram, Mr Bezos shared a video of Amazon’s first “office”, in his garage in Seattle. The company now boasts a vast headquarters in the city and is valued at $1.4 trillion, while Mr Bezos himself is worth $160bn, according to Bloomberg data, and owns roughly $600m worth of real estate.

Mr Bezos stepped down as chief executive in 2021 to focus on his rocket venture.

As well as a more generous tax regime, Mr Bezos is also likely to enjoy the more balmy weather in Florida, with average January lows of around 20 degrees celsius, compared to Seattle’s notoriously cold, wet and windy winter months.

With its low taxes, year-round sunshine and more golf courses than any other state, Florida has long been a playground for America’s billionaires 46 of the 400 of richest US billionaires call the state home, according to a list compiled by Forbes.

The state’s richest residents, aside from newcomer Mr Bezos, include Ken Griffin, the hedge fund and trading billionaire who owns Citadel Securities. He is worth $33bn.

Away from Indian Creek, perhaps the state’s most famous resident is Donald Trump, who along with wife Melania resides at his Mar-a-Lago resort on Palm Beach.

Technology companies have also been setting up shop around Miami. Venture capital investor Andreessen Horowitz opened its first office outside of Silicon Valley in the city in 2022.

The Nasarawa State Command of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has arrested two men on the Keffi– Nasarawa Road for possessing illegal firearms.

The agency’s state Commander, Peter Onche-Odaudu, made disclosure during a press conference in Lafia on Friday.

According to Mr Onche-Odaudu, operatives from the Keffi Area Command of the agency on motorised patrol along Keffi-Nasarawa Road on October 28, 2023, stopped a commercial vehicle on routine stop and search.

“During the search, the two suspects; Abdulraman Sani, aged 20 and Ibrahim Usman, 20, were arrested while on their way to Nasarawa-Toto. They were found to be in possession of a locally made pistol and one cartridge concealed in a black polythene bag,” he said.

Mr Onche-Odaudu added that the suspects claimed that the firearm was given to them by one Sani at Tashan Yaro in Katsina State to deliver to a certain Babangida in the Nasarawa Local Government Area of Nasarawa State.

He said that the suspects revealed that Babangida was to give them N200, 000 for them to share.

“They acknowledged that they were in possession of illegal firearms, ’’ he said.

The state commander also said that the suspects would be transferred to the police for further investigation and necessary action.

Mr Onche-Odaudu pointed out that the agency had a good history of collaboration with other security agencies and had not been found wanting in fulfilling its obligations in that regard.

“In furtherance of this inter-agency collaboration, for instance, between 2022 and 2023 alone, at least four suspects have been transferred from us to the Nigerian Police Force,” he added.

Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on Friday inaugurated a new member of the Executive Council and two permanent secretaries.

Speaking during the ceremony at the Lagos House, Ikeja, Mr Sanwo-Olu said that the appointment of a new member of the State Executive Council was to expand the scope of administration in the state’s healthcare system.

A trained nurse and two-term member of the state Health Service Commission, Mrs Oluwakemi Ogunyemi, was sworn in as the Special Adviser to the Governor on Health.

Besides, the governor elevated two directors in the state civil service to permanent secretaries.

A Director of Administration and Human Resources at the Ministry of Youth and Social Development, Mr Adewunmi Ogunsanya, was appointed permanent secretary for the Cabinet Office.

Also, the Director of Administration and Human Resources at Education District IV, Mrs Iyabo Seriki-Bello, is now the permanent secretary of the Lagos State Teaching Service Commission.

He congratulated the appointees for their selection and urged them not to get carried away because expectations were high for them to justify their appointments.

The governor said that given their wealth of experience and knowledge in governance, he was confident that they would not disappoint him in the discharge of their responsibilities.”

I welcome Mrs Oluwakemi Ogunyemi to the State Executive Council, having been confirmed by the House of Assembly. She will be serving as Special Adviser on Health.

”The expectations are high, given the wealth of experience she is bringing to the table. I expect that you would immediately settle into your responsibilities, so that the government and the people of Lagos can harness your full potential, while you work to help actualise all of the programmes and activities in your portfolios.

”Having gone through extensive and rigorous screening, I congratulate the newly-appointed permanent secretaries.

”These are strategic and critical assignments that have been assigned to them, but my confidence lies in your pedigrees and years of experience in the service of the state. I believe you have what it takes to quickly settle in your roles and discharge your duties without further delay,” he said.

Mr Sanwo-Olu urged the appointees to familiarise themselves with the administration’s development agenda, known as THEMES Plus, pointing out that the implementation of the programmes remained on track.

He said that gender equality and youth inclusion were the cardinal focus of his government, as the appointment of women and young people to key positions was a testament to his commitment to inclusive governance.

”We are counting on your ingenuity, innovative minds, commitment and purposeful leadership in your respective areas of responsibility.

”You must ensure that good governance is the minimum you deliver,” Mr Sanwo-Olu said.

The Head of Service, Mr Olabode Agoro, who presented the appointees to the governor, described the new permanent secretaries as experienced officers, who shared the administration’s vision.

Giving a note of assurance on behalf of others, Ogunyemi thanked the governor for the confidence reposed in them.

”We promise to be diligent in discharging our responsibilities in line with the oath of office and THEMES Plus agenda,” she said.

Nine people were detained at a pro-Palestinian rally and demonstration in Frankfurt on Friday according to the police.

Police are investigating those detained on suspicion of crimes including incitement to hatred and the use of unconstitutional symbols.

Around 850 people took part in the demonstration in Frankfurt city centre that was held under the banner, “Ceasefire in Gaza.”

Police said they seized a sign with what they described as “SS runes” and arrested the woman carrying it.

Another woman held up a poster depicting the flag of the state of Israel in a rubbish bin – and the words “Keep the world clean.”

The officers also seized the poster and charged the woman with suspected incitement to hatred.

Two Nigerian nationals who were extradited to the United States from Spain were sentenced to 128 and 87 months in prison for their roles in a transnational inheritance fraud scheme. With today’s sentencing, five defendants who were extradited from the United Kingdom and Spain in connection with this matter have been sentenced.

According to court documents, Ezennia Peter Neboh, 48, who was sentenced today to 128 months of incarceration, was the lead defendant of a group of fraudsters who sent personalized letters to elderly victims in the United States, falsely claiming that the sender was a representative of a bank in Spain and that the recipient was entitled to receive a multimillion-dollar inheritance left for the recipient by a family member who had died years before in Portugal.

Victims were told that before they could receive their purported inheritance, they were required to send money for delivery fees and taxes and were instructed to make other payments.

Victims sent money to the defendants through a complex web of U.S.-based former victims. The defendant and his co-conspirators also convinced former victims to receive money from new victims and then instructed those former victims to forward the fraud proceeds to others.

On Oct. 23, the Honorable Kathleen M. Williams sentenced another defendant who was also extradited from Spain, Kennedy Ikponmwosa, to 87 months of imprisonment. Three other co-defendants who were extradited from the United Kingdom also received prison sentences.

On June 21, Judge Williams sentenced Emmanuel Samuel to 82 months in prison; on July 25, Judge Williams sentenced Jerry Chucks Ozor to 87 months in prison; and on August 29, Judge Williams sentenced Iheanyichukwu Jonathan Abraham to 90 months in prison, for their roles in the scheme.

“The Justice Department’s Consumer Protection Branch will continue to pursue, prosecute and bring to justice transnational criminals responsible for defrauding U.S. consumers,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division.

“We thank our colleagues at the Spanish National Police and the Ministry of Justice for assisting with the successful investigation and extradition of these defendants. This prosecution is a testament to the critical role of transnational collaboration in tackling transnational crime.”

“The U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) has a long tradition of protecting American citizens from these types of schemes and bringing those responsible to justice,” said Inspector in Charge Juan A. Vargas for the USPIS Miami Division.

“This result is a testament to the dedicated partnership between the Department of Justice’s Consumer Protection Branch, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the USPIS to protect our citizens from these scams.”

“HSI has a long history of aggressively pursuing criminals to ensure that they are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” said Special Agent in Charge Scott Brown for HSI Arizona.

“When criminals indiscriminately target the elderly or otherwise vulnerable, the impact and harm is particularly long-lasting. These sentences send a message to those around the world who think they can escape our laws – anyone who engages in or facilitates deceptive practices like these will not go undetected. HSI will continue to work tirelessly to hold those criminals accountable and bring justice to victims.” The Consumer Protection Branch, USPIS and HSI are investigating the case.

Senior Trial Attorney Phil Toomajian and Trial Attorneys Josh Rothman and Brianna Gardner of the Justice Department’s Consumer Protection Branch are prosecuting the case.

The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida, Europol and authorities from the United Kingdom, Spain and Portugal all provided critical assistance.

If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is standing by at the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311).

This Justice Department hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, is staffed by experienced professionals who provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim and identifying relevant next steps.

Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting, connect callers directly with appropriate agencies, and provide resources and referrals, on a case-by-case basis.

Reporting is the first step. Reporting can help authorities identify those who commit fraud and reporting certain financial losses due to fraud as soon as possible can increase the likelihood of recovering losses.

The hotline is open Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET. English, Spanish, and other languages are available.

More information about the department’s efforts to help American seniors is available at its Elder Justice Initiative webpage. For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts, visit www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch.

Elder fraud complaints may be filed with the FTC at www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov or at 877-FTC-HELP.

The Justice Department provides a variety of resources relating to elder fraud victimization through its Office for Victims of Crime, which can be reached at www.ovc.gov.

A chief magistrates’ court on Friday ordered one Matthew Bem to be remanded in a correction centre in Makurdi for allegedly killing his wife, Mngusonum Bem.

The 42-year-old farmer, who lives in Korinya Settlement in Konshisha Local Government Area of Benue, was charged with culpable homicide.

However, the chief magistrate, T.K. Atta, did not take his plea for want of jurisdiction.

Mr Atta adjourned the matter until December 20, 2023, for further mention.

Earlier, the prosecution counsel, Insp Godwin Ato, told the court that the case was transferred from the Divisional Police Headquarters, Tse-Agberagba, on October 26, 2023, via a letter dated the same day.

Mr Ato said the letter stated that on October 24, 2023, information was received from the officer-in-charge of Korinya Police Station that a man had killed his wife.

The letter stated that on that same fateful, October 24, the defendant and his 30-year-old wife engaged in a fight and in the process, the defendant picked a knife and stabbed his wife, who bled to death on the spot.

The prosecutor said the defendant was arrested during the police investigation, and he voluntarily confessed to committing the crime.

He said the offence contravened section 222 of the penal code law of Benue, 2004.

The Bauchi State Police Command has arrested one Yakubu Adamu of Kumbi village in Kirfi Local Government for stabbing his younger brother, Yayaji Abubakar, to death.

The state police spokesperson, Superintendent Ahmed Wakil, disclosed this in a statement on Friday.

According to Mr Wakil, the suspect confessed to committing the crime to inherit his brother’s motorcycle. He said the suspect had been stealing motorcycles since 2020.

He said, “On October 13, at about 7:30 p.m., one Usman Mohammad, 38, of Gorondo Village via Alkaleri council, Bauchi State, reported a case at the Divisional Headquarters, Kirfi.

“He said on the same date, at about 3:40 p.m., one Yakubu Adamu, 25, of Kumbi village via Alkaleri council, armed with a shaped knife, attacked his younger brother, Yayaji Abubakar, 25, of the same address.”

Mr Wakil said the suspect stabbed his brother several times, resulting in injuries on both hands and stomach and also robbed him of his motorcycle.

He said the victim was subsequently taken to General Hospital Alkaleri, where he was declared dead.

“During interrogation, the defendant confessed to having committed the offence and further revealed that he started the act of stealing a motorcycle in the year 2020 when he criminally conspired with one Auwalu of the same address and stole a red Bajaj motorcycle.

“He sold it at N70,000, and they shared the proceeds of crime among themselves. An investigation is still ongoing, after which the suspect will be charged to court,” Mr. Waki added.

An Australian woman charged with murdering three people in a suspected mushroom poisoning case is also accused of trying to murder her ex-partner on four occasions, court documents say.

Erin Patterson, 49, was charged with three counts of murder and five of attempted murder on Thursday.

The murder charges relate to a family lunch she hosted in July at her home in the town of Leongatha, Victoria.

Ms Patterson continues to maintain her innocence.

She appeared briefly in court on Friday, where her case was adjourned until 3 May to give prosecutors time to analyse computer equipment seized from her home during a police search. She did not apply for bail.

About half a dozen TV crews were lined up outside the hearing in the small town of Morwell, about 60km (37 miles) from Leongatha.

But for the cameras and curious locals there was no glimpse of Ms Patterson, who was moved from her overnight police cell into the court building via a connecting tunnel.

In court documents released to local media on Friday, police allege Ms Patterson attempted to kill her estranged husband Simon Patterson three times between November 2021 and September 2022.

The alleged fourth attempt was on the day she served a beef Wellington lunch to his parents Gail and Don Patterson, aunt Heather Wilkinson and her husband Ian Wilkinson. Simon Patterson did not attend the meal.

Erin Patterson has said she made the dish using a mixture of button mushrooms bought from a supermarket, and dried mushrooms purchased at an Asian grocery months earlier.

All four of her guests were later taken to hospital reporting violent illness, police say.

Within days the Patterson couple, both 70, and Ms Wilkinson, 66, had died. Mr Wilkinson, 68, was taken to hospital in a critical condition but later recovered.

Police say they believe the four ate death cap mushrooms – which are highly lethal if ingested.

Ms Patterson was named as a suspect after she and her two children appeared unharmed after the lunch.

But she maintains she never intended to poison her guests and says that she herself was taken to hospital after the meal and given medication to guard against liver damage.

“I am now devastated to think that these mushrooms may have contributed to the illness suffered by my loved ones,” she wrote in a statement in August.

Police have stressed the complexity of the case, describing it as a tragedy that may “reverberate for years to come”.

“I cannot think of another investigation that has generated this level of media and public interest, not only here in Victoria, but also nationally and internationally,” Homicide squad Inspector Dean Thomas said on Thursday.