The absence of Justice Bayo Taiwo, of the Oyo State High Court, on Wednesday stalled the hearing in a case of murder filed against a former chairman of the Park Management System, Mukaila Lamidi, popularly called Auxiliary.

The matter was adjourned until June 11 for the adoption of addresses in the trial-within-trial case. S. O. Adeoye, the prosecuting counsel and director of public prosecution and defence counsel Olalekan Ojo were in court.

Auxiliary is facing trial on a 17-count charge bordering on armed robbery, murder, attempted murder, possession of firearms including AK-47 assault rifles, two SMG rifles with magazines.

The offence is punishable under Section 1(2)(a) and (b) of the Robbery and Firearms (Special Provisions) Act, CAP RII, Vol. 14, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.

Pakistan on Wednesday said that it has restored the X platform, formerly known as Twitter, services after months-long ban in the South Asian country.

“Confirmed: Metrics show access to X (formerly Twitter) has been restored in #Pakistan as conflict breaks out with neighbouring India,” Internet monitor NetBlocks said on X.

Islamabad blocked the social media platform in February 2025 after the general elections in the country.

Later in July, the government told a local court that X was a “threat to the national security” and could not restore it.

An Anadolu correspondent in Pakistan also confirmed that the platform is now working without the VPN.

Borno Governor Babagana Zulum has announced a ban on the sale of alcoholic beverages in the state while accusing members of the military and other security personnel of contributing to rising criminality and anti-social vices in Maiduguri and its environs.

Zulum spoke on Tuesday during the inauguration of a newly reconstituted committee on “revocation of illegal hotels, brothels, shanties, and criminal hideouts and curbing the menace of antisocial vices,” at the Council Chambers of the Government House in Maiduguri.

“I am happy to know that army officers are here, especially the military, police, and others are here because most of these activities were committed by whom? Some of them are dismissed army officers, dismissed security officers, current army officers, men and officers, including civilians,” the Governor said.

“So, there should be no sacred cow in this matter if we want the Maiduguri metropolis and indeed the state to get rid of insurgency, terrorism and other sorts of criminalities,” he added.

Zulum accused former and serving personnel of the security forces of influencing civilians into criminal behaviour, radicalism, prostitution and other anti-social vices, further escalating terrorism threats in the state.

During the event, the Governor empowered the committee with a renewed mandate to rid Maiduguri and surrounding areas of criminal elements and social decay.

The ban on the sale and consumption of alcoholic beverages, he explained, is a response to increasing incidents of cultism, clashes between rival groups, prostitution, drug abuse, thuggery, and theft—many of which have resulted in loss of lives and property.

To ensure a comprehensive approach, Zulum included the military, police, civil defence corps, and the Civilian Joint Task Force (JTF) in the committee’s operations.

Houthi fighters
Yemen’s Houthi rebels have agreed to a ceasefire with the United States, and vowed to adhere to the agreement if Washington does the same, the group’s spokesperson has said.

“The U.S. interfered to support the Israeli entity by attacking Yemen. So, if they stop their aggression, we will stop responding,’’ Houthi spokesman Mohamed Abdel-Salam told al-Masirah TV late Tuesday.

“If the U.S. does not abide by the agreement in any way, the response will be fatal,’’ he added.

He said talks with the mediator, Oman, had been going on for weeks before the announcement.

Oman said that both parties had agreed to end hostilities, including strikes on U.S. vessels in the Red Sea.

Abdel-Salam said that Houthi support for Gaza will continue and that any deal with the U.S. will not change the rebel group’s stance towards Israel.

Since October 2023, Houthi militants have repeatedly attacked military and civilian vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, saying their campaign was retaliation for Israeli military operations in the Gaza Strip.

The escalation has severely disrupted global shipping, forcing many carriers to reroute around the Cape of Good Hope.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has okayed a ban on the importation of foreign goods by Ministries, Departments, and Agencies on goods or services available in the country, without a waiver from the Bureau of Public Procurement.

Mr Tinubu said this on Monday at the Presidential Villa in Abuja through its Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris.

Mr Idris said, “The Nigeria First Policy places our country at the centre of public procurement and business activity, with a strong focus on empowering local industries. It is designed to foster a new business culture that is bold, confident, and uniquely Nigerian,”.

The new policy dubbed the ‘Renewed Hope Nigeria First Policy’ aims at strengthening the domestic economy, promoting local content, and reducing Nigeria’s dependence on imports.

The minister said that the new policy mirrored the U.S. “America First Policy.’’

However, he warned that “all MDAs must review and resubmit their procurement plans in line with the new policy,” and breaches would attract disciplinary action and possible cancellation of future procurement processes.

He cited Nigeria’s continued importation of sugar despite having a functioning Sugar Council and several domestic producers as a prime example of inefficiency the policy seeks to eliminate.

He stated, “Government money must now work for the Nigerian people. And contractors will no longer be allowed to act as mere intermediaries importing foreign goods while Nigerian factories remain underutilised”

The Nigeria First Policy is the latest of the many economic reforms under Mr Tinubu’s administration, which include the removal of fuel subsidy and naira floating.

Delta assembly speaker, 21 PDP lawmakers defect to APC
Mr Guwor said that the defection was driven by instability within the PDP national leadership
Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly, Dennis Guwor, and 21 other Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Tuesday defected to All Progressives Congress (APC).

The defection of the 22 lawmakers was sequel to the significant shift in the state’s political landscape.

With the defection, the assembly has been turned into a one-party legislature, as the remaining seven members are from APC.

Mr Guwor, while announcing the defection on Tuesday during the resumption of plenary after the Easter break, noted that the decision was the result of extensive consultations with their constituents and political leaders across the state.

He said that the move aligned with Section 109 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended.

According to him, the political shift toward APC was in response to the realignment of stakeholders and the desire to align with the Federal Government, under President Bola Tinubu’s leadership.

He said, “The mass defection of members of Peoples Democratic Party, led by Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, to the APC was made in the overall interest of the people of the state.’’

Mr Guwor noted that the decision followed extensive consultations held on April 23 and which culminated in the April 28 official reception at the Government House and the Cenotaph, respectively.

He stated, “We are fully committed to partnering with the federal government to deliver greater development to the people of Delta. On behalf of the house, I commend the courage and visionary leadership of Gov. Sheriff Oborevwori in making this strategic and timely decision. As a legislative body, we stand with His Excellency in this endeavour. This renewed partnership between the state and the federal government must be supported and allowed to flourish so that we can begin to enjoy its benefits in the shortest possible time.’’

Mr Guwor also announced that he had received 22 letters, including his own, notifying him of the change of party affiliation from PDP to APC.

He said that the defection was driven by instability within the PDP national leadership and divisions within the South-South zonal executive committee, leading to internal conflicts and disunity.

The speaker affirmed the constitutional basis for the defection, citing Section 109(1)(g) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended).

“With this action, the Delta House of Assembly is now composed entirely of members from the All Progressives Congress. We thank our constituents for endorsing this progressive course of action,” he said.

The speaker, who expressed appreciation to members for their contributions so far, urged them to ensure the completion of pending bills as the second legislative session nears its end.

Consequent upon the development, the Majority Leader, Emeka Nwaobi, moved a motion for the adoption of the letters of change in political party.

The motion, which was unanimously adopted by the assembly when put to a voice vote by the speaker, was seconded by Ferguson Onwo (APC-Isoko South II).

Addressing journalists shortly after the plenary, the majority leader said that the defection was prompted by the crisis within PDP.

“Our decision was based on the instability at the national level and the factionalisation at the South-South level. Consequently, we chose to move to the ruling All Progressives Congress, in accordance with Section 109 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended,” he said.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission said it traced over $300,000 laundered to a suspected internet fraudster.

A statement by the spokesperson for the EFCC on Tuesday in Abuja, Dele Oyewale, said the suspect was among the 35 suspects arrested Sunday in Auchi area of Edo State.

Mr Oyewale said the arrest was sequel to credible intelligence that linked the suspects to fraudulent internet activities.

He said investigations revealed that the suspect collected and laundered over $300,000 for his syndicate members who were at large.

He said, “Apart from internet fraud, EFCC’s investigations revealed that the suspect is equally involved in investment and banking fraud. He will be charged to court as soon as the investigation is concluded.’’

A 17-year-old boy, Shahid Ahmad, was found in a pool of water at Hotoro Walawai area, behind MGR Filling Station in the Tarauni Local Government of Kano State.This was made known in a statement by the Public Relations Officer of the State Fire Service, Alhaji Saminu Abdullahi on Tuesday in Kano.

He said the teenager was found in the pool of water on Tuesday afternoon, but it could not be ascertained whether he drowned or not as the boy’s father took his body away, probably for burial.

The statement noted, “We received a distress call from Anas Haruna at about 03:31 p.m that a body was floating in an open water (pond). On receiving the information, we quickly sent our rescue team at about 03:45 p.m to the scene.’’

Mr Abdullahi said the victim was brought out of the water dead and his corpse was handed over to his father, Malam Ahmad.

Nnamdi Kanu admitted to inciting public to attack police officers, witness tells court
Mr Awomolo said that the statement-taking session was also recorded on video.

News Agency of Nigeria • May 6, 2025
Nnamdi Kanu handcuffed
Nnamdi Kanu handcuffed [Credit: Lindaikejisblog]
Awitness in the trial of the leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, said on Tuesday that the IPOB leader admitted inciting members of the public to attack police officers during interrogation.

The witness, a States Security Services operative, identified as BBB for security reasons, told Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court in Abuja, while being led in evidence by the Federal Government’s lawyer, Adegboyega Awomolo, SAN.

BBB, who was the 2nd prosecution witness (PW-2), gave his testimony behind a screen provided by the court.

The witness said beside being the leader of the IPOB, Kanu is also the founder of the Eastern Security Network (ESN); the armed wing of IPOB. He said that Mr Kanu also operated an illegal radio station, which broadcast on frequencies 102.1 FM and 88.0 FM.

BBB told the court that the radio was illegal because it was not licensed by the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC).

When the lawyer asked if the PW-2 had had encounter with Mr Kanu, the witness said he got to know Mr Kanu when he was assigned the duty of taking his statement on July 17, 2021, following a letter from the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) requesting that the IPOB leader be investigated in respect of his alleged terrorist’s activities.

The SSS operative said the AGF’s letter was addressed to the director general of the service.

He said he carried out the assignment in company with four others of his colleagues, including a director

.

He said he handed Mr Kanu the letter from the AGF, which the defendant read and also gave his lawyers to read, following which he requested that Mr Kanu respond to issues raised in the letter.

He said after reading the letter, Mr Kanu volunteered to make a statement in the presence of two of his lawyers, including Alloy Ejimakor.

The witness said he played some of the broadcast made by the defendant on his radio station, known as Radio Biafra, including where he called for the attack on police officers and other inciting comments.

BBB said Mr Kanu admitted that the broadcast, which he played to his hearing, were his (Kanu’s) own.

When Mr Awomolo asked what Mr Kanu was agitating for, the witness said Mr Kanu wanted the secession of the five South-East states, parts of Kogi and Benue states from Nigeria.

He said the statement-taking session was also recorded on video.

When Mr Awomolo sought to tender the AGF’s letter and a copy of the video disc, the defence lawyer, Kanu Agabi, SAN, objected.

Mr Agabi argued that the letter and the disc were not included in the proof of evidence served on them.

Mr Agabi said it was part of the right of the defendant to be given copies of documents and materials that the prosecution planned to rely on in prosecuting the case.

He sought an adjournment to enable the prosecution to do the needful.

But when Mr Awomolo argued that non-service of those documents should not hinder the proceedings, Mr Agabi submitted that if served with the documents, they would need time to study them and consult with Kanu.

Mr Awomolo, who reminded that he took up the case recently, said non-service of the documents could be a mistake

He, however, said he was ready to furnish the defendant with the necessary documents and materials that the prosecution wished to rely on.

He also conceded to the case being adjourned.

Ruling, Justice Omotosho held that the defence was entitled to all the documents and materials the prosecution planned to rely on.

The judge then proceeded to order the prosecution to, in line with the provision of Section 36 of the Constitution, serve on the defendant all facilities, including documents that it intends to rely on to prosecute the case.

Justice Omotosho subsequently adjourned the matter until May 7 to enable the prosecution to serve the defence all the necessary documents and for the PW-2 to continue his testimony.

Earlier, the PW1, also an operative of the State security services identified as AAA, concluded his testimony after being cross examined by Agabi and re-examined by Awomolo.

Under cross-examination by Agabi, the witness said he was consulted, in relation to the role he played in the case as an investigator, before the charge in the case was filed.

The witness said he was not aware that the defendant was charged with 15 counts, but that he was aware that Kanu was charged with inciting others to attack members of the police force.

“I was not part of the drafting of the charge, but I am aware that he (the defendant) incited people to kill members of the police force,” he said.

The witness also said that he was not aware that a count relating to the allegation was struck out from the charge in an earlier ruling.

He also said he was not aware that eight out of the 15 counts contained in the original charge were struck out by the court in an earlier ruling.

Before the day’s proceeding commenced, Justice Omotosho expressed concern over issues of representation by lawyers in the matter.

The judge said due to the small size of the court, a long list of lawyers in company with the lead counsel for the prosecution or defendant would not be accommodated.

“I want to make this clarification, I approved 16 counsels for the defence out of the 29 counsels,” he said.

He said a lawyer, Charles Udeh, wrote a letter to the court, stating that he was the counsel for the defendant and copied Aloy Ejimakor in the letter.

“He said his name is on the list but based on my order, his name was removed,” the judge said.

Justice Omotosho then asked Kanu to tell the court who his lawyer is, and the IPOB leader pointed to Mr Agabi as his legal representative in the matter.

The judge also called Favour Kanu, who is the wife of Kanu’s younger brother, Prince Fineboy, to step forward and explained her reason behind recording the court proceedings live.

The judge expressed surprise that despite Mrs Favour’s phone being confiscated on the last adjourned date when she was caught recording him, she still went ahead to post the video online.

“I want to hear from her. Were you not the one that I took your phone from? I did not give the order to forfeit that phone. I don’t know if she might be a wife to my brother (Nnamdi Kanu,” the judge said, but Prince told the judge that Favour is his wife.

Justice Omotosho, who said that anyone is free to record or take video of the court before sitting, said as soon as the judge begins proceedings, such an act would be contemptuous.

Responding, Favour said: “Thank you my lord for giving me the opportunity to say something. I will never disrespect the court. I did not know that you were still seated my lord, because it was a live video. Immediately you cautioned me, the video had already gone and there was nothing I could do at that time. It was a live stream on Facebook.”

Although Kanu’s lawyer, Kanu Agabi, SAN, also apologised on her behalf and appealed for forgiveness, Justice Omotosho insisted that Mrs Favour would be barred from three proceedings.

The judge said he did not want to be forced to create another room where some of the lawyers and litigants would be made to sit to observe the court proceedings through zoom.

Justice Omotosho, who cautioned against any act that could cause delay in the trial, assured all parties in the case that justice would be served.

NSA seeks effective mechanism to counter IEDs use by terrorists
The ambassador of Algeria to Nigeria, Hocine Mezoued, said African countries must be able to take adequate measures to make the fight against terrorism effective.

News Agency of Nigeria • May 6, 2025
Image used to illustrate the story
Image used to illustrate the story
National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu has called for the development of effective mechanisms to enhance the ability to prevent and counter the use of improvised explosive devices by terrorist groups in West Africa.
Mr Ribadu made the call at the opening of the Stakeholders meeting on Consolidating Collaborative Efforts to Prevent and Counter the Acquisition and Use of IED by Terrorist Groups in West Africa, on Tuesday in Abuja.

Mr Ribadu said the threat of terrorism knows no bounds, adding that it was through collaborative efforts by critical stakeholders that they could effectively confront and defeat the menace.

He encouraged participants to actively engage in discussion, get ideas and work towards solutions that would help them on how counter terrorism could affect communities in West Africa. He commended the partners for their dedication to strengthening their collective efforts in combating terrorism.

The ambassador of Algeria to Nigeria, Hocine Mezoued, said African countries must be able to take adequate measures to make the fight against terrorism effective.

These measures, he said, concern not only the prevention and dismantling of IEDs, but also proactive and preventive actions that aim to deconstruct them and seek a provision to promote coordination and cooperation.

He said the measures would also help adapt to new threats driven by technological progress.

According to him, the use of these explosive devices remains one of the most potent tools used to carry out terrorist attacks in the interior, against the states of West Africa and the countries of the Sahel region.

He called for an integrated approach by combining security measures and initiatives to prevent the use of IEDs, and consolidating the sustainable development approach.

The German ambassador to Nigeria, Annette Gunthe, said the global trend of weaponising commercial drones tended to jeopardise much of the impressive progress many countries had made in bringing back stability.

He said the agenda of the meeting was built on the Working Group’s regional meeting of 2023, which emphasised the need to strengthen national and regional counter-IED expertise, disrupt the supply chains of IED components, and turn intelligence into the core of the scientific evidence.

According to him, these insights resulted in the formulation of the Lome Recommendations.

He commended Nigeria for hosting the event, adding that Germany and the European Union had continued to support numerous activities that contribute to non-kinetic efforts to prevent and counter violent extremism, such as the integrated border stability mechanisms for West Africa.

He said Germany had also been supporting the regional stabilisation facility in the Lake Chad region and contributed to counter-IED activity

Friedrich Merz failed to secure the necessary absolute majority to be elected as the new chancellor of Germany in the first round of voting, Julia Klockner, head of the Bundestag, said on Tuesday.
According to Ms Klockner, in a broadcast on the parliament’s website, Merz did not obtain the required majority of at least 316 votes, so he was not elected chancellor of Germany.

If Merz fails to obtain the necessary absolute majority after two rounds of voting, a third round will be announced in which the ”chancellor majority’’ will be enough to be elected.

The United States may be preparing to introduce additional tariffs on European Union goods in spite of the current 90-day suspension, according to European Commissioner for Trade Maroš Šefčovič.
At the European Parliament plenary session, Mr Šefčovič noted that the U.S. had recently reduced its additional tariffs from 20 per cent to 10 per cent.

In response, the EU paused its countermeasures on steel and aluminium for 90 days to allow room for negotiations.

“This pause was meant to create space for dialogue. However, U.S. tariffs still affect €380 billion, $431 billion worth of EU exports, around 70 per cent of our total exports, at rates ranging from 10 per cent to 25 per cent,” Mr Šefčovič said.

He also warned that new U.S. tariff measures could still be on the horizon, despite Washington acknowledging that the EU was not a threat and that both sides faced many common challenges.

On April 2, U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order introducing reciprocal tariffs on imports from various countries.

The base tariff was set at 10 per cent, with higher rates applied to 57 countries based on the U.S. trade deficit with each.

A week later, Mr Trump announced that the 10 per cent baseline tariff would apply for 90 days to more than 75 countries that had not retaliated and had requested negotiations, excluding China.

As part of its continued commitment to sustainability, Access Holdings PLC will be amongst the leading participants in the United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative (UNEP FI) Regional Roundtable on Sustainable Finance for Africa and the Middle East.
Taking place from May 6-7, 2025, in Marrakech, Morocco, the event will bring together regulators, policymakers, and key stakeholders from the financial sector to discuss and shape critical sustainability issues, including climate mitigation and adaptation, nature-positive finance, just transition and financial inclusion, carbon finance, among others.

Amaechi Okobi, Chief Brand and Communications Officer of Access Holdings; Edmund Otaigbe, Group Head of Credit Administration, Governance & Project Monitoring; and Njideka Esomeju, Group Head of Products and Segments, will contribute insights from their extensive experience driving sustainability within the financial sector.

Sessions dedicated to accelerating the transition of real economy sectors towards sustainability, addressing climate risks, and ensuring financial inclusion will be among the discussions.

One of the focal points will be how financial institutions can support climate adaptation and resilience, particularly in vulnerable sectors across Africa and the Middle East. The event will further tackle the challenge of unlocking private finance for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), exploring innovative ways to align capital flows with regional sustainability needs.

Other high-level dialogues will explore regional collaboration to support sustainability goals, advance action on climate adaptation, and discuss regulatory developments promoting sustainable finance across the region.

Panels will focus on financing and insuring MSMEs for climate resilience and fostering an inclusive transition by ensuring that vulnerable communities and underserved populations are not left behind in the push for green growth.

Prominent speakers at the event include Mahmoud Mohieldin, UN Special Envoy on Financing the 2030 Agenda; Louise Gardiner, Senior Operations Officer at the International Finance Corporation (IFC); Lily Burge, Policy Manager, Climate Bonds Initiative; and Samuel Tiriongo, Director of Research and Policy, Kenya Bankers Association.

Walid Ali, General Manager, Sustainability Department, Central Bank of Egypt; Yasser Mounsif, Director of Issuers, Moroccan Capital Market Authority, alongside other leaders in sustainable finance.

The UNEP FI Regional Roundtable promises to be a critical platform for deepening collaboration among stakeholders across Africa and the Middle East. The shared goal is to create a resilient, sustainable future for the region.

On Tuesday, the I Have Honour opposition faction in the Armenian parliament announced that it is prepared to initiate an impeachment process against Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.
“We confirm that, at this moment, the most likely path to achieving a change of power is through a vote of no confidence in the prime minister.

“To avoid complicating the process with unnecessary political ambitions, we declare that we do not currently have a candidate for the prime ministerial post,” said faction leader Hayk Mamijanyan.

“We are ready to discuss a candidate and launch the no-confidence process without any preconditions,” he added.

Mr Mamijanyan stated that all six members of the faction had signed the motion. He also noted that the opposition Armenia faction had proposed former president Robert Kocharyan as a potential replacement, and that I Have Honour would support his candidacy.

According to Armenian law, to initiate the impeachment process, the opposition must nominate an alternative candidate for the position of prime minister.

A no-confidence motion requires the backing of at least 54 of the 107 members of parliament to pass.

Currently, the opposition factions, I Have Honour and Armenia, hold a combined 34 seats.

The ruling Civil Contract party controls 69 seats, with four additional MPs serving as independents.

On Tuesday, Germany’s lower house of parliament convened for the election of Friedrich Merz as the country’s new chancellor.

Mr Merz requires an absolute majority of votes in the 630-seat Bundestag to succeed the outgoing chancellor, Olaf Scholz.

The incoming coalition, made up of Mr Merz’s Christian Democrats, the Bavaria-only Christian Social Union and the centre-left Social Democrats, held 328 seats in the Bundestag.

Shortly before the vote, representatives from the conservative CDU/CSU parliamentary group and the SPD said all their lawmakers were in attendance, making Mr Merz’s election all but certain.

The Kano State Police Command has confirmed the arrest of a 20-year-old man in connection with an armed robbery and homicide that occurred in Danbare Quarters, Kano, on Monday, May 5, 2025.

According to a statement released on Tuesday by the command’s Public Relations Officer, SP Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa, the police received a distress call at about 6:40 am from a resident in the area, reporting that two suspected armed robbers had invaded the home of one Shehu Muhammad, aged 30, and attacked him with a sharp cutlass, inflicting multiple injuries.

Responding swiftly to the call, the Commissioner of Police, CP Ibrahim Adamu Bakori, PhD, dispatched operational teams and detectives to the scene.

The victim was immediately rushed to Murtala Muhammad Specialist Hospital for treatment but was later pronounced dead by a medical doctor.

One of the suspects, identified as Aliyu Umar, was arrested at the scene of the crime. The police recovered the weapon allegedly used in the attack from him.

The suspect is currently in custody and assisting with the ongoing investigation. Police say he will be charged in court upon the investigation’s completion.

“We will not rest until every criminal element is brought to justice,” CP Bakori said in the statement. “This arrest is a strong signal to others who think they can terrorize innocent citizens.”

SP Kiyawa also praised the public for their quick action, stating, “The community’s timely report was critical in apprehending the suspect. We urge residents to continue working with us to ensure a safer Kano.”

The police command reiterated its commitment to protecting lives and property and urged residents to report any suspicious activity.

A 22-year-old lady, Joy Tale, has been reportedly killed by her landlord’s son, Odunayo Olomolatan, 41, in Ode-Irele, Irele Local Government Area of Ondo State.

The News Agency of Nigeria(NAN) learnt that the tenant was hacked to death on Monday during an argument.

DSP Olayinka Ayanlade, the spokesman for the Police Command in Ondo State, confirmed the incident to NAN in a telephone interview.

Ayanlade said that the suspect has been arrested and in the custody of the Divisional Police Headquarters, Ode-Irele.

He disclosed that investigation has begun to unravel the circumstances surrounding the death of the lady.

“Yes, I can confirm to you that the lady was allegedly hacked to death during argument between her and her landlord son.

“The suspect has been arrested and investigation is ongoing to unravel circumstances surround the lady’s death,”Ayanlade said.

Meanwhile, Olajide Akinfe, the Chairman of the local government, has called for calm over the incident, urging residents not to take laws into their hands.

Akinfe, who claimed to have visited the divisional police headquarters, said that measures have been put in place to ensure that the suspect did not escape justice.

President Bola Tinubu is dedicated to achieving rapid, sustained, and inclusive economic growth to lift millions of Nigerians out of poverty.
This was stated by finance and economy minister Wale Edun while briefing State House correspondents after the fifth Federal Executive Council meeting on Monday.

The minister stated that Mr Tinubu was committed to ongoing macroeconomic reforms, which had shown promising signs of the economy turning a corner.

He mentioned that at the World Bank/IMF Spring Meetings in Washington D.C., it was confirmed that Nigeria was on the right track.

He said the affirmation came even before Fitch upgraded Nigeria’s credit rating from B- to B with a positive outlook.

The minister further explained that the IMF acknowledged Nigeria’s economic resilience, which was bolstered by macroeconomic reforms, enabling the country to cope with challenges like the introduction of reciprocal tariffs in the U.S.

Additionally, Edun revealed that the FEC ratified Nigeria’s membership of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank as a non-regional member.

He said Nigeria was invited to join AIIB in 2021, and the legal and administrative process, including share payments, had been completed.

“The country now holds 50 shares in the bank, valued at $100,000 each, totalling $5 million. The approval was for us to subscribe to 50 shares of the capital stock within AIIB,” he said.

Governor Umaru Bago has announced a revision of the curfew hours imposed on the movement of motorcycles and tricycles within the Minna metropolis.

A statement by his chief press secretary, Ibrahim Bologi, disclosed that the new curfew hours would be from 8:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m.

The governor said the adjustment was made based on security updates received from the state security committee.

Mr Bago assured the people of Niger that his administration would continue to engage with the security committee to assess the effectiveness of the curfew and make further adjustments as necessary.

He urged citizens to remain law-abiding, restating his administration’s commitment to implementing policies that positively impact their lives and ensure their well-being.

The governor had on April 23 restricted the movement of motorcycles and tricycles from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. due to a spike in thuggery.

The restrictions on motorcycles and tricycles were put in place as a proactive measure to address growing insecurity in parts of the state capital,