Ahead of today’s swearing-in ceremony for ministers-designate, a lawmaker representing Akoko Northeast and Northwest federal constituency of Ondo, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has resigned from the National Assembly.

His resignation was contained in a letter addressed to the speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, late Sunday night.

In the letter, Mr Tunji-Ojo confirmed that his resignation was necessitated by his ministerial appointment.

Mr Tunji-Ojo, is among the 48 ministers appointed by Mr Tinubu.

He was first elected into the House of Representatives in 2019 where he served as the Committee on Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) chair in the Ninth National Assembly.

He was reelected in 2023.

The Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) has conducted validation flights on instrument flight procedures in international airports across the country.

This is contained in a statement issued by Tayib Odunowo, NAMA managing director, on Sunday.

Mr Odunowo said the exercise was conducted ahead of the International Civil Aviation (ICAO) Universal Safety Oversight Audit Programme (USOAP) expected to begin at the end of the month.

He said the agency also calibrated navigational aids at airports in the country while newly installed ones has been commissioned at the Maiduguri and Minna airports.

Mr Odunowo noted that required documents such as aeronautical information publications (AIP), operation manuals, memorandum of understanding with other agencies including has been reviewed and forwarded to the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) for approval.

The NAMA boss expressed satisfaction with the preparedness and compliance level of the agency.

He also noted that critical manpower was boosted at major airports across the country.

The NAMA managing director also inspected the Total Radar Coverage of Nigeria (TRACON) sites, control towers, mobile control towers, Air Traffic Control III-D Tower Simulator at Centrex Lagos and administrative offices.

The ICAO USOAP was established in 1999 to promote global aviation safety through regular audits of ICAO member states to determine their ability to maintain effectively their safety oversight systems.

The programme is managed by the monitoring and oversight office within the Air Navigation Bureau.

The objective of USOAP is to promote global aviation safety.

It does this by auditing contracting states, on a regular basis, to determine the states’ capability for safety oversight.

Nigerian netizens have mocked ex-Governor Nasir El-Rufai, christening him “reggae minister,” following his cryptic lamentation on betrayal, by posting online a Bob Marley song’s lyrics underscoring the theme.

On Sunday it was reported how Mr El-Rufai shared lyrics of Bob Marley’s ‘Who the cap fit’ that decried betrayal by close friends and allies, days after he was forced to abandon his ministerial bid over insidious attacks from Nuhu Ribadu and the backstabbing he suffered from his political protege and successor, Governor Uba Sani.

Though Mr El-Rufai declined comment when asked if his cryptic tweet was targeted at Mr Sani, cybernauts have mocked Mr El-Rufai on social media platforms, linking his tweet to his failed ministerial appointment saga.

Senator Shehu Sani, Mr El-Rufai’s political rival, said, “I have turned him into a Rastafarian and reggae artist…yeah man.”

A Facebook user, Esabgbedo Iluobe, said, “Hell rufai is now a rejected stone. He got what he did to others in the past. Haba mallam, you are now minister for reggae songs.”

An X user, @M77 said, “Wa gwan Rasta El Rufai!! Hypocrite!!.

Another cybernetizen, @trinityubiego stated, “El Reggae Rufai.”

Facebook user Gabby Gabito said “Minister of Reggae artist and Rastafarians.”

X user @Kuwait_magix, said Tinubu “played you out to Egypt, you’re playing Bob Marley out to us just to console yourself.”

X user @Drelmoariku said, “So, you have now become a reggae dancer since Tinubu refused to make you a minister. I recommend a collabo with @burnaboy.” “Sorry Nasir @elrufai , it’s sad you are employing Bob Marley’s song for Lamentations 101,” said X user AjayiWizeman.

A court in the United Kingdom has authorised Louis Williams Emovbira, a British-Nigerian abused and defrauded by the State Security Service (SSS) in 1986, to seize $21 million and nearly £20,000 from Nigeria’s central bank account domiciled in JP Morgan in the United States, according to court filings.

By the judgment of Justice Mary Clare Moulder, Mr Emovbira has the UK’s legal backing to approach JP Morgan in New York and seize $21,231,960.74 and £19,763.130 from the Central Bank of Nigeria’s account domiciled in the top American bank.

In a June 26, 2023, lawsuit filed before the Supreme Court of the State of New York, Mr Emovbira argued his entitlement to the judgement fund from the savings of Nigeria at JP Morgan.

“Plaintiff has obtained (and is entitled to the recognition) of a money judgment in its favour and against the Nigerian government defendant,” his lawyers said.

Mr Emovbira had obtained the judgment from the Queen’s Bench Division of the High Court of Justice on November 9, 2018, but the money had accrued a nine per cent interest over a period of almost five years since the judgment was given.

Court filings said Mr Emovbira in 1986 guaranteed $6.5 million payable within 90 days for his client, Pearl Konsult Ltd (PKL), to export foodstuff to Nigeria from England after a British lawyer Reuben Gale approached PKL and proposed to pay N30 million in form of bank drafts to be cashed in a Nigerian bank.

But to Mr Emovbira’s utter shock, his bank account was frozen as soon as the drafts became ready for encashment.

The plot thickened when he later discovered that Mr Gale was not the businessman he had claimed to be but an operative of the brutal secret police, SSS, the document said.

The court also heard that the British-Nigerian businessman was later arrested by the SSS, acting on orders from the CBN, which then accused him of conspiring to sell foreign currency without authorisation, in violation of the Exchange Control and Anti-Sabotage Decree 1984.

Mr Emovbira said he was sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment in 1986 but managed to escape in 1989 and fled to London.

But he stated that all efforts to retrieve his money from the Nigerian government so far have fallen through.

Mr Emovbira got a presidential pardon from then-military head of state Ibrahim Babangida in on August 23, 1993, and an order approving his recompensation for the scammed funds. He said he did not receive the money.

“The government admitted that the funds it promised to repay Dr Williams had been “obtained by fraud deception and racketeering influenced scheme of premeditated felony,” Mr Emovbira quoted a section of his Fidelity Guarantee as saying.

A special judicial review panel under Ernest Shonekan of the Interim National Government (ING) after findings found Mr Emovbira to be innocent of the charge preferred against him and ratified General Babangida’s pardon.

The presidency had written the CBN directing the payment of stolen funds on two separate occasions, September 14 and 28, 1993, still there was no response from the nation’s apex bank, he said.

CBN’s silence on paying the owed sums caused the legal battles to linger for years until Nigeria returned to civillian rule.

Then-CBN governor Charles Soludo also acknowledged the funds owed Mr Emovbira.

Mr Emovbira also submitted to the court a presidential directive dated July 1, 2009, and signed by Umar Yar’Adua, which asked the CBN to immediately pay the victim to avoid further ceaseless litigations over the matter.

A spokesman for the CBN did not immediately return a request seeking comments about Mr Emovbira’s lawsuit.

But the bank had filed a motion requesting the case to be transferred from the Supreme Court of the State of New York to a federal court where Nigeria can plead sovereign immunity to argue that Nigeria is a sovereign state which cannot subject itself to the orders of other nations.

“The CBN respectfully requests that the above-captioned action be removed from the Supreme Court of the State of New York, County of New York, in which it was filed, to the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York and for such and other further relief as the Court may deem just and proper,” the bank’s lawyers said in an August 18, 2023, motion.

The defendants include federal government, attorney general of the federation, CBN, JP Morgan & Co and 10 other parties who have yet to be named in the suit.

Mr Emovbira also urged President Bola Tinubu to direct the CBN to release the funds to him to end the decades-long legal crisis and spare the Nigerian government the embarrassment that could arise from enforcing the confiscation order in a foreign bank.

Mr Emovbira said the funds, when recovered, would be used to improve the health and education of children in Nigeria.

The chairman of Ilejemeje Local Government Area in Ekiti, Osadare Oloruntoba, on Sunday, warned residents to desist from defecating in bushes and open places.

Mr Oloruntoba gave the warning in an interview in Eda-Oniyo.

He expressed satisfaction with the clean and hygienic environment being experienced in the community, describing it as encouraging.

Mr Oloruntoba advised landlords to build good toilets in their houses to enable occupants have access to clean sanitary facilities.

The chairman also urged parents to desist from allowing their children to defecate in front of their houses, drainages or roadside bushes within the community.

The leader of the mutineers who seized power in Niger, Gen. Abdourahamane Tchiani, said on Saturday that his country does not want war, but will be ready to defend itself if necessary.

Later in the day, Reuters reported that the delegation also held talks with Mr Tchiani.

In early August, during a summit in the Nigerian capital of Abuja, ECOWAS leaders agreed to activate a standby force to potentially compel the Nigerien military to reinstate Bazoum.

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Fridolina Rolfo scored one and set up the other as Sweden won bronze at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, with a deserved 2-0 win over Australia.

The victory, sealed by Kosovare Asllani’s superb second-half strike, maintains the Scandinavians’ remarkable 100 per cent record in four FIFA Women’s World Cup bronze-medal matches.

It also earned the Swedes a fifth podium finish – second only to the USA (8).

The match provided a sad end to a memorable campaign for the Matildas, who had been hoping to enhance their best-ever performance at the global finals and finish on a high in Brisbane.

The tone, though, was set inside the opening minute.This was when Sweden carved through the leaden-footed Australia defence to set up Stina Blackstenius for a right-foot shot that forced an excellent save from Mackenzie Arnold.

It would prove to be the first of many opportunities for a team that looked fresher and faster throughout, and it was no surprise when the Swedes moved in front on the half-hour mark.

Clare Hunt’s clipping of Blackstenius’s heels inside the box was identified following a VAR review.

In spite of Australia’s best efforts at gamesmanship, Rolfo dispatched a textbook left-foot penalty low and hard into the right-hand corner.

The Matildas did have their moments, and Zecira Musovic was twice called upon to keep out powerful efforts from Hayley Raso and, later, Sam Kerr.

Sweden, though, remained the game’s most potent attacking force, and they made sure of another Women’s World Cup bronze in the 62nd minute.

This was when Rolfo teed up Asllani for a wonderful first-time shot that flashed low beyond the helpless Arnold.

Tony Gustavsson, Australia’s coach, expressed disappointment over his team’s inability to secure the bronze medal after a brilliant world cup campaign that won the hearts of the co-host’s fans.

“It’s a difficult moment to find the right words right now. We’re hurt, we wanted to bring a medal for this team, these fans and this nation.

“It’s now a second tournament that we played for a medal and missed out. Maybe we won something bigger than a medal, though.

“It’s difficult now but when we distance ourselves, I think we won something bigger than a medal,” he said.

Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State has declared Monday as a work-free day for the state’s public servants to commemorate the 2023 Isese Day.

The Isese Day in Lagos is to celebrate the indigenous Yoruba culture and traditions and preserve the Yoruba heritage.

In a circular issued by the Lagos state head of service, Hakeem Muri-Okunola, this year’s Isese Day celebration would hold on Sunday.

Mr Muri-Okunola said that the declaration of a work-free day by Mr Sanwo-Olu was a reaffirmation of his commitment to continue to provide necessary support to traditional institutions in the state.”

This is with a view to promoting our indigenous culture and tradition while preserving our heritage,” he said.

According to him, the state workers are to resume work on Tuesday.

Nollywood veteran actor, Chinedu Ikedieze, also known as Aki, has revealed why he’s chosen to keep his family off social media.

The veteran actor disclosed this in a recent interview with media personality, Chude Jideonwo.

According to the 45-year-old, he made the decision to keep his family private so that they could enjoy freedom.

“I just want them to be free because the moment everybody gets to know them, it would affect them. And I don’t want that,” he said.

He initially said that since his children weren’t celebrities, he decided to shield them from the public space.

“I have children but I decided to put them aside because I’m the celebrity, they are not.”

The actor, who married Nneoma Nwaijah in 2011, emphasised the importance of keeping his wife private, saying, “I hide them, even my wife, apart from our wedding announcement that I made. She can go to the market and do everything without much attention.”

Aki rose to Nollywood prominence in the early 2000s alongside Osita Iheme, who also became popular after the duo paired in the movie, ‘Aki na Ukwa’, in 2002.

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has donated relief materials to 23,000 farmers and vulnerable persons affected by the 2022 flood in Niger.

The director general of the agency, Mustapha Ahmed, said this during the inauguration of the distribution of the support materials in Minna on Saturday.

The intervention was tagged “special national economic and livelihood emergency intervention (SNELEI)”.

Mr Ahmed, represented by Abubakar Yusuf, distribution supervisor, said the intervention was to support farmers affected by the 2022 flood and other most vulnerable persons to cushion the effects of the disaster.

“Recall that the sad incident of the 2022 flood disaster affected many communities across the country, including Niger,” he said.

Mr Ahmed listed the items to include; sewing and grinding machines, 25kg bags of rice, 10kg bags of beans and sorghum, vegetable oil salt, tomato paste sachets and seasoning.

Others were mosquito nets, rubber mats, blankets, plastic buckets, mattresses, cooking pots, toilet soaps, detergents and cooking stoves.

The rest were: Maize and rice seeds, herbicides, pesticides, growth enhancers, liquid fertilisers and water pumps, among others.

Mr Ahmed advised the beneficiaries to make proper use of the items to improve their socio-economic conditions.

In his remarks, Garba Yakubu, Deputy Governor of Niger, commended NEMA for always being there for the downtrodden.

Mr Garba, represented by Bello Ibrahim, his deputy chief, said the items would go a long way in complementing the state government’s efforts in bringing succour to the victims.

Earlier in his welcome address, Garba Salihu, acting director general of Niger emergency management agency (NSEMA), pledged that the items would be distributed to the genuine victims.

One of the beneficiaries, Suleiman Ibrahim, thanked the federal government for the gesture, adding that items would go a long in alleviating their sufferings.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Abuja Zonal Command on Thursday, August 17 arraigned three Internet fraudsters popularly known as ‘Yahoo Boys’ before Justice O.I Adelaja of the Federal Capital Territory High Court sitting in Kubwa, Abuja.

The EFCC on Friday disclosed this in post shared on their X (formerly Twitter) app page.

The defendants, Solomon Ngbede, Ancha Onyekachi and Suleiman Mustapha were arraigned on separate one count charge bordering on internet fraud.

The charges partly read,

“That you, Solomon Ngbede sometime in 2023 at Abuja within the jurisdiction of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory cheat by personation when you represented yourself on a SnapChat profile page as Ivy, a porn star from United States of America and under that name obtained the sum of One Hundred and Fifty United States Dollars ($150) from Christian and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 321 of the Penal Code Law (Laws of the Federation, Abuja) 1990 and punishable under Section 324 of the same Law.

“They pleaded guilty to their respective charges. Following their guilty plea, Justice Adelaja convicted and sentenced the convicts to community service to be supervised by the Nigerian Correctional Services.

Adelaja also ordered that their mobile phones of be sold and proceeds forfeited to the Federal Government.

A large crowd gathered at the Agunbiade Primary School in Somolu Local Government Area on Saturday morning to collect subsidy palliatives, facilitated by the chairman of Somolu Local Government, Hon AbdulHamed Salawu.

According to our source, Omolara Ogunbowale, there was a large crowd at the venue as people from Mushin, Oshodi, Egbeda, and Mowe-Ibafo also came for the palliatives.

The palliatives shared include Rice, Beans and Garri.

Big Brother All Stars Housemate, Steve Ikechukwu Onyema popularly known as Ike, has been issued a strike for vandalising housemate Ilebaye’s personal items late Friday.

Ike, in a previous clip, was seen conniving with housemates Seyi and Pere on ways to provoke Ilebaye, who already has two strikes, to react in the hope that this would earn her a third strike and disqualification.

Executing his plans, Ike proceeded to throw Ilebaye’s clothes and personal items on the bathroom floor, a move that instead got him a strike.

Delivering judgment after replaying the video of the incident, Biggie said, “Big Brother finds you guilty of goading and provocation through the vandalism of Ilebaye’s personal items.

“You are, hereby, issued a strike. Two more strikes and you will be immediately disqualified.”

Emmanuel Myam, aka Emmiwuks, a fan of Afrobeat star David Adeleke popularly known as Davido, who embarked on a road trip with his bicycle from Benue State to Lagos to meet singer Davido, has arrived at his destination.

Emmi Wuks arrived in Lagos on Friday, August 18, 2023, and was welcomed by the Tiv community in the state.

A Facebook user made this known via his Facebook page on Friday evening.

Sharing pictures he wrote, “Congratulations to Emmi Wuks, he just arrived Lagos state now and is been welcome by Mdzough U Tiv Lagos State members and Benue Chubby Queen Miss Kpadoo Upev I celebrate you Man 🍾🍾 After all #IKnowWhereIBelong.

“The Unavailable crooner had told the fan to “turn around” as he was abroad at the time Emmiwuks embarked on his journey, but when the fan insisted on continuing his journey, Davido asked him to send his account number for a token and also pledged to meet him when he returns.

Singer Ayodeji Balogun popularly known as Wizkid has lost his mother.

Wizkid’s mum, Mrs Jane Dolapo Balogun, died at around 1.30 am, Friday.

Confirming the incident to The PUNCH, Sunday Are, Wizkid’s longtime manager said Mrs Balogun died in the early hours of Friday.

‘Yes, she died this morning, at about 1.30 am, Sunday Aaare said.

A chief magistrates’ court in Ikoridu, Lagos, on Friday, remanded a 31-year-old unemployed man, Lawal Rasaq, who allegedly abducted and defiled a teenager.

The defendant, whose address was not provided, faces a two-count charge of abduction and defilement.

The prosecutor, Olawunmi Osibanjo, told the court that Mr Rasaq committed the offences from July 29 to August 8 on Ireshe Road, Alagbonmeta, Ikorodu.

Ms Osibanjo said Mr Rasaq abducted the 17-year-old to his house and had canal knowledge of her, in contravention of sections 268 and 137 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.

The chief magistrate, A.B. Olagbegi-Adelabu, who did not take the defendant’s plea, ordered that he should be remanded at the Kirikiri custodial facility.

She ordered that the case file be sent to the state director of public prosecutions for advice.

Ms Olagbegi-Adelabu adjourned the case until September 7 for mention.

The Police in Jigawa have arrested a 50-year-old man for alleged murder of his four-year-old stepson in Roni Local Government Area of the state.

Police spokesman in the state, DSP Lawan Shiisu, said in Dutse on Friday that the suspect was arrested on August 8.

Mr Shiisu said the suspect was arrested at Unguwar Dinya village after the police received a report about the incident on the same date at about 9:00 p.m.

He explained that upon receipt of the report, the police rushed to the scene and took the victim to General Hospital Kazaure for medical attention, where he later died while receiving treatment.

“On Aug. 8, at about 9 p.m, an ugly information was received from Unguwar Dinya area of Roni LGA of Jigawa that on the same date at about 7:42 p.m., one Salmanu Umar aged 4 of Unguwar Dinya village was seen covered with blood and with a deep cut on his throat done by unknown person.

“On receiving the report, a team of detectives led by Divisional Police Officer, Roni Division, rushed to the scene of crime and conveyed the victim to General Hospital Kazaure for treatment who later died while receiving treatment,” he said.

The spokesman said that investigation led to the arrest of the suspect, husband of the deceased mother.

Mr Shiisu said that when interrogated, the suspect confessed to committing the crime.

He said that the suspect further revealed that he developed hatred for the deceased due to the fact that he could not afford to be feeding someone else’s child.

Mr Shiisu said the suspect also confessed that he attempted to kill the child for the first time, but the attempt was foiled by the deceased’s mother who reported him to her in-law.

He said the suspect had already been arraigned in court and would face the full wrath of the law.

Governor Seyi Makinde Oyo has approved the immediate release of car loans for primary school teachers across all zones in the state.

This is contained in a statement by the coordinating director of the Oyo State Universal Basic Education Board, Jacob Dairo.

He said the loan is coming as a palliative to the teachers.

Meanwhile, the state Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Salihu Abdulwaheed, expressed readiness to work with all stakeholders in the education sector.

Governor Ademola Adeleke has appointed Oyetunji Rasaki Abefe as his special assistant overseeing cars and drivers for Government House, also known as the Government House Pool.

The Government House Pool is a term referring to the transport unit of Government House.

The section deals with drivers and vehicles within the Government House.

The office, a creation of the previous governments of the All Progressive Congress(APC), has been in existence for the past twelve or so years.

Mr Abefe was appointed on August 7, according to an appointment letter that circulated on social media on Friday, sparking an online frenzy by many who thought the pool in Government House Pool was referring to a swimming pool.

Members of the public are aware that there are hundreds of drivers and vehicles (both old and new) in the Government House.

In the interest of sustainable management of those assets, an SSA is appointed to coordinate and even oversee activities and operations in that sector.

We also wish to note and clarify another misrepresentation on the appointment of an SSA for Oranmiyan town.

Again, the previous APC Government created a diaspora estate programme involving a new settlement named Oranmiyan new town.

There is actually a new town development body.

The newly appointed SSA is charged with ensuring the achievement of government goals in those areas, especially ensuring the protection of the investment of Diasporans.

The two appointments are therefore necessary and required. They were never frivolous jobs for the boys, as some partisan critics have termed it.

While those offices were inherited, it is also worthy of note to state that Governor Adeleke has demonstrated a strong will to retain what is good and jettison what is bad. In the two cases under consideration, the two offices are necessary to protect and effectively manage public and private assets.

German luxury carmaker Mercedes-Benz’s struggles with faulty fuel pumps have continued, with Chinese regulators announcing the recall of 231,249 Mercedes-Benz vehicles on Friday.

The recall in China followed a similar major vehicle recall in the U.S. of up to 143,000 vehicles in June.

Chinese regulators said the fuel pumps of the affected vehicles could pose a safety risk in the event of a failure.