Bank error allows Ireland customers with 0 balance withdraw €1,000 from ATM

A viral video on Wednesday showed the moment a bank error allowed customers with no money in their account to withdraw €1,000 from their ATMs in Ireland.

An X (formerly Twitter) user, who shared the video said, “Bank of Ireland in Navan, major fault allowing money to be drawn out even if you have none in the bank. Where are the Gardai?”

The Bank of Ireland has since reacted to the development on their X (formerly Twitter) handle saying;

“We are working on a technical issue that is impacting a number of our services including our mobile app and 365Online.

“We are working to fix this as quickly as possible and apologise to customers for any inconvenience caused.

“We would like to remind customers if transferring/withdrawing funds-including over normal limits-this money will be debited from their account.

“We are conscious customers may not be able to check balances, but should not withdraw/transfer if they are likely to become overdrawn.”

NDLEA seizes hard drugs worth N56.9 million in Abuja

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) FCT command says it intercepted about 3,091.032kg of suspected illicit drugs with a monetary value of over N56.9 million from January to date.

Kabir Tsakuwa, NDLEA’s FCT commandant, disclosed this in an interview on Wednesday in Abuja.

Mr Tsakuwa said the drugs seized included suspected cannabis sativa, cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin, tramadol, Rohypnol, diazepam, ecstasy, and megadon.

He also stated that 343 drug suspects were arrested within the period, adding that they comprised 328 males and 15 females.

Mr Tsakuwa also mentioned that the NDLEA prosecuted 188 drug offenders, with 126 convicted.

According to him, out of the 3,091.032kg of hard drugs seized between January and now, cannabis sativa accounted for the largest seizure.

“Drugs seized were cannabis sativa 3,022.529kg, cocaine 0.114kg, methamphetamine 1.25kg, heroin 0.0021kg. We also seized suspected tramadol 18.578kg, Rohypnol 1.195kg, diazepam 4.471kg, ecstasy 0.113kg and megadon 0.263kg,” said Mr Tsakuwa.

“The monetary value of these drugs stands at approximately N56,903,600 only.”

The NDLEA boss said 33 persons with drug use disorder were rehabilitated, while 102 drug users had been counselled and released within the period.

Mr Tsakuwa added that the agency, in collaboration with other security agencies, would participate in a joint operation within the FCT to dislodge shanties and hot spots in the FCT.

He said these were areas where drug abuses and criminality were suspected to be thriving.

Governor Sani appoints new heads of agencies

Governor Uba Sani has approved the appointment of new heads of agencies in Kaduna.

This is contained in a statement by his spokesman Muhammed Shehu on Wednesday.

Mr Shehu said those appointed included Inuwa Ibrahim as the managing director of Kaduna Line, Iliyasu Neyu as the executive secretary of Kaduna State Aids Control Agency (KADSACA), and Umar Waziri as the special adviser on revenue matters.

He added that Umar Bambale was appointed as the special adviser on drugs and narcotics control. Aminu Sharehu was appointed as the chairman of the Local Government Service Board.

Mr Shehu said Abubakar Abubakar was appointed as the managing director of Kaduna State Development and Property Company Ltd. (KSDPC).

Hadiza Hamza was appointed as the managing director of Kaduna Industrial and Finance Company (KIFC).

“Dr Bello Jamo will serve as the executive secretary, State Primary Health Care Board (SPHCB), Mr Joseph Ike will serve as the executive secretary, Kaduna State Bureau for Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment (KADBUSA), among others,’’ he said.

The governor urged the appointees to excel by creating initiatives and programmes to benefit the state.

He advised them to serve the people with diligence, discipline, and honesty.

Six-man gang arrested for illegal tax collection- Kaduna IRS

The enforcement team of the Kaduna State Internal Revenue Service (KADIRS), in collaboration with the police, says it arrested a six-man gang of illegal tax collectors.

KADIRS spokesman Zakari Muhammad disclosed this at a press conference in Kaduna on Wednesday.

Mr Muhammad explained that the culprits were intercepted on August 9 during a joint operation along Muhammadu Buhari Way in Kaduna North LGA.

He said the suspects were caught red-handed while collecting cash from unsuspecting individuals.

According to Mr Muhammad, the act contravened section 51 of the Kaduna State Tax Codification and Consolidation Law, 2020, which prohibits cash collection.

“The section provides that ‘notwithstanding any provision in any law on assessments, levying, or collection of taxes, levies, revenues, or surcharges in the state, no revenue shall be payable or collected in cash by any person or authority’,” stated the KADIRS official.

Mr Muhammad also mentioned that only by bank draft, electronic debits, credit card, point of sale terminal, money transfer into the IRS’ bank account, and any other electronic means approved by the board.

Mr Muhammad said the suspects were handed over to security operatives for further investigation and prosecution.

He said the joint operation was part of the acting executive chairman of KADIRS, Jerry Adam’s commitment to restoring taxpayers’ confidence in the system.

Mr Muhammad said this was achieved through sanitising and promoting transparency in the state’s tax administration systems.

“The revenue service is hereby calling on citizens of Kaduna state to report the activities of illegal tax or revenue collectors through the following numbers: 09088743859, 08099414343, 07062020465, and 09088743853,” Mr Muhammad disclosed.

“We appreciate our esteemed taxpayer’s usual collaboration, support, and understanding.”

No federal universities should demand tuition fees from students- Federal Government

Federal universities have been warned against demanding tuition fees from students nationwide.

Specifically, David Adejo, the permanent secretary at the federal education ministry, stated this in Abuja at a public hearing by the House of Representatives ad committee on student loans.

Mr Adejo said the recent increase in tuition fees by federal universities in the country was unfortunate.

“What they collect is charges to cover the cost of accommodation, ICT, power, among others. It is the governing council of the universities that has the power to approve such charges for them,” the government official told the parliament.

“The only university that increased charges after the signing of the student loans act is the University of Lagos.”

Mr Adejo added, “They came to the ministry with a proposal to increase their charges because all governing councils were dissolved, and we gave them approval,” adding that “Immediately that was done, there was a resolution from the House stopping the increase in fees, and the president also gave a directive stopping any increase in fees, and that is where it is, even though several others have brought their proposal.”

The official also mentioned that the charges collected by the universities were used to pay for some services, including electricity bills and faulted claims that signing the student loan bill was responsible for the hike in the university charges.

Police say nine suspected armed robbers nabbed in Bauchi

The police command in Bauchi says it arrested nine armed robbery suspects allegedly terrorising residents.

The spokesperson for the command, SP Ahmed Wakil, disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday.

He said the operation was achieved through the bravery of the joint efforts of Operation Restore Peace (ORP) and the command’s Rapid Response Squad (RRS).

“Acting on credible intelligence regarding the activities of a robbery syndicate in the area, the operatives swiftly took action.

The syndicate had been under the command’s watchlist due to their involvement in several armed robberies,” the statement explained.

It added, “On August 13, 2023, at about 15:03 hours, ORP apprehended three suspected armed robbers who had been causing havoc in the Bauchi metropolis.”

The police explained that the most recent criminal activities occurred on July 10 and 21 at Bauchi’s GRA, Bayan Gari and Sabon Layi areas.

“Following relentless intelligence gathering, the suspects have been successfully arrested from different operations by the operatives of the command,” said the police.

The statement said the command recovered items from the suspects, including three laptops, laptop charger, cutlasses, Keke NAPEP, phones, plasma TVs, mattresses, refrigerator and carpets.

Other recovered items were clothes, caps, and an iPhone 13 Pro, valued at N750,000. The iPhone was traced to a robbery on August 2 in Nasarawa.

The police said the suspects confessed to being responsible for nighttime burglaries and robberies in Bauchi.

“The investigation is ongoing, and efforts are being intensified to apprehend the remaining accomplices who are still at large,” said the statement.

Meanwhile, police commissioner Auwal Muhammad has ordered an investigation to recover additional stolen property and apprehend the remaining culprits.

“The commissioner of police further expresses gratitude to the general public for providing credible intelligence that has helped the Police in achieving the successes recorded so far,” the statement said.

Neymar completes £78m move to Al-Hilal from Paris Saint-Germain

Superstar footballer Neymar has completed his £78m move to Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal.

Neymar left PSG after agreeing on a two-year deal with the PIF-backed club, one that is understood to be worth £130million a year.

He becomes the biggest name in football to move to the oil-rich nation after Cristiano Ronaldo left England.

He rejected the possibility of a loan move to his former club Barcelona, which would have included an option to buy him outright next year.

The Brazilian was seen speaking to the Saudi club’s fans in a video on their social media pages where he is heard saying:

‘I am here in Saudi Arabia’.’It is inevitably difficult to say goodbye to a legend of the club, which Neymar will be forever,’ PSG chairman Nasser Al-Khelaïfi said.

‘I will never forget the day he arrived at Paris Saint-Germain, nor what he brought to our club and our project over the past six years.

‘We have lived extraordinary moments and Neymar will always be part of our history.

‘I would like to thank him and his family. We wish Neymar the best for the future and his next adventure.

‘Neymar joined PSG from Barcelona in a world record £198m deal in 2017.

Overall, Neymar scored 118 times in 173 matches for PSG.

He has won five Ligue 1 titles and three Coupe de France trophies.

Final year ESUT student found dead in her room as male friend reportedly battles for life

A final-year student of Enugu State University of Science and Technology, ESUT, Mbah Ezinne, has been found d£ad in her room. 

The lifeless body of the Department of Anatomy student was found in her apartment on July 31, 2023, after she was not seen in church.

One of her brothers, Mbah Samson, on Monday, August 14, 2023, shared a Facebook post by one Akalu Moon, who accused a lady, Anita Josephine Ogona, of tarnishing late Ezinne’s image online.

The post also alleged that the deceased was murdered. 

It was gathered that the deceased, who was a cherished member of the church community, had attended a praise night with her friends on Friday, July 28, 2023.

The group dispersed around 4:am on Saturday to prepare for the Youth Day festivities slated for Sunday, July 30. 

According to SaharaReporters, after the service began in the church on Sunday, Ezinne’s friends and family attempted to reach her on the phone but a voice prompt repeated that her mobile line was not reachable. 

One Chisom Onyedikachi told the publication that when she and other friends and family members could not reach Ezinne by Monday morning, July 31, they became concerned.

Worried for her safety and well-being, her brother Stephen and some of her friends embarked on a journey to her residence in Enugu.

It was learned that when they arrived there on Monday afternoon, peeping through her window, they found Ezinne and a male friend, who happened to be her coursemate, lying on the floor.

Stephen tried to access the apartment but was advised by neighbours to involve the police before any further action would be taken.

The local authorities were summoned, and the victims were taken to the hospital. 

On arrival at the hospital, Ezinne was pronounced dead, while her male friend whose was revived. 

It was further gathered that the male friend is still battling for his life in a hospital. 

Friends and family members are hoping he will recover and be able to provide insight into the events that transpired that fateful weekend.

Myanmar central bank revokes licenses of 13 forex companies

The Central Bank of Myanmar (CBM) has announced the revocation of licenses from 13 foreign currency exchange companies.

This decision was made during a meeting of the central bank’s executive committee on Monday, following the companies’ failure to comply with the bank’s rules and directives.

This move came after a similar action taken last month when the central bank also revoked licenses from 10 forex companies for not adhering to its established rules and directives.

The central bank’s reference exchange rates on Monday stood at 2,100 kyats per U.S. dollar, 2,299.7 kyats per euro, and 289.23 kyats per yuan, respectively.

Canadian city declares state of local emergency due to wildfires

Yellowknife, the capital city of the Northwest Territories, Canada, declared a state of local emergency due to surrounding wildfires on Monday night.

The declaration was passed at an emergency council meeting Monday evening.

The city said on its official social media that it can exercise precautionary practices and acquire the equipment and resources needed to keep Yellowknife safe.

The declaration was called when a community government determined additional powers were needed to take immediate action in an emergency.

The municipal government said it included taking over the use of vehicles or property to respond to the emergency and evacuating all or a portion of the community.

It stressed that authorising qualified individuals to provide services or aid in emergency responses was necessary.

However, according to its social media announcement, the city is not declaring an evacuation alert or order.

The government of the Northwest Territories issued warnings on Monday, advising residents to evacuate some areas as wildfires spread near communities.

The Canadian military was called in on Sunday to assist with firefighting efforts in the Northwest Territories.

Canada is facing its worst wildfire season ever.

According to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre, there were 1,100 active forest fires in Canada as of Monday night, 236 of which were in the Northwest Territories, second only to British Columbia’s 375.

Teenager jailed for attempted theft in Lagos

An Ikeja Chief Magistrates’ Court, on Tuesday, sentenced a teenage boy, Ishola Yusuf, to two years and three months in the Borstal Correctional Centre in Abeokuta, Ogun, for attempted theft.

The chief magistrate, Bola Osunsanmi, held that the sentence would run concurrently without the option of fine.

“It will serve as a deterrent to others,” she said.

Earlier, the prosecutor, ASP Raji Akeem, told the court that the offence was committed on November 28, 2022, at 20 Salumonu St., Agege, Lagos.

Mr Akeem said that the convict was arraigned on December 2, 2022, pleaded guilty, and has been in the correctional facility since then.

Mr Akeem said that the convict scaled the fence of Ben Njoku’s house with the intent to steal.

The prosecutor said that he was caught before committing the crime.

The offence, he said, contravened the provisions of Sections 168 and 406 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.

Mali’s president confirms call with Putin about Niger coup

Mali’s military leader Assimi Goita said on Tuesday that he had spoken on the phone to Russian President Vladimir Putin about the situation in Niger, where a junta seized power in a coup last month.

Mr Putin “stressed the importance of a peaceful resolution of the situation for a more stable Sahel,” Mr Goita said on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter.

Western powers fear that Niger could go the same way as neighbouring Mali, whose leaders hired mercenaries from Russia’s Wagner group to help them fight an insurgency after they overthrew the democratic government three years ago and kicked out French troops.

Mr Putin has called for a return to constitutional order in Niger, while Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin welcomed the coup.

Support for Russia has appeared to surge in Niger since the July 26 coup, with junta supporters waving Russian flags at several rallies.

Nigerians ‘tricked’ into voting APC are now lamenting- Ondo State PDP

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ondo has taken a swipe at the All Progressives Congress (APC), saying Nigerians ‘tricked’ into voting for the ruling party are now regretting and lamenting their action.

Kennedy Peretei, the spokesperson for the main opposition PDP stated this in a release issued to reporters on Tuesday in Akure in reaction to an earlier statement by the chairman of the APC in the state, Ade Adetimehin.

Mr Adetimehin had, on Monday, attacked the PDP in the state, saying the main opposition party has “gone into extinction” following the defection of its members to the governing APC.

“The PDP has gone into extinction in Ondo state and that is why many members of the opposition political parties are coming to join the APC in Ondo state,” Mr Adetimehin had told reporters at an interactive session in Akure.

But in his reply, Mr Peretei explained that the people are already holding the APC responsible for the suffering and agony they are passing through with the removal of the fuel subsidy and its biting effect on the nation’s economy.

“Adetimehin is probably the only person who is oblivious to the fact that Ondo state people hold his party, APC and its inhuman government responsible for their suffering and agony of the last eight years, especially the withdrawal of fuel subsidy and its biting effect on everybody.

“He (Adetimehin) does not realise that, even those who were tricked into voting APC in the 2023 general elections are already regretting and lamenting their miscalculation that has brought about untold hardship on them and their families,” he said in the statement on Tuesday.

Mr Peretei added that, “Such a man, if he has any sense of shame and responsibility, should have been on his knees begging the people for the huge misfortune masterminded by his party.

To now open his mouth in a most careless manner to say “PDP is now extinct” is not only laughable but mischief of the highest order.”

He noted that those leaving the PDP for the APC and being celebrated by Mr Adetimehin are the members who had been docile in the last two cycles of elections in the state.

While explaining that a few members of the opposition party had left its fold since 2016, Mr Peretei said the PDP remained vibrant in the state and had not gone into extinction.

“PDP cannot be extinct, there are no such signs. And it will never be,” he added.

“Majority of the 203 Councillors Adetimehin is celebrating for joining his party have not been active in the last two cycles of elections in Ondo State. A few of them have been in the APC since 2016.

“How the defection of such characters translates to PDP being extinct can only be understood by someone like Adetimehin who is presiding over a dangerously fragmented APC in the State but deludes himself with fun-seeking decampees who tell him tales by moonlight.”

Mr Peretei said the PDP in the state is unruffled by a few persons who are in “a self-destruct misadventure of Adetimehin’s sinking APC ship” in the state.

“While we sympathise with such persons, it is pathetic that those who should be weeping are dancing and rejoicing. But in no distant time, reality will dawn on them that, indeed, they lived a lie all along.”

FCC commissioner denies receiving bribe from job seekers

Manman Alakai, commissioner representing Nasarawa state in the Federal Character Commission (FCC), on Tuesday, denied receiving bribe to secure employment for job seekers.

Mr Alakai, who appeared before the House of Representatives ad hoc committee probing job racketeering in federal government agencies in Abuja, denied collecting money to secure jobs for anyone in any ministry, department, or agency (MDA).

Musa Ibrahim, one of the victims of job racketeering, while appearing before the committee on Aug. 14, claimed he, alongside nine others, paid millions into Abdullahi Ibrahim’s account.

He said Mr Ibrahim acted as the linkman to the commissioner, representing Nasarawa state to collect money from job seekers willing to pay.

Meanwhile, Mr Alakai, in his defence before the committee, said he knew Mr Ibrahim in question but added that contrary to his claim that he was his personal assistant, “Mr Ibrahim has never been my PA or worked in FCC.”

Narrating his experience, Mr Alakai said:

“A traditional ruler in Nasarawa called to inform me that one of my aides collected money from him for job slots.

“I asked that the number be tracked by the police and I discovered it was Ibrahim and I wrote a petition to the police and he was traced.

“When they went to his house, the police found a uniform of the Nigerian Correctional Service. He claimed that he worked there. I was told that the people he defrauded have gone to court,” he said.

Mr Alakai challenged the committee to investigate his account to ascertain the claim, saying, “my account is open for the committee to scrutinise since Ibrahim claimed he paid money to me for job slots.”

Rep. Yusuf Gagdi, the chairman of the committee, said about nine people have evidence of a transfer made to Mr Ibrahim.

He said that was why Mr Alakai was invited to appear before the committee to give evidence since he claimed he was working for him.

Angered by the non-appearance of Musa Ibrahim, who made the allegations, the chairman said, “you can’t come and make public allegations against any public officer without coming to substantiate it.

“We have nothing to say to you further because the people making allegations are not here, if they are not acting a script, they should be here to give further evidence.

“If you cannot justify that you pay money for any job slots with evidence, we will not allow any citizens to blackmail people without facts, ” he said.

The chairman vowed never to call anyone to appear before it again in FCC, adding that the committee had established two things exist in the commission.

This, according to him, includes; accusations against the chairman and the selling of job slots among commissioners.

Other agencies that appeared to give accounts of recruitment in their agencies include the Corporate Affairs Commission, National Universities Commission and Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission, among others.

Villagers flee Niger community for safety after Nigerian Air Force helicopter crash

Villagers in Chukuba community of Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger have fled to neighbouring areas of Erena, Zumba and Gwada in Shiroro, following a Nigerian Air Force (NAF) helicopter crash in their area.

Akilu Ishaku, Chairman, Shiroro Local Government, disclosed this in an interview in Minna on Monday.

He said that he received the information of the air crash from security personnel in the area, the Village Head of Galkogo and other stakeholders in the area of the incident.

“As the chief security officer of Shiroro Local Government, I have received reports of an aircraft crash, but the report did not state exactly who the aircraft belongs to.

“The name of the village where the crash happened is Badna village under Kwaki Chukuba ward.

“The people claimed they saw flames from a distance and saw that it was a helicopter that was on fire,” he said.

Mr Ishaku disclosed that the incident made people from the area flee in droves for safety as a result of fear and were taking shelter in Erana, Zumba and Gwada.

NAF had in a statement by its Director of Public Relations and Information, Air Commodore Edward Gabkwet, on Monday in Abuja, confirmed one of its aircraft crashed in Chukuba village in Niger state.

He said the aircraft departed Zungeru Primary School en route to Kaduna but was later discovered to have crashed in a village in Shiroro LGA of Niger.

The air force said the aircraft was on a casualty evacuation mission when the crash happened.

The statement said “a Mi-171 helicopter on a casualty evacuation mission crashed at about 1:00 p.m. at Chukuba village in Niger.”

Police urge residents in Anambra to reclaim stolen tricycles

The Police in Anambra have urged residents, particularly those in Ogbaru, to come forward with valid proofs of ownership to reclaim their tricycles that were snatched by suspected armed robbers but later recovered by the police.

This is contained in a statement signed by the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Tochukwu Ikenga, and made available to reporters on Tuesday in Onitsha.

Mr Ikenga noted that the police had in their raid on criminal hideouts, recovered 12 stolen tricycles and urged residents to come for collection with valid proofs of ownership.

“Owners are requested to come forward with valid proofs of ownership to claim their property,” Mr Ikenga noted.

He said that the Commissioner of Police, Aderemi Adeoye, assured members of the public that the command was committed to ensure that stolen property were recovered and returned to their rightful owners, to assuage the sense of deprivation victims of such crimes went through.

Gunmen murdered newly-wedded couple in Plateau school- Police

Gunmen have killed a newly-wedded couple, both of whom were teachers at the BECO Comprehensive High School, Kwi, in Riyom Local Government Area of Plateau state.

The gunmen also injured the Vice-Principal of the School.

The incident happened on Monday.The Police Public Relations Officer in Plateau, DSP Alfred Alabo, confirmed the incident to journalists.

Mr Alabo, who did not give further details on the incident, said that the command was on top of the situation.

In a statement on Tuesday in Jos, Rwang Tengwong, National Publicity Secretary of Berom Youth Movement, a socio-cultural group, said that the incident occurred about 3:00 p.m. on Monday.

We are saddened by the invasion of BECO Comprehensive High School Kwi by gunmen.

“Two teachers, Mr and Mrs Rwang Danladi, a newly-wedded couple, were shot dead.

“Mr Dalyop Emmanuel, the Vice-Principal of the School, was seriously injured by the armed men.

“The teachers were holding a meeting to compile results of students in preparation for the school’s 2023 Speech and Prize-Giving Day slated for this Friday.

“The injured person is currently receiving treatment at the Jos University Teaching Hospital,” he said.

The spokesperson decried the influx of criminals in some communities in the state.

We call on security operatives to, as a matter of urgency, raid these communities that have become enclaves of criminals, particularly Fass and Mahanga in Riyom.

“This is necessary to get rid of criminal elements that have defied law and order,” he said.

Dozens killed, injured in explosion at Russian petrol station

At least 30 people have been killed in an explosion at a petrol station in the Russian republic of Dagestan in the Caucasus, local officials said on Tuesday.

Another 75 people were injured in the blast in Dagestan’s capital, Makhachkala, the state news agency TASS reported, citing the Russian Ministry of Emergency Management.

The authority had initially spoken of 27 dead.

The search for victims and clearing of debris was ongoing, it said.

An investigation has been launched into the explosion which occurred on Monday evening.

It is thought that a disregard for safety regulations may have caused the fireball.

Two Palestinians killed in Israeli army operation, hospital says

Two Palestinians have been killed in an Israeli military operation in Jericho in the southern West Bank, according to hospital reports.

The Palestinian news agency WAFA reported on Tuesday that a 16-year-old and a 25-year-old from the local refugee camp Akbat Jaber were shot and killed.

A 20-year-old was arrested during the operation.An Israeli army spokesperson said the reports were being investigated.

The security situation in Israel and the West Bank has been tense for a long time.

Since the start of the year, 24 Israelis, one Ukrainian and one Italian have been killed in attacks by Palestinians.

In the same period, 178 Palestinians have been killed, most in Israeli military operations, or else during violent clashes or attacks of their own.

The majority was armed combatants, but innocent civilians are also often killed in military operations.

There were also repeated reports of violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinians, Israeli activists or soldiers.

The West Bank and East Jerusalem have been under Israeli occupation since being taken during the 1967 Six Day War.

More than 600,000 Israeli settlers now live there, despite the Palestinians’ claim of the areas for their own state.

Two arraigned over illegal demolition of N800 million Lagos property

Two persons, Falilat Oluwayemisi and Adeshina Balogun, have appeared before an Ikeja Magistrates’ Court over the alleged illegal demolition of a four-storey building worth N800 million.

Messrs Oluwayemisi and Balogun are facing a six-count charge of conspiracy and illegal demolition of the building belonging to a Lagos developer, Hakeem Olawuyi.

The Prosecutor, SP Josephine Ikhayere, standing in for Insp. Ajayi Emmanuel, told the court that the defendants conspired with others still at large to commit the offence on April 1.

Ms Ikhayere said that the defendants had employed the help of thugs, armed with lethal weapons, to forcefully vacate the occupants and demolish the four-storey building.

She said that the building, located at Number 20a, Church Street, Isale-Eko, Idumota area of Lagos Island, had 12 two-bedroom apartments, four self-contained apartments, and 24 lock-up shops.

Ms Ikhayere said that the total worth of items destroyed during the demolition was valued at N800 million, belonging to Olawuyi of Dapo Ola Construction Company.

She told the court that the offences contravened the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.

The accused pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The Presiding Magistrate, Lateef Owolabi, standing on behalf of Magistrate O. I Raji, admitted the defendants to bail of N800,000 and two sureties, who must be gainfully employed with two years’ tax payment to the Lagos State Government.

Mr Owolabi adjourned the matter until August 28 for mention.

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