Speaker of the Nasarawa House of Assembly, Danladi Jatau, has promised to support and increase funding for the Nasarawa State University, Keffi, in making the institution a citadel of learning.

Mr Jatau gave the assurance while in the audience with the university’s management, led by the vice-chancellor, Sada’atu Liman, on Tuesday in Lafia.

Mr Jatau commended the university’s management for their efforts in developing it and called for its sustenance.

The speaker assured his leadership’s readiness to pass resolutions and bills directly affecting the education sector.

Earlier, the vice-chancellor said funding was the major issue affecting the university.

The VC said the university’s liability needs urgent attention and called for the House intervention to address it.

Cyril Ndifon, the suspended dean at the law faculty of the University of Calabar, on Tuesday, alleged that pictures extracted from his phone in the alleged sexual harassment offence were edited.

Mr Ndifon told Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court, Abuja Division, that the pictures allegedly extracted from his phone by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) were edited.

The suspended lecturer stated this while being led in evidence as the first defence witness (DW-1) by his lawyer, Joe Agi.

In the pictures, he said he did not see his face or that of the prosecution star witness, who was identified as TKJ.

“I did not send any nude photographs, neither did I solicit for any. This (Oppo phone) is not the phone I used to chat with her (alleged rape victim).

“She has another number which she used to chat with me,” he said.

He said ICPC admitted in court that they did not ask for the girl’s phone to verify the pictures.

When asked about ‘Exhibit H’, which contained pictures and chats allegedly exchanged between him and the alleged rape victim, he said, “All these pictures are not from my phone. Looking at it, slide 661 shows that this document has been edited.”

He added, “I haven’t gone through the whole document so I don’t know which other part was edited. I watched the video slide. But I didn’t see my face or TKJ’s (name of the girl withheld).

“The ICPC didn’t invite me to where they were doing the extraction, and I haven’t been told who told ICPC about the complaint.”

Mr Ndifon told the court that TKJ, a student of the Faculty of Law in UNICAL, made her statement to ICPC on November 9 and 10, 2023, after he was already charged to court on October 30, 2023.

Despite not being qualified, he alleged that TKJ was admitted as a student after testifying against him. The embattled lecturer said she was listed as number one on the notice for those who wrote supplementary exams for the faculty of law.

Mr Ndifon expressed shock that the prosecution witness came to testify as he could not even assist her, being that he was no longer in the law faculty of law at the time of the allegation.

“The allegation against me occurred when I was no longer in the faculty of law, so she cannot say I had asked for oral sex or any other advances. I’m totally shocked she came to testify because nothing like that happened,” he insisted.

The suspended dean said he neither sent nor requested explicit photographs from anyone. He accepted knowing TKJ through her uncle in the UK, who informed him that she allegedly paid someone in the vice-chancellor’s office N100,000 to help her secure admission into the law faculty, but the person failed to do so.
Mr Ndifon said, “Her uncle then asked me to help recover the money since admission had closed, but I felt insulted and refused to respond, having scored 102 in her JAMB exam.”

ICPC’s counsel, Osuobeni Akponimisingha, cross-examined Mr Ndifon before Justice Omotosho adjourned proceedings until February 12 and 13 for continuation of trial.

ICPC had, on January 25, 2024, re-arraigned Ndifon alongside his lawyer, Sunny Anyanwu, on four counts bordering on alleged sexual harassment and an attempt to perverse the cause of justice.

The commission had alleged that Mr Ndifon, while being the dean of the law faculty, requested a female diploma student, identified as TKJ, to send him her “pornographic, indecent and obscene photographs of herself” through Whatsapp chats.

Impeached South Korean leader, Yoon Suk Yeol was arrested on Wednesday over his failed martial law bid, ending a weeks-long standoff with authorities and becoming the first president to be detained in the nation’s history.

Yoon, who faces charges of insurrection over his short-lived effort to impose martial law last month, said he would comply with investigators to avoid “bloodshed.”

A former prosecutor who led the conservative People Power Party to election victory in 2022, Yoon could face the death penalty or life in jail if he is found guilty of insurrection.

He had sought to evade arrest for weeks by remaining in his residential compound, protected by members of the Presidential Security Service who had remained loyal to him.

His guards had installed barbed wire and barricades at the residence, turning it into what the opposition called a “fortress.”

Yoon, who had vowed to “fight to the end,” managed to thwart a first arrest attempt on January 3, 2025, following a tense hours-long impasse between the guards and anti-graft investigators working with the police.

But before dawn on Wednesday, hundreds of police officers and investigators from the Corruption Investigation Office again surrounded the residence, some scaling perimeter walls and hiking up back trails to reach the main building.

After a standoff of about five hours, authorities announced Yoon had been arrested and the impeached leader released a pre-recorded video message.

“I decided to respond to the Corruption Investigation Office,” Yoon said in the message, adding that he did not accept the legality of the investigation but was complying “to prevent any unfortunate bloodshed.”

Yoon left his residence in a convoy and was taken to the offices of the CIO.

Investigators began questioning Yoon shortly after his arrest, Yonhap reported.

AFP reporters earlier witnessed brief scuffles at the gate of the residence, where Yoon’s die-hard supporters had been camped out to protect him, as authorities first moved on the compound.

His supporters were heard chanting “illegal warrant!” while waving glow sticks and South Korean and American flags. Some laid on the ground outside the residential compound’s main gate.

Yoon shocked the nation late on December 3 when he declared martial law, claiming he needed to safeguard South Korea “from the threats posed by North Korea’s communist forces and eliminate anti-state elements”.

He deployed troops to parliament but lawmakers defied them and voted against martial law. Yoon revoked martial law after just six hours.

Yoon can be held for up to 48 hours following his arrest. Investigators would need to apply for another arrest warrant to keep him in custody.

Yoon’s legal team had repeatedly decried the warrant as illegal.

His ruling party also said Wednesday’s arrest was unlawful.

“History will inevitably record the fact that the CIO and the police executed an unjust and illegal warrant,” PPP floor leader Kweon Seong-dong told a party meeting, apologising to Yoon’s supporters.

In a parallel probe, the Constitutional Court on Tuesday launched a trial to rule on parliament’s impeachment of Yoon.

If the court endorses the impeachment, Yoon will finally lose the presidency and fresh elections will have to be held within 60 days.

The trial was adjourned on Tuesday after only a very brief hearing as Yoon declined to attend. The next hearing is set for Thursday, although the proceedings could last for months.

South Korea’s opposition Democratic Party celebrated Yoon’s detention, with floor leader Park Chan-dae telling a party meeting it was “the first step” to restoring constitutional and legal order after weeks of turmoil.

The country’s parliament speaker echoed those sentiments.

“Now that the chaotic situation has ended, we should concentrate our efforts on stabilising state affairs and restoring people’s livelihoods,” Woo Won-shik said.

The United States Securities and Exchange Commission has sued the world’s richest man, Elon Musk, arguing that his purchase of Twitter shares in 2022 was carried out with violations, the regulator said in a filing published Tuesday.

“Defendant Elon Musk failed to timely file with the SEC a beneficial ownership report disclosing his acquisition of more than five per cent of the outstanding shares of Twitter’s common stock in March 2022, in violation of the federal securities laws,” the agency said in a court filing.

According to the SEC, the omission enabled Musk, a close ally of President-elect Donald Trump, to continue purchasing shares at “artificially low prices, allowing him to underpay by at least $150 million for shares he purchased after his beneficial ownership report was due.”

Musk’s role on the social network has been marked by numerous controversies and led to various legal actions on the part of investors, former employees and companies that had contracts with Twitter, now called X.

Shareholders, for example, have filed a lawsuit against Musk, accusing him of disclosing his five per cent stake in Twitter too late, after the deadline set by the SEC.

Timileyin Ajayi, 32, who was remanded in the custody of the Criminal Investigation Department of the Nasarawa State Police Command in Lafia, the state capital for the alleged murder of a 24-year-old corps member, Salome Adaidu.

Adaidu, who was serving in Abuja, was reportedly killed during a visit to Ajayi’s residence in the Papalana area of New Karshi, Karu Local Government Area of Nasarawa State.

Ajayi was arrested on Sunday, January 12, while attempting to dispose of Adaidu’s severed head after dismembering her body.

He was subsequently paraded at the Nasarawa State Police Command headquarters, alongside the knife and machetes allegedly used for the crime.

Visibly injured from a mob attack prior to his arrest, Ajayi admitted the killing during an exclusive interview with Channels Television, stating that it was unplanned and stemmed from feelings of jealousy.

“I killed her because we don’t have each other all the time, it’s not something I planned. It happened on that day and it happened. Not that I have the plan in mind, she was cheating.

“She hides most of the things from me most times. I got to know from her phone. I saw her chats with other guys on the phone, that was why I decided,” he said.

When asked if he regretted his actions, he replied, “I don’t have any regrets because life is reciprocal that is what I thought. If you must do something to someone, you have to be reciprocal with that person.

“You have to understand what that person is going through so that you can actually put yourself in the position that the person is going through. That is why I don’t have any regrets because we were actually compatible.”

Adaidu’s family denied any knowledge of a relationship between her and the suspect.

Her elder sister, Esther Adaidu, said, “This so-called Timi guy, we don’t know him. We have never seen him until we were called up to tell us that this guy murdered and dismembered our sister.

“I demand and need justice to be served to this guy sitting over there because he is the one that murdered my sister and he confirmed it to me.”

Her uncle, Samson Adaji Adaidu, who described the gruesome details of the crime, stated the position of the family.

“The position of the family is we discovered this through the Nigerian Police and we are expecting justice from the police,” he said.

He narrated the sad experience, saying, “He has succeeded in destroying our daughter, not ordinary killing, he butchered her into pieces. He cut that body into more than 50 pieces and when you look at the whole thing, he is preparing that body for consumption because he cut them and left them in about six polythene bags’

The Police Public Relations Officer of the Nasarawa State Command, SP Ramhan Nansel, assured all that justice will be served.

He said, “Investigation is ongoing, and upon conclusion of the investigation, he will be arraigned in court for prosecution. I want to assure the family and members of the public that this suspect will not be spared if found wanting.

“He will be charged to court for prosecution. We are calling on members of the public who may have any complaints against the suspect to come forward with their complaints and it will be looked into and investigated.”

While media reports suggested that Ajayi is a gospel singer, he identified himself as a cryptocurrency trader during the interview with Channels Television.

President Bola Tinubu has met with his Rwandan counterpart, Paul Kagame, on the eve of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week.

Their meeting was aimed at improving intra-African trade and collaboration to benefit the African people.

This was disclosed in a post shared on the X handle of President Tinubu, on Monday, January 14.

The post reads: “This evening, on the eve of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week, I had meaningful conversations with Rwandan President Paul Kagame.

“Africa has what it takes to develop itself. We have the resources, the people, and the capacity. We must look inward to improve intra-African trade and collaboration to benefit the African people and the continent. The time for Africa is now.

“We can. We must. We will”

United States President-elect Donald Trump has disclosed that both he and Russian President Vladimir Putin would like to meet as soon as he takes office.

“And I know he (Putin) wants to meet, and I’m going to meet him very quickly.

“I would have done it sooner but you have to get into the office. For some of the things, you do have to be there,’’ Trump told the Newsmax broadcaster in an interview.

In early January, Trump declined to say when he was going to meet with Putin but said that such a meeting would not be appropriate before his inauguration on Jan. 20.

On Monday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said there were no substantive preparations for a meeting with Trump yet, but there was political will, as “such contacts would be very, very necessary and advisable.’’

Trump’s National Security Advisor Designate Mike Waltz said on Sunday that the two leaders could hold a phone conversation in the coming days or weeks.

A presidential election took place in the U.S. on Nov. 5, 2024.

Republican candidate Donald Trump, who served as the U.S. president in 2017 to 2021, was declared the winner by all leading race callers and networks.

Democratic candidate Kamala Harris conceded defeat.

The Electoral College voted in accordance with the will of the voters on Dec. 17, 2024, while the new Congress approved the results of the vote on Jan. 6.

The presidential inauguration will take place on Jan. 20.

Goods worth millions of naira were destroyed in a midnight fire outbreak at Ahịa Mgbede, situated opposite the New Motor Spare Parts Market in Nnewi, Anambra State.

The inferno, which began in the early hours of Tuesday, left several shops in ruins, with goods and properties reduced to ashes.

The tragic incident has plunged the affected business owners into agony and despair.

Eyewitnesses said the fire raged for several minutes before firefighters arrived, while victims and sympathizers struggled to salvage what they could.

One of the victims, identified simply as Uche, narrated the devastation saying “We arrived this morning to find our shops reduced to rubble. The loss is immeasurable and has sent shockwaves through the entire business community.”

He added that the cause of the fire remained unknown but disclosed that many shop owners were severely affected.

He also recounted how a female victim, overwhelmed with heartbreak and frustration, attempted to harm herself but was restrained and consoled by sympathizers.

The Anambra State Fire Service confirmed the incident in a statement issued by its Media and Publicity Unit, led by the state fire chief, Chukwudi Chiketa.

The statement read, “The Anambra State Firefighters attended to a massive fire outbreak at Ahịa Mgbede, located opposite the Motor Spare Parts Market, Uruagu Nnewi, in Nnewi North Local Government Area of Anambra State.

“The distress call was received at 2:15 am on Tuesday, January 14, 2025. Firemen and firefighting equipment from the Nnewi and Ogidi Fire Stations were immediately deployed to the scene.

“Our Firemen fought tirelessly to contain the fire, but it reignited later this morning. Efforts are ongoing to completely extinguish the fire.”

The fire chief confirmed that no casualties had been recorded as of the time of filing this report.

He, however, urged the public to adopt fire safety measures and promptly report fire outbreaks to the fire service.

“Always be conscious of fire and avoid actions that could trigger outbreaks. Fire is dangerous but preventable. When incidents occur, call the Fire Service immediately to enable timely intervention,” the statement read.

Manchester City manager, Pep Guardiola and his wife, Cristina Serra, have separated after 30 years together.

According to a report by SPORT on Monday, the divorce is “totally cordial, stable and friendly”.

The report claimed that Guardiola drifted apart from Cristina after working in different countries for at least five years.

The couple met in 1994 and got married in 2014 near Barcelona.

They have three children together: Maria, 24, Marius, 22, and Valentina, 17.

It is understood that Serra has been living in Barcelona full time with one of three daughters, Valentina, while Guardiola stays in Manchester.

Serra is a Brazilian journalist and has been pictured with Guardiola at different times last year.

The report stated that the decision to end their marriage was made in December, with only members of their inner circle initially aware of the split.

Friends and family have also been warned not to reveal more information about the divorce.

Serra left Manchester in 2019 to work in a fashion company owned by her family, Serra Claret.

In November, Guardiola put pen to paper on a new two-year contract with the Premier League champions until 2027, despite a belief he would leave the club at the end of his previous deal.

Retired actress, Dalyce Curry, known for her roles in films such as ‘The Blues Brothers,’ ‘The Ten Commandments,’ and ‘Lady Sings the Blues,’ has died in the ongoing Los Angeles wildfires, as reported by Forbes, on Monday

She was 95 years old.

Authorities confirmed that Curry’s remains were found at her burned-down property in Altadena, California.

According to her great-granddaughter, Dalyce Kelley, Curry was last seen on the evening of January 7 when Kelley dropped her off at home.

The following morning, Kelley attempted to check on her but was unable to pass police barricades near the area.

The family searched for Curry at the Pasadena Civic Centre, which had been set up as a shelter for displaced residents, but she was not located.

Days later, officials confirmed that her remains were discovered at the site of her destroyed home.

“About an hour ago the coroner confirmed her remains were indeed found at the property. #RIPMOMMADEE,” Kelley, wrote on Facebook on Sunday, January 12. “We had a great run. She impacted my life in so many ways. This loss is devastating.”

“She was very active,” said her granddaughter Loree Beamer-Wilkinson. “You would not think she was 95.”

Curry’s passing is one of at least 24 fatalities reported in the Los Angeles area as a result of the fires.

Authorities of Moshood Abiola Polytechnic (MAPOLY), Abeokuta, Ogun State have announced the closure of the polytechnic effective from January 13, till further notice.

The school authority said this is to ensure the safety of lives and property, owing to the protest by some students on the decision of the management to verify their National Diploma results from their former schools.

This was contained in a statement issued in Abeokuta by the Public Relations Officer, Yemi Ajibola.

He said: “Management expresses its zero tolerance to fake results from any quarter,” he said.

“Consequent upon this, students have been advised to stay away from the campus in their interests, as parents and the public are assured of a timely update as events unfold.”

The students are also protesting an alleged increment in their tuition fees and delay in the mobilisation of their Higher National Diploma students for the National Youth Service Corps.

The Nasarawa State Police Command has arrested a gospel singer, Timilehin Ajayi, for allegedly killing and dismembering 24 years old , Salome Enejo, a member of the National Youth Service Corps, for suspected ritual purposes.

The command’s spokesperson, Ramhan Nansel in an exclusive interview said that Enejo was a corps member serving in Abuja before she was brutally murdered by the suspect.

The suspect, Ajayi, was apprehended by churchgoers on Sunday in Orozo, a community bordering the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, and Nasarawa State after he was found carrying a polybag containing the severed head of Enejo.

The church’s Bible Study Teacher and General Secretary, Caleb Umaru, explained that a member had noticed Ajayi acting suspiciously near a river.

He claimed that the said member alerted others when Ajayi threw a bag into the river, which was later retrieved and found to contain his girlfriend’s severed head.

Umaru said, “It was just before the end of the service, around 11 a.m., during the final pledge and prayers. A church member, Brother Victor, opened his eyes during the prayers and noticed someone walking suspiciously by the river near the church, carrying a bag. His movements caught Victor’s attention, prompting him to call over Brother Amos to take notice as well.

“When he saw them, he threw a black nylon bag into the river, and when they enquired from him what he threw into the river, he said nothing. After many questions that he didn’t answer, they left him and went back but didn’t go into the church.”

Umaru disclosed that the suspect attempted to flee the scene after he was repeatedly asked to open the bag before he was chased down and apprehended in a farm area and before he was handed over to the police, who arrived at the scene just in time.

It was learnt from Umaru that a motorcyclist who had transported Ajayi with the sack enlisted help to confront him. According to Umaru, the four men approached Ajayi and ordered him to retrieve the bag he had thrown into the river.

Meanwhile, the suspect was rescued from being mobbed by the vengeful crowd who caught him with the severed head.

He added that further investigation uncovered the rest of the mutilated body inside the suspect’s apartment.

“The suspect was found with a fresh human head, and when we got to the scene, we rescued him from being mobbed by the ones who accosted him.

“During the investigation at his place of residence, we found two sacks filled with the victim’s dismembered body. The victim has been identified as 24-year-old Salome Enejo; her parents have been contacted and have identified her. She is a National Youth Service Corps member, serving in Abuja.

“The suspect is currently receiving medical treatment at a hospital; he was injured when we rescued him. A thorough investigation has commenced,” Nansel added.

Governor Alex Otti’s administration has approved the monthly payment of stipends ranging from N250,000 to N350,000 to traditional rulers in the state.

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The information commissioner, Okey Kanu, announced this on Monday during a press briefing on the outcome of the State Executive Council meeting in Umuahia.

Mr Kanu also mentioned that the members of the Traditional Rulers Council at the state and local government leadership level will now earn an additional N100,000 monthly.

Mr Kanu reiterated the commitment of the Abia government to give pride of place to Abia traditional rulers to promote the state’s cultural heritage.

The commissioner expressed the state’s resolve to rebase its 30-year development plan to reflect the current economic realities. Mr Kanu said the Abia economic team charged with the assignment would soon be inaugurated.

He added that the government had rejigged the State Harmonised Taskforce to ensure full compliance with its policies on street trading and driving against traffic.

Mr Kanu also mentioned that in the past, the state government had raised concerns about street trading and driving against traffic, which resulted in negative effects.

He said the government had taken serious steps to ensure that the rules would be enforced to stop these practices in Abia.

Regarding education, the commissioner said that the government had commenced the implementation of its out-of-school policy by reopening schools in the state after the Yuletide holidays.

Mr Kanu also said a special task force had been established to ensure compliance with the initiative aimed at eradicating the phenomenon of out-of-school children in Abia.

Amid an ongoing ceasefire agreement, Hamas is expected to release 33 Israeli hostages.

“Hamas is expected to release 33 hostages during the first phase of an emerging ceasefire agreement,” CNN reported on Tuesday, citing two Israeli officials familiar with the matter.

It added, “Israel believes that most of the 33 hostages are alive, a senior Israeli official told reporters on Monday, but the bodies of deceased hostages will also likely be among those released during the initial 42-day ceasefire.”

This development comes amid ongoing negotiations for a ceasefire in Doha, Qatar.

Hamas had taken 94 hostages during the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, which left around 1,000 people dead.

The attack sparked hostilities between Israel and Palestine, leading to Israeli forces killing two Hamas leaders in quick succession.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian would sign a comprehensive strategic partnership agreement following their talks in Moscow on Friday, the Kremlin said on Monday.

“At the end of the talks, Vladimir Putin and Masoud Pezeshkian will sign the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Agreement between Russia and Iran, as well as make media statements,’’ the Kremlin said in a statement.

During the talks, the two leaders are expected to discuss prospects for further expanding bilateral cooperation.

The bilateral cooperations are to cover the above areas and beyond, it said.

A magistrates’ court in Isabo, Abeokuta, has remanded 47-year-old twin brothers, Taiwo Yemitan and Kehinde Yemitan, for allegedly killing one Darasimi.

The brothers were arraigned on a two-count charge of conspiracy and murder, but their pleas were not taken.

The magistrate, I.O. Ogunfemi, ordered the defendants to be remanded at the Ibara correctional centre, pending legal advice from the state’s Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP).

He thereafter adjourned the case until March 17 for mention.

Earlier, the prosecutor, Solomon Babalola, urged the court to remand the defendants at the Ibara Correctional Centre pending advice from the state director of public prosecution (DPP).

He said Mr Taiwo and his herbalist twin, Kehinde, committed the offences on December 21, 2024, at 2:00 a.m. at Toyin Modupe Street, behind Atinsola Filling Station in Abeokuta.

Mr Babalola told the court that the defendants conspired with others now at large to kill one Darasimi, whose surname and age were not provided.

He alleged that the deceased was Mr Kehinde’s girlfriend.

The prosecutor told the court that the defendants spiked the late Darasimi’s food and drinks when she visited them.

“After eating, she slept off, and at about 12:00 a.m., Taiwo and Kehinde held the hands and legs of the deceased while one Kazeem, who is now at large, used a white handkerchief to cover her nose, and they then slaughtered her,” he said.

Mr Babalola told the court that the offences contravened sections 319 and 316 of the Criminal Code Laws of Ogun 2006.

Members of the Lagos State House of Assembly on Monday impeached Speaker Mudashiru Obasa, accusing him of multiple statutory and financial infractions.

Mr Obasa was subsequently replaced by his deputy Lasbat Meranda. Mrs Meranda, who represents Apapa Constituency 1, was also a former chief whip of the House.

The removal came days after The Gazette reported how Mr Obasa oversaw the withdrawal of N43.5 billion for back up vehicles for lawmakers, as well as other controversial activities.

Peoples Gazette understands that Mr Obasa was in Atlanta when he was impeached.

Mr Obasa, 52, was first elected Speaker on June 8, 2015, resuming office alongside former one-term governor Akinwunmi Ambode.

Repeated charges of fraud and political thuggery have marked his speakership. In 2020, The Gazette published a series of investigations detailing how Mr Obasa diverted Lagos funds to his personal firms and bank accounts. Sahara Reporters at the time also uncovered Mr Obasa’s assets across Lagos.

He was invited to be questioned by the EFCC after the anti-graft office became overwhelmed by media reports of Mr Obasa’s mismanagement. He denied all allegations, and no charges were filed after he met with detectives.

Details shortly…

The Oyo State High Court has granted a former wife of Ooni of Ife, Naomi Silekunola, and two others, being prosecuted for murder and manslaughter, N10 million bail each.

Also granted bail are Oriyomi Hamzat, a broadcaster and CEO of Agidigbo Radio FM, Ibadan, and Abdullahi Fasasi, the principal of Islamic High School.

The three defendants are being prosecuted for the deaths of 35 children during a stampede at a Christmas funfair programme on December 18, 2024, at Islamic High School, Orita Basorun, Ibadan.

The defendants were, on December 24, 2024, arraigned before the Iyaganku Magistrates’ Court on a four-count charge bordering on conspiracy, murder, manslaughter and negligence.

The defendants were subsequently remanded at the Agodi Correctional Centre.

Counsel to the defendants subsequently filed applications for bail at the state High Court.

Delivery ruling on the bail application on Monday, Justice Kamorudeen Olawoyin admitted the ex-queen and her co-defendants to N10 million bail each, with two reliable sureties.

Mr Olawoyin said the magistrate court lacked jurisdiction to hear the case due to the murder charge contained in the charge sheet.

He said there was no place for holding charges in the constitution, and keeping them in custody would amount to an infringement of their rights.

The judge said the stampede was not a premeditated act, so the defendants were entitled to bail.

The judge directed that the defendants submit their international passports to the court and not grant any press interview on print or social media during the trial.

The Lagos government has warned all unapproved and unregistered private schools across the state to register immediately with its Office of Education Quality Assurance or face sanctions.

The warning was announced in a statement by Remi Abdul, the coordinating director of the Office of OEQA, on Monday in Lagos.

According to the statement, the state commissioner for basic and secondary education, Jamiu Alli-Balogun, gave the directive.

It said the decision was in an effort to ensure that all education institutions below the tertiary level would meet the required standards and provide quality education to learners.

It said that registration was mandatory for all private schools, adding that failure to comply would result in sanctions.

“All unregistered and yet-to-be-approved private schools should submit their applications as of the 13th of January, 2025, to avoid consequences.”

It said that registered schools would get the state government’s recognition and interventions as well as access to technical and financial support.

It added that such schools would stay informed about emerging policies and initiatives from Lagos State and the federal government.

According to the statement, the growth in the number of private schools in the state necessitated proper registration and documentation to ensure effective monitoring.

It said that the Lagos government remained committed to ensuring that all learners would receive quality education.

“Lagos State Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education through the OEQA is committed to ensuring that all learners receive quality education, and we will not hesitate to take action against any institution that fails to register,” the statement said.

The Police in Lagos on Monday charged a 41-year-old man, Patrick Onyegbule, before the Badagry Chief Magistrates’ Court over alleged defilement of his toddler.

The defendant, whose address is unknown, is standing trial on a two-count charge bordering on defilement and unlawful penetration.

He, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.

The prosecutor, Insp. Ayodele Adeosun told the court that the defendant committed the offence between August and November 2024 at Shapview Plaza, Alaba International Market in Ojo, Lagos.

He alleged that the defendant had carnal knowledge of his toddler, left under his care.

“The defendant had an issue with his wife, which made the wife pack out of her matrimonial home, leaving her daughter behind.

“It was during her visit that she discovered that her daughter had been defiled,” he said.

The prosecutor said the offence contravenes sections 137 and 261 of the Criminal Code, Law of Lagos State, 2015.

The chief magistrate, Patrick Adekomaiya, granted the defendant N500,000 bail with two sureties in like sum.

He ordered that the sureties must reside within the court’s jurisdiction and be gainfully employed.

Mr Adekomaiya adjourned the case until March 5 for trial.