The Supreme Court has discharged and acquitted Akawu Bala, a sergeant in the Nigerian Army, who had been accused of murder.

Bala had been imprisoned in Kaduna since 2012, following a death sentence issued by a general court-martial for allegedly shooting a man identified as Isa Mohammed with an AK-47 rifle on December 9, 2012. Mohammed died the next day at Saint Gerald’s Catholic Hospital in Kaduna.

Bala was originally found guilty and sentenced to death by hanging under Section 106 of the Armed Forces Act 2014. However, on February 17, 2017, the Kaduna Court of Appeal overturned the death penalty, citing that the charge sheet was not signed by a General Officer Commanding (GOC) as required by law, rendering the trial and conviction null.

Despite this ruling, the court did not order Bala’s release, prompting him to appeal to the Supreme Court on March 16, 2017. Bala’s lawyer, Reuben Atabo, argued that since the trial was declared null, Bala should have been discharged. Atabo also highlighted Section 193 of the Armed Forces Act 2014, which prohibits retrial after a voided trial.

The Nigerian Army, represented by Isaac Udoka, opposed this and sought a retrial. However, the Supreme Court, in a judgment delivered by a five-member panel led by Justice Helen Ogunwumiju, upheld Bala’s discharge, stating that under Section 193 of the Armed Forces Act 2014, he could not be retried for the same offences. The court ordered Bala’s immediate release from Kaduna prison.

Bala maintained that he acted in self-defence, claiming he fired at Mohammed and another person in the dark during a period of heightened Boko Haram attacks. He asserted that he had instructed them to stop, but they continued advancing towards him, causing him to fear for his safety.

A 42-year-old woman from Maphisa, Kezi in Zimbabwe named Sindiaso Ndlovu, has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for the murder of her husband over infidelity issues.

The Bulawayo High Court convicted Ndlovu under Section 47 of the Criminal Law Act Chapter 9:23.

According to a post by the National Prosecution Authority of Zimbabwe, the incident occurred on October 19, 2019, when Ndlovu set her husband, Busani Ncube, on fire after a heated argument about his extramarital affairs. In a fit of rage, she locked the bedroom door, poured petrol on Ncube, and set him alight.

The police were notified, and Ndlovu was arrested. Ncube sustained severe burns and was initially treated at Maphisa District Hospital before being transferred to United Bulawayo Hospital, where he died on January 8, 2020, three months after the incident. Initially charged with attempted murder, Ndlovu’s charges were upgraded to murder following Ncube’s death. After a four-year trial, the court handed down a 10-year jail sentence.

Eight people were reportedly feared dead when a one-storey building collapsed in the Kuntau area of Gwale Local Government Area, Kano State.

It was gathered that the incident occurred early Friday morning while labourers were working on the construction site.

Sources from the area reported that at least 15 individuals, including the owner, construction workers, and passersby sought shelter in the building during early morning rainfall.

Upon receiving the news, Sharu’s wife hurried to the scene, calling out for assistance. Neighbours and bystanders also mobilised to aid those trapped under the rubble.

It was learnt that seven people were rushed to Murtala Muhammad Specialist Hospital, and one person died on the way.

The source added that other victims were currently receiving treatment at Murtala Muhammad Specialist Hospital.

The federal government has received 103 Nigerians deported from Turkey over migration-related issues such as expired visas and irregular migration, among others.

Tijani Ahmed, the federal commissioner of the National Commission for Refugees Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI), stated this on Friday evening during the deportees’ profiling in Abuja.

Represented by Amb. Catherine Udida, the director of migration affairs in the commission, Mr Ahmed said the commission expected 110 deportees but received 103, all males.

“Some of them have been in the deportation camp for some months, and now that they are here, we are hoping to follow up on all the allegations gathered in their profiling.

“We will go through the profiling forms because some said their passports were seized.

“We are going to follow up with the Turkish authority because the passports are still the property of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” he assured.

According to him, the NCFRMI is the mandate agency responsible for all returnees, irrespective of their status.

“We equally have a programme where we train them and thereafter reintegrate them into the society,” the federal commissioner stated.

Similarly, Bashir Garga, the North-Central zonal coordinator of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), assured the returnees of the government’s readiness to support them through the collaborative efforts of all relevant agencies.

One of the victims, Arinze Stone, said the Turkish authority arrested and detained him in the camp for about six months.

Mr Stone said he had been living in Turkey for quite some years doing business.

“They were arresting people whose papers are not yet out or just expired,” he said.

He alleged that it was since the European Union started paying Turkey for illegal immigrants that the government stopped issuing and renewing resident permits.

Mr Stone added that the deportation fee of about €2,500 that was supposed to be given to each victim was not paid.

Another victim, Moses Emeh, said he had a registered company in Turkey that had been functioning for over eight years. He added, “I also have a resident permit, which was forcibly cancelled, but I had planned to convert it into a working permit.

He narrated that he was arrested and put in a dungeon for 11 months and three weeks.

No fewer than 14 persons died in an auto crash in Imawa town along the Zaria–Kano highway in Kura Local Government Area of Kano State.

The FRSC sector commander in the state, Ibrahim Abdullahi, confirmed the accident to journalists on Friday in Kano.

He said the accident occurred when a truck with registration number MKA 537 XN lost control and collided with pedestrians who had just concluded Friday prayers and killed 14 of them.

Mr Abdullahi said, “We received a distress call at about 01:50 p.m. on June 28, 2024. After receiving the information, we quickly dispatched our personnel and vehicle to the scene of the accident.

“The FRSC is committed to road safety and urges all road users to adhere strictly to traffic regulations to prevent such avoidable tragedies.”

The sector commander extended his condolences to the families of the deceased and assured the public that efforts were ongoing to ascertain the exact circumstances surrounding the crash.

America’s most influential newspaper, The New York Times, called in an editorial Friday for President Joe Biden to step aside and allow another Democrat to challenge Donald Trump for the White House in November.

Describing Biden as “the shadow of a great public servant,” the newspaper’s editorial board — which is separate from its newsroom — said Thursday’s debate between the president and Trump proved the 81-year-old “failed his own test.”

His determination to run again is a “reckless gamble,” it said, adding: “the greatest public service Mr. Biden can now perform is to announce that he will not continue to run for re-election.”

Ten women have come forward with sexual assault accusations against Canadian auto parts magnate Frank Stronach, according to court documents released Friday.

The 91-year-old was arrested twice in recent weeks and charged with 13 criminal counts including attempted rape, sexual assault, indecent assault and forcible confinement.

Both times — including on Wednesday — he was released the same day with conditions ahead of a first court appearance scheduled for July 8.

The court documents describe allegations of attempted rape and assault as far back as June 1977 in Toronto.

Other victims accused him of rape or sexual assaults in 1980, 1983, 1986, 1988, 1990 and 1999 in Toronto, and from 1999 to 2003 in Aurora, Ontario where his former company, Magna International, is headquartered.

The most recent sexual assaults are alleged to have taken place in April 2023 in Aurora, north of Toronto, and February this year in the nearby hamlet of Gormley.

Three women had come forward initially with accusations, followed by seven more after police announced the first round of charges in early June.

Stronach, through his lawyer Brian Greenspan, has said he “denies and will vigorously defend” himself against the untested accusations in court.

The Austrian-born rags-to-riches immigrant grew a small Canadian tool and die company into one of the world’s largest automotive parts manufacturers, Magna International.

At age 80, Stronach ceded control of the company and returned to his native Austria to run for public office, but returned to Canada a few years later after support dissipated.

A Zimbabwean man, Bambanani Ndlovu, has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for the murder of his wife, Happiness Ngwenya, and forcing their young children to sleep beside her dead body.

Bulawayo High Court Judge Evangelista Kabasa convicted Ndlovu, condemning his actions as a horrific instance of gender-based violence.

Ndlovu claimed he acted in self-defense, alleging that Ngwenya grabbed his testicles during an argument, but the court rejected this defence. The incident occurred after Ndlovu returned home late, leading to a dispute during which he strangled Ngwenya in front of their children. He then forced the children to sleep beside their mother’s corpse, further traumatizing them

Judge Kabasa highlighted the brutality of the crime, stating that a home should be a sanctuary of peace and love. She noted the severe psychological impact on the children, especially given Ndlovu’s threat to harm his daughter if she reported the incident. The court also heard testimony from the couple’s five-year-old daughter, who described the violent attack.

Emphasizing the lack of mitigating factors and the aggravating circumstances, Judge Kabasa ruled that the standard 15-year sentence for such offences was insufficient. Instead, she imposed a 20-year sentence, considering the presence of the children, the retention of the body in the house, and Ndlovu’s attempts to mislead about the cause of death.

The Lagos State Police Command has initiated an investigation into the death of Mr. Nick Imudia, the former Chief Executive Officer of Konga, one of Nigeria’s prominent e-commerce giants.

Sources from the State Criminal Investigation Department, SCID, revealed that detectives from the Homicide Section had visited the scene of the incident and would conduct a forensic analysis of the items found there.

Imudia, who was serving as the CEO of D.light, a leading innovator in the distribution and financing of residential solar energy solutions and transformational household products, died by suicide on Tuesday night by jumping from the balcony of his Lekki, Lagos, apartment.

Imudia was said to have called his US-based brother to give him instructions on how to distribute his wealth should anything happen to him before making the jump.

He had also called his young daughter from a previous relationship and told her he would always be there for her and that all she needed to do was look to the sky and he would see her.

Nick Imudia hailed from Ika South Local Government Area of Delta State. He was married to the mother of his young daughter, who was also from the same local government, but their marriage ended due to irreconcilable differences.

He later married a Caucasian woman, and many believed he had achieved personal and professional fulfilment

Eight passengers reportedly sustained injuries in a bus accident that occurred at Yangoji, along the Abuja-Lokoja highway.

The accident happened around 6:04 pm on Wednesday, involving an 18-seater commuter Hiace bus with registration number ABJ 49 XH.

According to a witness, the bus, travelling at high speed from the Lokoja axis, hit a pothole, causing the driver to lose control and crash into a ditch.

Eight passengers, comprising four male adults and four female adults, were injured as a result of the impact.

Officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, evacuated the victims into their patrol van and transported them to the hospital.

An FRSC official, who preferred to remain anonymous, confirmed the accident, attributing it to a speed limit violation.

The eight injured victims were taken to Kwali General Hospital for treatment.

The Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor on Transportation, Sola Giwa, has called for the collaboration of public transport bus operators as the state aims to improve its commuting experience.

Giwa said this in a meeting between the Ministry of Transportation, the Lagos Metropolitan Transport Authority and bus operators on the Bus Reform Initiative programme on Thursday in Lagos.

Giwa said this was in line with the Strategic Transportation Master Plan for the state, adding that the initiative aims to restructure the existing public transport operations in the state.

He described the current bus operations as chaotic, which prompted the need to successfully regulate and integrate the informal transport sector into the state’s Bus Reform Initiative.

He said a pilot test had been carried out on the Lekki-Epe corridor and inspected by the Ministry of Transportation to identify the limitations of seamless traffic flow along the expressway and adjourning roads.

“Systematic frameworks to address these challenges have been mapped out, which include the deployment of high-capacity buses on the corridor as stated in the Lagos Transport Policy and the Bus Route Network,” Giwa said.

He said mini buses would be registered and re-allocated to inner routes and an e-ticketing system would be introduced.

He urged transport operators to register with the Ministry of Transportation within two weeks, adding that registered operators will be allotted routes.

Giwa said that any operator who violates the regulations implemented would be fined and would forfeit their vehicles if they ignored the notice of their fines.

The federal government has reported significant boosts in the nation’s economy, with the Excess Crude Account at $473.75 million and the Stabilisation Account at over N28.7 billion.

The government also said the nation’s Natural Resources fund stood at over N53.89 billion.

The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, disclosed this at the 142nd National Economic Council (NEC) meeting, presided over by its chairman, Vice-President Kashim Shettima, in Abuja.

NEC ratified the nomination of six state governors as members of the Board of Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC).

The statement said the governors, representing the six geopolitical zones, were from Borno, Katsina, Imo, Ekiti, Kwara, and Akwa Ibom.

It said the NEC noted the importance of NDPHC to the country’s economic development in approving the nominations.

According to the statement, the meeting saw the presentation of key updates and recommendations from various ad hoc committees. Notable among them was the ad hoc committee on flood, erosion, drought and desertification (mitigation, adaptation, preparedness and response), presented by Governor Ahmed Ododo.

The flood committee called for revitalising State Emergency Management Agencies (SEMAs) and improving coordination between different levels of government.

The council also resolved that the vice president and ministers of finance, agriculture, and economy would meet on Monday to strategise on funding sources to mitigate the climate challenges facing the states.

The meeting’s outcome will be presented to the President on Tuesday.

The council also adopted the committee’s report recommendations on implementing and providing funds to states and relevant MDAs to address the problems.

The statement added that Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq presented an update from NEC’s ad hoc committee on economic affairs.

The council resolved that the committee should align its mandate with the national economic management team to develop robust solutions to the nation’s economic challenges.

According to the statement, the committee is working closely with states to address challenges related to foreign exchange loan facilities and fuel pricing.

The ad hoc committee on crude oil theft prevention and control, chaired by Governor Hope Uzodimma, presented key recommendations as part of interim measures to improve security at oil and gas terminals and enhance regulatory oversight in the sector.

Governor Seyi Makinde was co-opted into the committee as a subject matter expert, and the committee was mandated to submit its final report to the council within one month.

In a related development, the council received an update on the ongoing discussions regarding establishing state police, urging states to expedite their submissions on the matter.

To bolster food security, the vice-president announced the presidential approval for operationalising the presidential food system coordinating unit.

The unit is responsible for developing robust economic solutions for the country’s food system.

Ryan Walters, the state superintendent of U.S. state of Oklahoma has directed public schools to teach Bible lessons, including the Ten Commandments in classrooms, the New York Times reported.

According to Mr Walters, who is a member of the Republican Party known for its conservative views and pro-Christian policies, the Bible is an “indispensable historical and cultural touchstone” and said it must be taught in certain grade levels.

While announcing the move on Thursday, the former history teacher said the Bible is “a necessary historical document to teach our kids about the history of this country, to have a complete understanding of Western civilisation, to have an understanding of the basis of our legal system.”

The latest move highlighted the political power tussle between the right wing Republican Party and the left wing Democratic Party in enacting policies across public schools in the United States.

Reacting to the development, Rachel Laser, the president of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, said the group was “ready to step in and protect all Oklahoma public school children and their families from constitutional violations of their religious freedom.”

“Public schools are not Sunday schools,” she said. “Public schools may teach about religion, but they may not preach any religion,” Ms Laser added.

Last week, Louisiana became the first American state to take such a step after governor Jeff Landry signed a bill into law which requires Ten Commandments to be displayed in every public classroom.

The Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Taoreed Lagbaja, has ordered the promotion of Second Lieutenant Oluchukwu Owowoh to the substantive rank of Lieutenant in the Nigerian Army.

The Nigerian Defence Academy disclosed this in a statement on X.com on Wednesday

The statement by the NDA on Wednesday partly read, “Speaking during the decoration ceremony that took place today, June 26, 2024, at the Nigerian Defence Academy Officer’s Mess and Golf Club, the NDA Commandant, Major General JO Ochai, extolled the track record of excellence of Lt. Owowoh as a cadet, which accorded her the rare privilege of becoming the first female Nigerian to be trained at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst as well as her promotion to the new rank.

“The event was attended by senior military officers, academic and non-academic staff, and family members, among others.”

In April Owowoh, 24, made history when she became the first Nigerian female officer to graduate from the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, in the United Kingdom.

Police operatives in Yobe have arrested a 22-year-old housewife, Zainab Isa, for allegedly stabbing her husband to death in the state capital, Damaturu.

The spokesman for the state police command, Dungus Abdulkarim, confirmed the incident in a statement on Wednesday.

He reported that the suspect stabbed her husband, Ibrahim Yahaya, 25, with a knife following an argument at Abbari ward.

“The command is saddened by the unfortunate actions of a couple that led to the death of a promising young man due to the consequences of an abusive marriage.

“On June 26, 2024, at about 10:00 am, the C Divisional Police Headquarters received a complaint from a neighbour about the couple. The argument, which began around 9:00 am, escalated into a physical altercation. Zainab Isa used a knife to stab her husband in the chest. He died from the injury before the police arrived.,” Abdulkarim stated.

According to a preliminary investigation, the suspect confessed that she did not intend to kill her husband.

She claimed to have acted in self-defence during a beating and kicking incident while she was still recovering from a recent medical operation following childbirth.

The couple’s second child was born in early June.

The Police Command in Ekiti State has arrested 21 suspects in connection with killings and other crimes in the state.

Four persons including a commercial motorcycle ticket agent were recently killed by gunmen at different locations in the Ado-Ekiti metropolis.

The command’s spokesman, DSP Sunday Abutu, told journalists on Wednesday in Ado-Ekiti that the suspects were arrested following discreet investigation by the command.

The spokesperson for the command disclosed that the suspects were arrested for alleged armed robbery and cultism.

Mr Abutu explained that the suspects were members of different cult groups who killed people in the state as reprisal within their confraternities.

He said a police investigation showed that one of the suspects belonged to the ‘Eiye Confraternity.’

Mr Abutu said that further investigation also led to the arrest of several other suspects, including members of a notorious cult gang who allegedly came from Plateau State to take part in the act.

He said that the suspects would soon be charged to court.

Mr Abutu urged residents to be vigilant and continue to cooperate with the law enforcement agencies towards nipping crimes in the bud.

A section of the Dangote Petroleum Refinery was gutted by fire today June 26.

Videos shared online shows billows of smoke emanating from the refinery. Confirming the incident to newsmen, the spokesperson of the Dangote Industries Limited, Anthony Chiejina, said the incident occurred at the effluent treatment plant (ETP).

An ETP is a type of wastewater treatment method which is specifically designed to purify industrial wastewater for its reuse — to release safe water to the environment from the harmful effects caused by the effluent.

He said the fire had been contained, adding that it was a minor incident.

British- Nigerian boxer, Anthony Joshua will fight Daniel Dubois for the IBF heavyweight belt after Oleksandr Usyk confirmed he was vacating the world title.

AJ’s upcoming fight with Dubois was confirmed during a press conference in London on Wednesday, June 26.

Joshua will face Dubois on September 21 at Wembley Stadium.

The pair will battle it out for the IBF heavyweight belt after Usyk confirmed he was vacating the world title.

Usyk beat Tyson Fury on points earlier this year to become the undisputed heavyweight world champion with the WBC, WBA, WBO, and IBF titles.

Usyk – who initially claimed the IBF belt following his victory over AJ – had been under pressure to face his overdue mandatory challenger Filip Hrgovic.

However, Dubois defeated Hrgovic at the start of this month to claim the IBF ‘interim’ belt and put himself in the picture for the fight.

Joshua first won a world title in 2016 and remained champion for three years before his shock defeat by Andy Ruiz Jr at Madison Square Garden.

He later reclaimed his titles six months later, but was then beaten by Usyk in 2021, and lost the rematch the following year.

It has been nearly three years since Joshua last held a version of a world title, but he looks set to get another shot in September.

One person is dead and nine people have been injured after a cable car cabin carrying 10 people fell from a station in the Colombian city of Medellín, authorities say.

Local reports said the accident occurred around 04:30 local time (10:30 GMT) on the K line of the city’s Metrocable network of cable cars.

Dozens of people were reported trapped on cabins which were stopped between stations.

The Metrocable, which opened in 2004, was the first public transport network of its kind.
The victim was named as Jhon Jairo Londoño, 55.

“There is an emergency on the Metrocable system in the northeastern area of Medellín. A cabin with 10 people tell to the lower part of the platform at Popular Station,” Mayor Fico Gutiérrez said.

“People are being transferred to medical care centres.”
Footage on local media showed people lying on the ground.

Carlos Quintero, head of Medellín’s disaster response agency, told local media that one cabin had stopped as it entered the station and had been struck by the following cabin, which then “detached and fell to the pavement”.

The Metrocable, inaugurated in 2004, is composed of six lines and 20 stations. It is credited with connecting low-income areas of the city lying on steep hills to the centre, cutting crime.

Metrocable manager Tomás Elejalde told reporters Wednesday’s accident was the worst since the system was inaugurated.