The raging fire which started in the early hours Friday gutted NNPC Petroleum pipeline. Men of NNPC, security, fire fighters and NSCDC are already at scene to salvage the situationon.
It was gathered that the pipeline fire explosion does not pose any threat to human and public lives as the site is located in Isale Odo, LASU Road, Egbeda, Alimosho area of the state.
According to eyewitness, the electric cable collapse led to electric sparks all over the area which got to the spilled content of PMS around the area and led to the pipeline gutting fire and subsequently exploded.
The area is prone to pipeline vandalism pipeline due to activities of vandals.
Director, Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, Mrs Adeseye Margaret, who confirmed the incident as of 8.30 am, said, “We are aware and on top of the situation at Baruwa pipeline fire explosion.
The fire boss, who could not state the actual cause of the explosion, said proper investigation by the service will reveal the cause(s).
Following the rumoured separation by Queen Naomi from the Ooni of Ife, Ooni Enitan Ogunwusi, the palace has faulted the claim saying “it is not true.”
When contacted, the Ooni’s Director of Media and Public Affairs, Moses Olafare told Vanguard that “this is not the first time such rumours had been peddled. There was a time it was reported that she left the palace and the next thing, she gave birth. So, the story is not true and it should not be taken seriously.”
A Madagascan government minister has said he swam for 12 hours to safety after his helicopter crashed at sea during a rescue mission.
"It's not my time to die," exhausted Police Minister Serge Gelle said as he recovered on a stretcher.
Two other security officials travelling with him in the helicopter also survived the crash.
The team had been scouting an area in the north-eastern part of the country where a passenger boat had sunk.
At least 39 people died in that accident, officials said on Tuesday.
On Twitter President Andry Rajoelina mourned those who died and also paid tribute to Mr Gelle and the other two officers, who arrived in the seaside town of Mahambo separately.
It's unclear why Monday's accident happened but Mr Gelle, 57, said after the crash he swam from "7:30 last night, until 7:30 this morning," to Mahambo.
He said he had no injuries but added that he was feeling cold.
"I would just like you to broadcast this video for my family to see, my colleagues to see, the government members to see. [I am] alive and well," Mr Gelle told villagers at Mahambo.
Police chief Zafisambatra Ravoavy told news agency AFP that Mr Gelle had used one of the helicopter's seats as a flotation device.
"He has always had great stamina in sport, and he's kept up this rhythm as minister, just like a 30-year-old... he has nerves of steel," Mr Ravoavy said.
Mr Gelle had served in the police for three decades before his August appointment as minister.
Barely two hours after the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, secured the conviction of three smugglers who were arrested with 1,144 ATM Cards at Malam Aminu Kano International Airport, the Kano Command of the Commission again arrested another suspect at the same Airport with 576 ATM Cards.
The suspect, Khalil Bashir Lawal was intercepted on Monday, December 20, 2021, by operatives of the Commission in collaboration with Nigeria Aviation Security and Nigeria Customs Service under the aegis of Special Task Force on Money Laundering.
The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, told the National Assembly, on Monday, that it would require N305 billion as projected expenditure for the 2023 elections.
Chairman, INEC, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, disclosed when he appeared before the Senator Barau Jibrin(APC, Kano North) led Senate Committee on Appropriations.
According to Yakubu, the N100 billion out of the N305 billion earmarked for the Commission has already been released, leaving a balance of N205 billion.
Meanwhile, the Senate has disclosed that it would consider and pass the 2022 Appropriation Bill Tuesday.
Senator Jibrin, who spoke with journalists after the budget session with INEC, said that with the 2022 budget proposal of INEC now captured, the panel would lay the report on 2022 Appropriation Bill tomorrow (Tuesday) and “it will be considered and passed same day by the Senate.”
This is as INEC has also suspended the Ekiti East Constituency by-election indefinitely, after four unsuccessful attempts.
The commission boss lamented that in the last attempt, voters were killed on the queue as well as security operatives and electoral officers at polling units.
Recall that the Senate Committee on Appropriations had, in view of the 2023 general elections, invited the INEC Chairman to table before it projected expenditure for the election for the purpose of capturing it in the 2022 budget billed for passage by both chambers of the National Assembly Tuesday , this week.
The INEC Chairman explained that the N305 billion is different from N40 billion yearly budget of the electoral body.
He added that though N100 billion had been given the Commission out of the total projected expenses, it would not be enough for adequate preparation.
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) says it was unable to establish allegations of corruption against Yewande Sadiku, former CEO and executive secretary of the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC).
In a letter dated December 16 and addressed to the CEO of NIPC, the ICPC said it received a petition against Sadiku and some other officials of the NIPC accusing them of mismanaging public funds.
According to the ICPC, the allegations are summarised as “fraudulent abuse of office; waste and mismanagement of public funds by the executive secretary of the NIPC through incessant tours and travels within and outside Nigeria without adding value to the Commission”.
Sadiku was also alleged to have “embarked on foreign trips without express approval of the governing council of the commission; used the commission’s fund to repair her damaged personal vehicle”, as well as received “illegal foreign leave allowance”.
However, Akeem Lawal, ICPC director of operations, in the letter said the commission couldn’t find evidence to confirm the allegations.
“Upon investigation, none of these allegations was established, and the striking out of suit No FAC/ABJ/CS/249/2019 by his lordship Hon. justice A.R. Mohammed of the federal high court of Nigeria, Abuja division, brings the investigation to a close,” the letter reads.
Sadiku, who was appointed executive secretary/CEO of NIPC in 2016, completed her five-year tenure in October.
In August, the NIPC had issued a statement saying Sadiku voluntarily honoured an invitation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), contrary to reports that she was arrested and detained over allegations of contract fraud.
Operatives of the Ibadan Zonal Command of the EFCC, have arrested one Ajayi Oluwabukola Temitope, for allegedly obtaining money to the tune of N24, 955, 000. 00 (Twenty Four Million, Nine Hundred and Fifty Five Thousand Naira) by false pretence.
The 42-year-old Ibadan socialite was arrested following a series of petitions in which the suspect who claims to be a registered dealer with soft drinks manufacturers in Ibadan, Oyo state promised to supply products to the complainants but failed after collecting money from them.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has arrested five members of a syndicate who specialise in counterfeiting foreign currencies, especially the dollar, for sale to unsuspecting members of the public.
Acting on intelligence, the commission, in a joint operation with operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, arrested four members of the syndicate on December 8, 2021, at Swiss Pearl Continental Hotel, Koforidua Street, in the Wuse 2 area of Abuja with fake $427,400.
The suspects include Fashanu Adesina, John Ogbaje, Emmanuel Bassey and Chidi Nwachukwu.
A statement on Tuesday by the EFCC spokesman Wilson Uwujaren, titled, ‘EFCC smashes fake currency syndicate,’ said “The suspects volunteered useful statements which eventually led to the arrest of the syndicate’s kingpin, one Chief Douglas Mbonu on Tuesday, December 14.
“The commission wishes to warn members of the public to be wary of the activities of fraud syndicates masquerading as Bureau de Change operators, seeking to exploit the desperation of some citizens sourcing for forex for various purposes to defraud them of their hard-earned monies.
“Citizens are advised to source their forex from commercial banks in line with the directives of the Central Bank of Nigeria to minimise the risk of exposure to fraud syndicates.”
PRESS STATEMENT BY THE PERMANENT SECRETARY AND PRINCIPAL REGISTRAR OF MARRIAGES, MINISTRY OF INTERIOR
The attention of the Ministry of Interior has been drawn to news making the rounds on social media claiming that the Federal High Court sitting in Lagos has declared all Marriages conducted by Ikoyi marriage registry to be illegal and invalid.
We would like to state that this statement is false, misleading and a deliberate distortion of the decision of the Court in Suit No: FHC/L/CS/816/18 between Eti-Osa Local Government Council & 3 others v. Honourable Minister of Interior and 2 others, where the Honourable Court held that only the Local Government councils can conduct valid marriages in Nigeria.
It is noteworthy that, the same Federal High Court situated in Ikoyi, Lagos in Suit No. FHC/L/870/2002 between Prince Haastrup and Eti Osa Local Government held that the Federal Government, through the Ministry of Interior is constitutionally empowered to conduct marriages in Nigeria and held that the Local Governments were delegated by the Federal Government to conduct marriages, by virtue of Legal Notices issued pursuant to the Marriage Act.
In that case, the learned trial judge held that nothing in the role of local governments, as defined in the Constitution, suggests that local governments can conduct or contract marriages as alleged in their pleadings. The Court affirmed that powers of the local governments to contract statutory marriages is derived from the Legal Notices issued by the President. The Court also confirmed that the role of local governments, as enshrined in the Constitution is limited to registration of all forms of marriages (including Islamic and customary marriages).
Rather than appeal this decision, the same claimants instituted another action in 2016 Suit no. FHC/L/CS/1760/16 Egor Local Government, Eti- Osa Local Government and 2 others V Hon, Minister of Interior and 2 Others. The Court held that the Suit was an abuse of court process, as it could not be invited to make another pronouncement on the same point of law, which would lead to conflicting decisions coming from the same court and therefore struck out the case.
The same issue was adjudicated in the case of Olumide Babalola vs Ikeja Local Government and the Registered Trustees of the Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON) in Suit No. LD/1343/GCM/2016 delivered on 15th May, 2017. The Court held that while registration of marriages are regulated by local governments, being under the concurrent list, formation of marriage is under the Exclusive Legislative List, within the jurisdiction of the Federal Government, regulated by the Ministry of Interior.
It is further worthy of note that the issue of formation, annulment and other matrimonial causes are by virtue of item 61 of the 1st Schedule of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria exclusively reserved for the Federal Government.
The General Public is invited to note that these judgments are all still subsisting, competent and have not been appealed against till date.
Further to the above, the current decision of the Federal High Court delivered by Hon. Justice D. E. Osiagor of Court 6, cannot set aside a previous decision of the same Court, which is of coordinate jurisdiction, as that would amount to the court sitting on appeal over its own judgment.
In the circumstances, the Federal Government through the Ministry of Interior, has applied for a certified true copy of the judgement and will take appropriate further action including but not limited to filing of an appeal in respect of this conflicting and confusing decision, in line with the provisions of the Constitution.
We would like to appeal to the general public, the international community, to couples who had hitherto had their marriages solemnized at Federal Marriage Registries by duly licensed places of worship and to all intending couples to be calm and continue transacting their normal businesses at all Federal Marriage Registries subsisting throughout the federation in line with statutory and constitutional provisions.
The general public is to please note the foregoing and maintain status quo ante.
Residents of Nagazi community in Adavi Local Government Area of Kogi are in panic over the whereabouts and safety of Mrs Seriya Raji, mother of the Chief of Staff to Governor Yahaya Bello, Abdulkarim Jamiu Asuku.
Gunmen had on Monday evening reportedly invaded the residence of Asuku’s mother, Mrs Seriya Raji in Adavi and whisked her to an unknown destination.
Stories on the abduction have been trending on the social media.
A resident of Inese/Ovakere new layout in Nagazi community, Adavi LGA where the Mrs Raji lives said the gunmen stormed her residence at about 7:40p.m shortly after she observed evening (Ishai) prayer.
The abductors according to the source, were six in number.
The were dressed in black suites with masks holding ‘Ghana Must Go bag’ suspected to have contained some guns and other dangerous weapons.
He said they entered her house through the mosque and led her away to a yet to be identified destination using a vehicle they came with
Efforts to reach the Police Command Public Relations Officer, PPRO, DSP William Aya for confirmation proved abortive as at the time of filling this report.
A security source however, confirmed the incident adding that, tactical squad have been deployed to the area.
Insecurity has been on the rise in the State in recent times.
Serial abductions in Kabba-Bunu-Ijunu, MopAmuro and Adavi LGAs in addition to the jailbreak in Kabba Correctional Centre are strong indications that Kogi may be under siege, indeed.
Olugbade Adegoke, the elder brother of Timothy Adegoke, the MBA student of the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Osun State, who died under mysterious circumstances in November, has escaped a kidnapping attempt.
Olugbade told FIJ on Monday that the incident happened in Eruwa, his hometown in Oyo State, around 9.30 pm on Saturday.
“Around that time, I left home to quickly get provisions. The moment I got what I needed and emerged from the store, I saw that a car had now been parked very close to the store. The car was not there before I went into the store,” Olugbade told FIJ.
He said some men jumped out of the car and pursued him.
“As they were chasing me, I started screaming. I was too scared to know their number, but they were not less than three. They were screaming, ‘That’s him! That’s him!,'”said Olugbade.
He said some men of the Western Nigeria Security Network (WNSN), popularly known as Amotekun, who happened to be stationed very close to the location, came to his rescue during the chase.
“The moment the men sighted the Amotekun officers, they jumped back into the car they came in and sped off,” he added.
Olugbade has been at the vanguard of the struggle for justice for his murdered brother, engaging both the police and the media. FIJ gathered that on the same night, the Amotekun unit and the Nigeria Police division in Eruwa jointly assigned their officers to him for protection.
“Thank God we were able to come to his rescue during the incident. We also had to offer him joint protection, together with the Nigeria Police, on the night of the incident,” said Adeshina Sunday Adewale, the Amotekun sector commander in Eruwa.
The commander also added that he had a meeting with his superiors on the incident on November 12, and it was decided that an officer be assigned to Olugbade for protection, starting from November 13.
When FIJ called Godwin Lawani, the Divisional Police Officer in charge of Eruwa, he said he was in a meeting and could not answer questions.
The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has barred unvaccinated corps members from its camps nationwide.
Brigadier General Shuaibu Ibrahim, NYSC DG, who announced this, said the measure will take effect from the next orientation camp, which is a few weeks from now.
COVID-19 travel ban: Is Nigeria paying a price over Omicron? COVID-19: Ogun warns against fake vaccination cards
While addressing 2021 Batch “C” Stream Two Corps Members and Camp Officials, he said prospective corps members will now need to show evidence of vaccination from coronavirus before they would be allowed to register.
The DG said the scheme was trying to be careful not to allow the spread of the disease owing to the detection of the Omicron COVID variant in the country.
He warned that there is nothing like two weeks break after leaving the Orientation Camp, urging corps member to add value to themselves by acquiring skills that would make them business owners, instead of seeking for the scarcely available salaried jobs.
lbrahim also warned them to avoid embarking on night and unauthorised journeys, but break any journey extending beyond 6:00pm and pass the night in a safe place.
“We have NYSC Corps Lodges, Secretariats and Army barracks, find out where they are and make sure you pass the night there for journeys that will take you beyond six to get to your destination,” he noted.
The Niger Government on Friday said the Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province, ISWAP, has taken over some communities in Shiroro and Borgu forests sharing border with Benin Republic.
Ahmed Matane, Secretary to the State Government, SSG, revealed this to newsmen shortly after the screening exercise of the 2022 budget proposal of his office at the State House of Assembly in Minna.
He, however, said security agencies are working seriously to eliminate the sects who had taken over some communities in the forests under the National Park Service around Babana area, sharing border with Benin Republic.
“Government has taken appropriate measures to eliminate them from those locations, security agencies have been doing a lot of operations in those areas,” he said.
Olaf Scholz has been sworn in by Bärbel Bas, president of the German Bundestag.
He took the oath of office while omitting the optional final clause “So help me God,” unlike Merkel, but like the last Social Democratic Chancellor Gerhard Schröder.
Users say Amazon Web Services is suffering a major outage. The company provides cloud computing services to individuals, universities, governments and companies including The Associated Press.
Amazon has yet to comment on the outage and few details are available.
Amazon said in a post an hour after the outage began that it had identified the root cause and was "actively working towards recovery." It did not disclose more about the cause.
EXCLUSIVE: Boko Haram Fighters Take Over Yobe Police Station, Barracks, Set Operational Vehicles Ablaze Some policemen sustained injuries while others fled into the bush.
The Nigerian Army had claimed last week that the insurgents attempted to gain access into the town but met stiff resistance from troops of 27 Task Force Brigade and Special Forces School, supported by the Nigerian Air Force component.
However, a military source told SaharaReporters on Tuesday that the terror group stormed the community, took over the police station and barracks newly renovated by the state government for several hours.
He said the gunmen came in different groups and could not be counted.
The source added that some policemen sustained injuries while others fled into the bush.
It was learnt that the insurgents also “burnt two operational vehicles and some buildings in the facility.”
Since the death of JAS leader, Abubakar Shekau, ISWAP has been consolidating its grip in locations around Lake Chad.
Just recently, it appointed Wali Sani Shuwaram, a 45-year-old as the new Leader (Wali) of ISWAP in Lake Chad.
The sect’s membership has swollen with the defection of hundreds of Boko Haram fighters under Shekau.
The Nigerian Army has repeatedly claimed that insurgency had been largely defeated and frequently underplays any losses.
The terror group has caused over 50,000 deaths and displaced millions of individuals mainly in Adamawa, Borno, and Yobe States.
THE Presidential Steering Committee (PSC) on COVID-19 has disclosed that Lagos and Kano States got N10 billion and N5 billion respectively from the Federal Government to combat the pandemic as part of resources made available to states and Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Chairman of PSC and Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr Boss Mustapha, made this known on Monday in his presentation entitled, “National Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic in Nigeria-The Journey so Far” at the summit on COVID-19 in Abuja.
According to him, while Lagos and Kano got N10 billion and N5 billion each, other states & FCT got N1bn each from the national response.
The national response commenced under the then Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 in March 2020. It later transformed to the Presidential Steering Committee (PSC) with effect from March 2021.
He noted that the COVID-19 pandemic has undoubtedly become the most significant public health emergency of “our time”, stressing that at the end of November 2021, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimated that about five million fatalities had occurred on account of the virus.
SGF disclosed that the PTF/PSC has to date submitted two major reports to the government, in December 2020 and March 2021, adding the response remains a work in progress because COVID-19 has not abated.
“Countries of the world including Nigeria, have experienced the third wave and currently a fourth wave is unfolding with the Omicron variant,” he said.
Mustapha said: “We have steadily been implementing the COVID-19 protocols, joining the world to ease up restrictions The evolution of the pandemic showed us that remaining vigilant and consistent on our science-based approach is crucial until such time that we are all safe.
“The emergence of the omicron variant of concern highlights how fragile and vulnerable we are global.
“It is therefore important that we maintain pressure on the COVID-19 virus until we deny it the opportunity to continue to circulate and mutate.
“Our overall focus will be to scale up vaccination of our population to reach targets set by the WHO. Nigeria needs to continue to implement public health and social measures in place combined with effective vaccination now that we are getting the vaccines.
“With the emergence of Omicron, Nigeria, like some other countries have become targets of restrictive measures.
“This has to be only on a strong basis of science and data. Nigeria joins the WHO and other countries in calling on countries of the world to implement risk-based international protocols that are in line with international health regulations whilst we are developing a new pandemic treaty that will avert this type of situation.
“Global health security is our collective responsibility irrespective of our economic status,” he said.
The abducted members of Emmanuel Baptist Church, Kakau Daji in Kaduna state, have regained freedom.
They were among the 70 persons released yesterday.
The worshippers, who were abducted on Sunday, 31st October, 2021, were sixty-six in number, but 3 were killed by their captors.
They were abducted during Sunday service at the Emmanuel Baptist Church, Kakau Daji in Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
However, the Kaduna State chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Rev. John Joseph Hayab, confirmed the story, noting that 9 persons abducted were also released together with the 61 worshippers on Friday evening.
His words: “We thank traditional rulers and stakeholders in ensuring the release of the victims,” he said, adding that ransom was paid before the abductees could be released,”
“We are calling on Christians and Nigerians to be prayerful against the insecurity that has brought untold hardships to the people,” he said.
‘We Owe Allegiance to Eiye Confraternity’ — Revelations by Lagos Secondary School Cult Members
It was past noon on Friday. Euba Senior Secondary School, Mushin, Lagos, was conducting a valedictory ceremony for its graduating class. Oju Eko, Ebony and Lege (not real names) manned the gate, collecting money from their fellow students and visitors who had come to grace the event.
“Who are these boys?” This reporter asked a student of the school after observing them for a while. “They are the powerful students,” he said.
The toll they were collecting would be used to buy dry gin, Kolos (a hard drug) and the likes, and then they would gather behind a classroom to gamble and drink, ‘the powerful students’ told this reporter after engaging them like a cult member from one of the tertiary institutions in the country.
“We owe allegiance to the Eiye Confraternity,” one of them said. Eiye is a popular cult group in Nigeria, and that gave them dominance in the school.
CULTISM IN LAGOS SCHOOLS Facts and figures suggest that cult activities may be on the rise in Lagos elementary and secondary schools, especially those owned by government. Seven pupils were arraigned before an Ebute Meta magistrate court in May 2017, for instance. Four months later, police brought 12 junior high school students before a trial court in Ikeja for a similar offence.
In May 2019, 12 public school students, between ages eight and 16, were caught during initiation into the AWAWA cult group. And recently, the family of late Sylvester Oromoni, a student of Dowen College, Lekki, who died after experiencing serious pain from body injuries, said he was attacked by cultists in the school.
“Last week, we led a supremacy fight to Idi-Araba High School, and one of our members was stabbed,” said Oju Eko.”But the fight was against our protocols.”
One of such protocols is Brother Delivers Brother (BDB). “Why were brothers fighting brothers?” he asked. The Idi-Araba boys they fought last week were also members of Eiye. Oju Eko could not see the reason he had to partake in such a fight.
The trio had realised up to N3,000 from the toll they were collecting. Any students that passed there gave them some money.
Oju Eko, Ebony and Lege said they were the gang leaders in the school. Ebony, however, lamented a mass failure that reduced the number of their members.
“We were close to 50 in SS1, but when we wrote a promotional examination to SS2, many of us failed,” Ebony told FIJ. “Since then, they have stopped coming to the school, except on certain occasions like inter-house sports.”
INITIATION BY TERTIARY INSTITUTION STUDENTS They told this reporter that many of them were initiated by students of tertiary institutions, who held strong positions in their various schools.
Lege was brutally initiated at Yaba College of Technology. Ebony underwent the same process at the Lagos State Polytechnic, Isolo, while Oju Eko was initiated in a hotel in Lagos.
“On Sundays, we converge for meetings at various suburbs of Lagos, like Mushin and Agege,” Lege told FIJ. “During these meetings, we redefine our focus and pay dues to advance the course of our association.”
He said everything discussed in the meeting remains a secret. “Secrecy is one of our protocols,” he said.
From Euba, Idi-Araba High School, Obele and Atunrase Secondary School, cult groups operate strong networks. Often, they end the week with brutal fights.
TEACHERS ABETTING CULTISTS
In Euba, the school principal and some teachers preach to the hardened students to change their ways.
“The principal assemble them every morning, advising them to shun social vices,”said a student at the school.
But that was not the case at Atunrase. Students who spoke with FIJ said some teachers, who had now retired, abetted students who participated in violent activities.
“The three teachers would often teach the wayward students how to fight their counterparts in other schools, and would protect them when security officers came,” a student said.
FIFA has dismissed South Africa’s request to have their World Cup qualifier against Ghana replayed.
South Africa made a “formal complaint” to FIFA after the match last month, appealing for a replay after a series of “questionable decisions”, according to the chief executive of their football association.
However, FIFA has now released a statement declaring their request “inadmissible”.
The statement read: “The protest lodged by South Africa has been declared inadmissible by the Disciplinary Committee as it did not meet the requirements foreseen under art. 46 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code and art. 14 of the Regulations of the Preliminary Competition of the FIFA World Cup 2022.
“The decision is subject to appeal.”
Ghana’s Daniel Amartey went down in the South Africa box after minimal contact from defender Rushine de Reuck. Referee Maguette Ndiaye awarded a penalty, which Andre Ayew scored to send Ghana through.
South Africa had only needed a draw to reach the third round of qualification for the 2022 World Cup.
South Africa Football Association’s (SAFA) chief executive Tebogo Mothlante said: “The match officials have decided the game, which is not what is supposed to happen.
“We will be writing to both CAF (the Confederation of African Football) and (world governing body) FIFA — firstly to investigate how the game was handled and secondly to challenge some of these decisions.
“We have already registered with the match commissioner that we will be making a formal complaint.”
He added: “We are very disheartened by their actions and we can't let it destroy the players — when we have the chance to challenge, we will challenge.
“We feel very much robbed because it is not an isolated incident of a penalty. There are just a lot of questionable decisions by match officials and we will get an expert to dissect other incidents, so we can make a strong case.”
Rapid Response Squad (RRS) officers on night patrol at Maryland intercepted two vandals with 240mm armored cable bounded in three rolls.
The vandals, Tairu Bello (31) and Bishir Abubakar (32), were arrested around Idi – Iroko very close to Anthony Village loading the three rolls of 240mm cable into danfo about 5:00 a.m. today.
They confirmed the cable were dug out of the ground at Idi Iroko and they were moving it to Mile-12 from where they intend to transport it to Owode Onirin.
The three cables length is estimated at over 160 feet.
Recovered from the vandals were two shovels, 2 diggers, saw blade, hammer and chisel.
The Commissioner of Police, Hakeem Odumosu has directed the Commander, Rapid Response Squad (RRS), CSP Yinka Egbeyemi, to charge the suspects to court.
Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State has presented a budget of N483,173,307,96 to the State House of Assembly for the 2022 fiscal year.
The Governor presented the document before the Rivers State House of Assembly on Friday.
According to the Governor, the sum of N314, 903, 108,116 is earmarked for capital expenditure representing 70 percent of the total budget estimate while N114, 764, 818, 977 for recurrent expenditure represents 30%.
Further breakdown of the capital expenditure indicates that administrative sector will gulp over N104 billion economic sector about N127 billion, law and justice N4 billion while the social sector will gulp over N79 billion.
In the recurrent expenditure; salaries and wages will cost over N77 billion while new recruitment will cost about N1 billion.
The 2022 budget of the Rivers State Government is tagged, “Budget of Consolidation”.
Officials of the Kano State Ministry of Land in conjunction with the police have sealed the No.16c Murtala Mohammed Way office of Nureini Jimoh, SAN.
Mr Jimoh on Tuesday represented the Senator Ibrahim Shekarau-led faction to secure a victory against the Governor Abdullahi Ganduje-led faction of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC.
The lawyer confirmed the sealing of the building to DAILY NIGERIAN, saying they locked them up alongside his staff and many other people in the building.
“As I speak to to you, I am inside the building with many people trapped in. So we don’t know how to even go out,” he said.
Operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) have stated that they are still investigating the mobile phones seized from pro-democracy campaigner and human rights activist, Omoyele Sowore, from as far back as August 2019.
Sowore, the publisher of SaharaReporters, had instituted a suit against the DSS to compel the agency to return his phones seized since August 2019 when he was first arrested.
The case came up on Wednesday before Justice Anwuli Chikere of the Federal High Court, Abuja.
In the opening statement by Sowore’s lawyer, Mrs Funmi Falana, she prodded the DSS lawyer on the illegality of the seizures.
The DSS lawyer rambled away while trying to explain why the lawless organisation, known for human rights violations, could not provide a valid court order that led them to seize the phones and take N10,000 from his hotel room during his abduction in August 2019.
The DSS told Justice Chikere that the phones were “recovered” during his arrest and not seized.
The agency added that the phones were still being investigated for links to terrorism.
Two lawyers from the Ministry of Justice also argued that they were raising preliminary objection to the lawsuit because Sowore was undergoing trial before another federal judge.
Falana, however, faulted the positions, while informing the judge that apart from not obtaining a court order to seize the phones, the government had also refused to return the phones and monies despite entreaties.
She further stated that the charge sheets produced in court did not state that the phones were part of the evidence before the federal judge.
She urged the judge to dismiss the preliminary objections and order the return of Sowore’s phones as well as pay N20 million in damages to the applicant.
Justice Chikere adjourned the case for ruling on December 8, 2021.
SaharaReporters had on December 24, 2019, reported that though the DSS released Sowore following an order by the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), officials of the secret police failed to return his mobile phones apparently in an attempt to monitor his communication and deprive him of important contacts stored on the devices.
Sowore was first arrested on August 3, 2019, for calling on Nigerians to take to the streets in peaceful demonstrations to demand a better country from the Government.
He had remained in detention until December 5, 2019, when he was briefly released on bail.
On December 6, he was rearrested inside the Federal High Court, Abuja by DSS operatives and was kept in custody until Tuesday, December 24, 2019, when Malami gave the latest release order.
Michael has communicated this to players and staff at Carrington in a busy week for the club. Preparation is continuing for the visit of the in-form Gunners,
Following the clash with Arsenal (20:15 GMT), United welcome another London team to Old Trafford on Sunday in the shape of Crystal Palace.
Politics › Again, Pipeline Explodes At Alimosho by HonNL(op): 8:45am On Dec 24, 2021
