₦airaland Forum

An Adamawa State resident, Kama Hammajoda, has allegedly bathed his fiancé, Ladi Ishaku, with a liquid substance, suspected to be acid.

SaharaReporters learnt that the lady, Ladi, who is critically lying ill at a hospital in Yola, the state capital, was on Sunday disfigured by the acid bath, allegedly by Hammajoda whom she refused to marry.

Hammajoda is a motor mechanic based in the Song area.

Narrating why she suspected Hammajoda, Ladi said, "He had threatened my life when I told him, our relationship would not lead to marriage. I refused to marry him because I sensed he was lying to me about virtually everything. For instance, He told me that he was not married, but I found out he lied about it.

“I confronted him about it, and in a heated argument I told him I would not marry him; so he threatened me saying if I did not marry him, then everyone would lose.

"Shortly thereafter, my mother was burnt to death in her room; but as at that time, I couldn't link it to Hammajoda's threat. Last Sunday, I was lying down in the open within our compound due to power outage, when someone tiptoed in the dark and poured acid on me.”

Hammajoda who is currently in police detention at the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in connection with the crime, had denied the allegation.

Some members of the house of representatives on Tuesday tackled Abubakar Aliyu, minister of power, over the electricity situation in the country.

Aliyu had appeared at an interactive session organised by the committee on power.

The lawmakers expressed reservations over the erratic power supply experienced across the country in recent weeks.

They said the ministry takes a “fire brigade approach” to dealing with the power outage and has shown no commitment to fixing the problem.

Muraina Ajibola, a lawmaker from Oyo state, said the government is not prepared to provide constant power supply to citizens.

“These problems are not just starting now,” he said.

“For instance, we know every year there will be shortages of water and then they would be a problem at this time. We also know that during the period between January and March there is usually this shutdown. We have an abundance of gas but we are not making use of it.

“What we do is fire brigade approach. It is when that same problem is repeating itself that we will stand up from somewhere and say we are repairing this.

“The summary of it is that we are not prepared to give our people power. This is very sad because even when there is electricity, some constituencies like mine don’t even have light. There is light only when they want to send billing to us — estimated bills.”


‘POWER MINISTRY NOT IN CHARGE’

Also speaking, Aishatu Dukku, a lawmaker from Gombe, said her “heart bleeds” because the situation may not subside anytime soon.

“The permanent secretary said until the end of next year. So that means we will continue to be in total darkness until the end of 2023,” she said.

Sada Soli, a legislator from Katsina, said the ministry has failed to meet the expectations of Nigerians.

“I don’t think the ministry of power is in charge,” he said.

“There is a complete abdication of their responsibility. It is not their responsibility to deliver power to the consumers but they have a role to play.

“We don’t know what the ministry is doing. I think he should not be narrating this essay to this committee. Left for me, it’s a tutorial.

“I have the utmost respect for the permanent secretary but they have written this for him to present to us. We are grateful for the information but we need to know the generation as of today.”


‘NO MORE EXPLANATIONS’

Mariam Onuoha, a lawmaker from Imo state, said Nigerians need light — and not more explanations.

“I want to express my displeasure at the way the federal ministry of power and their agencies are handling the issues of power and power-related programmes,” she said.

“I want to assume that there is some level of conspiracy targeted at bringing down government efforts despite all the money we have appropriated. Why is this happening when we are about to round up the present administration?

“Mr. chairman, you will agree with me that there is no project this ministry has brought before us that has seen the light of day. It’s always from one story to the other. Tell us what effects you are making to cure the defects.

“We don’t want to hear the complaints. We need practical steps to solve these problems. We want light. That’s what you were engaged to do. Give us light and the heat this period is unconsiderable. If you don’t solve this problem, you will be causing a lot of other health problems. I am sad. Give us light.”


‘TRANSFER NBET FROM FINANCE MINISTRY TO POWER’

Speaking earlier, Aliyu who was represented by Nebeolisa Anako, permanent secretary of the ministry, said the power blackout is caused by the disruption in gas supply to power plants.

He, however, said the outage has started to subside in some areas because the ministry and its partners are working to alleviate the challenges.

Magaji Aliyu, chairman of the committee, said the permanent secretary should return on Friday to present concrete steps taken by the ministry to address the power situation.

The chairman also said efforts should be made to return the Nigeria Bulk Electricity Trading (NBET) from the ministry of finance to power.

“It is our opinion that we have to revisit the privatisation,” he said.

“We thought you would come with a list of how many plants we have and their capacities today. We have to do everything possible to bring back NBET under the ministry of power.

“We will never make progress if NBET is elsewhere. We will involve our leadership to ensure that the right thing is done for this country. There is nothing you have told us that is new — nothing!

“So you have to go back and tell the minister that we are not on the same page with the ministry and we did not agree with this submission in totality. There must be light. We have to work hard to ensure that this problem is solved. Where are the NIPP projects? How many plants do we have? What is the generation, transmission, distribution, everything? The president must hear this.

“We want you to come back to this by Friday with better solutions.”

As the 2023 general elections continue to gather momentum, the Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, has reportedly instructed the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP), National Working Committee, not to sell expression of Interest and nomination forms to any aspirants from the state without his clearance, SaharaReporters has learnt.

Ahead of the 2023 general elections, PDP had last week announced the sales of forms for aspirants vying for elective positions.

Delta Governor Ifeanyi Okowa
The amounts for the forms were approved by the party's National Executive Committee, (NEC), and pegged as follows:

“State House of Assembly -Expression of Interest at N100,000 and Nomination Form at N500,000. House of Representatives- Expression of Interest -N500,000; Nomination Form-N2,000,000. For the Senate: Expression of Interest -N500,000, Nomination Form N3,000,000. Governorship – expression of interest - N1,000,000, while Nomination Form is N20,000,000. President- Expression of Interest form - N5,000,000 and nomination form - N35,000,000.”

NEC also approved a 50 per cent reduction in nomination fees for youth of age 25 years to 30 years for various elective positions.

Speaking with SaharaReporters, an aspirant for the House of Representatives who pleaded not to be mentioned for fear of being sanctioned disclosed that he was denied the expression of interest and nomination forms at the party's headquarters, Abuja when he went for the procurement of the forms.

The victim added that the party was obeying Governor Okowa's instructions not sell forms to any aspirants from the state without his clearance.

"Can you imagine, for good two days now I am still in Abuja just to purchase my expression of interest and nomination forms and I am being denied that I must get clearance from my state governor, Ifeanyi Okowa? They said that there’s a standing order that aspirants without the governor's clearance should be denied the forms. Is this democracy or what? As I talk to you, there are so many PDP aspirants who came for the forms who have been denied because of the governor's orders to the party here in Abuja."

Another source said, "Some of the aspirants who have been lucky to buy theirs went through long connections and sidestepped the governor's orders. Aspirants for House of Representatives, Senate and governorship who came to purchase their forms are stranded here in Abuja as they were denied the forms. Even we were also told that the governor of Akwa-Ibom state, Emmanuel Udom, gave such an order to the party in Abuja."

SaharaReporters reliably gathered that some crooks in the party outside the official price disclosed for the forms through bank draft, also extorted the aspirants.

They are made to part with N200,000, N400,000, N1million and N5million cash as the case may be depending the position you are vying for while female aspirants paid half those amounts.

When contacted as at the time of filling this report, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa's Chief Press Secretary, (CPS), Olise Ifeajika, denied that the governor gave such orders.

“The Party is supreme; Governor Ifeanyi Okowa I know cannot give such instructions. People are free to get their forms. He cannot say such a thing,” he said.

By Peter Moses


A mother of five, Aisha Tijani, has been arrested by the operatives of the Ogun State Police Command for allegedly setting her daughter ablaze.

The suspect was arrested following a report lodged at Mowe divisional headquarters by one Moroof Ayinde.

The complainant told the Police that he lives in the same apartment with the suspect who allegedly set ablaze her 10-year-old daughter.

According to him, the woman was upset because the daughter took a phone she (the woman) had seized from one of her children from where she kept it and gave it back to the child, from whom the phone was seized.

The police spokesman, Abimbola Oyeyemi told newsmen in Abeokuta that following the report, the DPO Mowe division, CSP Folashade Tanaruno, quickly moved to the scene with the detectives and got the suspect arrested.

Oyeyemi said the victim was badly burnt and rushed to a nearest hospital from where she was referred to the Olabisi Onabanjo Teaching Hospital for proper medical attention.

“On interrogation, the suspect, who claimed to have been separated from the father of the children, explained to the police that she didn’t know what came over her when she was carrying out the wicked act,” he said.

Oyeyemi said the Commissioner of Police, Lanre Bankole, had ordered the immediate transfer of the suspect to the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department for further investigation.

The former governor of Anambra State, Chief Willie Obiano, has been admitted to administrative bail by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission but he cannot leave detention until he meets certain conditions slammed on him by the anti-graft agency.

Finding by Vanguard indicates that the former APGA bigwig has been ordered to produce two directors on grade level 17 in the Federal Civil service as one of the conditions for him to regain freedom, even temporarily.

Another condition slammed on the former Anambra CEO, is that the two Federal directors must be landlords in Maitama, Asokoro or the Wuse district of Abuja.

Although Obiano’s travel documents might have also been withheld to stop him from fleeing the country until investigation over his tenure is over, Vanguard could not confirm from the agency as at the time of filing the report whether the documents had been taken away.

Having been detained shortly after his handing over the reins of power last Thursday, Chief Obiano is gradually edging towards being freed from EFCC’S custody.

The agency claims Obiano spent N37 billion as a security vote and another N5 billion from SURE-P.

The anti-graft agency wants the former governor to shed more light on the N42 billion public fund.

By Seye Olumide (Ibadan), Leo Sobechi, Adamu Abuh and Terhemba Daka


When President Muhammadu Buhari, in the penultimate week, made a detour and returned to Nigeria, from Kenya, instead of heading to London, in the United Kingdom for a scheduled medical checkup, many smelt a rat in the twist.


But for the suspicious band, the Presidency was on hand to douse their insinuation, even though it gave out a tacit confirmation of their fears in the process.

Friday’s hurried return to the country from the rescheduled medical checkup, especially at a time that the All Progressives Congress (APC) is broiling in its stew, is a further testament that Buhari ran back home to rein in the gladiators that are articulating their interests before their actions roil the delicate strands that are still holding the party together.

As tongues began to wag on Friday, March 4 when Buhari returned to Abuja, from Nairobi, after attending the 50th anniversary of the United Nations Environmental Programme, his Special Adviser, Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, explained that the president’s early return was indicative of the fact that all was well with the president.

He said that Buhari’s presence in the country would engender cohesion in the ruling APC, which has been bedevilled by internal crises in the run up to its national convention this Saturday.

The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, who also commented on Buhari’s detour, equally confirmed that the president returned to Abuja to sort out a few things before heading to London.

Yesterday, Shehu, when asked to comment on Buhari’s early return from London, simply referred The Guardian to the earlier statement on the London trip.


On his part, Adesina said, yesterday: “Our statement on the trip said it would last ‘maximum of two weeks.’ So, the return is in order, being within the maximum time stated.”

But, a source close to the Presidency who spoke to The Guardian on grounds of anonymity stated categorically: “President Buhari has returned to intervene and to possibly thaw uncertainties that are still hovering over the APC on issues relating to the party’s March 26 national convention.”

The source also recalled that in a letter he personally signed, and addressed to the Chairman of the Progressives Governors Forum, Governor Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi State, the President Buhari said the multiplicity of cases currently rocking the party has the prospect of invalidating the activities and actions of the party by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

He further recalled that the letter was also copied to the Chairman of the Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Committee (CECC), the then acting Chairman of the CECC, Governor Sani Bello, the Director General of the Department of State Services (DSS) as well as the Inspector General of Police.

In the letter Buhari lamented that the ruling party was currently facing a litany of controversies and some level of uncertainties that might ultimately question its status and affect the status and feasibility of its proposed National Convention.

Still in the letter, president said that since the party could not change the leadership of the CECC without infringing on the time limit set by INEC, and the fact that the current uncertainties and controversies “pose a real threat to the party,” he has therefore directed as follows:

“The issue of the leadership of the Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Committee (CECC) should immediately return to status quo ante

“All members of the Governors Forum and their followers should desist from any behaviour or utterance that will likely lead to disunity in the ranks of the party, and ultimately jeorpadise the transition to the convention


“The Mai Mala Buni-led Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Committee should accordingly be allowed to proceed with all necessary preparations to hold the convention as planned unfailingly on 26th March, 2022.”

But Fouad Alade Oki, a former vice chairman of the APC in Lagos State, said that despite the obvious fact that the APC has some issues, there was no reason for President Buhari to cut short his medical trip abroad.

He said the president spent 12 days abroad out of the 14 days that he was supposed to have spent. “Invariably he spent the two weeks. By my calculation, there is nothing different between 12 and 14 days.”

He stressed that although there were issues in the party, to say that Mr. President was compelled to cut short his medical trip because of the challenges is not true.”

Checks by The Guardian revealed that after various emissaries from Nigeria visited the president in London with different accounts of the goings on in the APC, Buhari concluded that the situation at home was very critical.

Additionally, the bad weather report from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) regarding the party’s preparedness for the March 26 national convention must have led the president to acquiesce to the legal advice from the Attorney General to the Federation (AGF), Abubakar Malami, that Mai Mala Buni be restored to oversee the convention.

However, the president was said to have received a telephone call from a northern state governor detailing how some of his (Buhari’s) close aides were dropping his name to circumvent already agreed modalities for organising a hitch-free national convention.

As of Wednesday, when Buni and the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, visited the President in London, it was gathered that Buhari had already learnt about an impending showdown between “joiners” and “legacy owners” of the party.

According to insiders, a plan was hatched to stonewall Buhari’s preference for consensus in the election of specific party positions, especially the national chairmanship, where Senator Umaru Tanko Al-Makura was urged to sustain his campaigns up to the convention ground.


It was also gathered that the successful consultation meetings by the former Lagos State governor, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, with members of the National Assembly (APC) caucus convinced Buhari that his succession plan could go awry unless he “returned to the country to confront certain developments.”

An aspirant for the chairmanship of the party, who spoke to The Guardian on grounds of anonymity, claimed that Buhari’s return remains a deft move to save his anointed chairmanship candidate, Senator Abdullahi Adamu from the jaws of defeat at the national convention.

He stressed that as things stand, all the party seats would have to be contested for during the party national convention.

Said he: “Somebody from the North West has bought form to contest the position of the deputy chairman meant for the North East.

The organising secretary’s seat was meant for Kebbi State, but somebody from Kano has picked form to contest it. In the chairmanship meant for North Central, somebody from Zamfara has also picked form. So, since the zoning arrangement is not respected, I too decided to pick the form. Now, we are ready to go to the poll to offer ourselves for service again.”

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Victor Nwosu

A Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal panel has fined a United Kingdom-based Nigerian lawyer, Victor Nwosu, almost £45,000 for making erotic remarks at a female interview candidate.

The 48-year-old Nwosu, said to head of a law firm, was quoted as telling the 22-year-old female candidate ‘mmm, I like what I see’ during the interview.

The victim told Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal that Nwosu informed her that “I only employ beautiful women” and asked whether she had a boyfriend, according to Metro UK report

The candidate, who has a first-class degree and a masters, had applied to be a paralegal but was left sobbing after the traumatic interview.

According to her, Nwosu undressed me with his eyes and I felt like a piece of meat.

“He said I was very, very beautiful. He told me that I have to wear skirts when I come into work, he doesn’t like it when women wear trousers,” she said while narrating the incident to her friends.

The woman, however, rejected his offer of a job at DCK Solicitors in north London and reported him to prevent other women from being in a ‘similar position’.

She told the tribunal: ‘The interview was quite traumatic for me, it was the first paralegal role that I had ever applied for.

‘I felt so violated as he was in a position of power as I was in an interview… I went home and cried.

‘I felt that I could not go into the profession, I built up my hopes of what it would be like and it was crushing. I was not going to make a complaint as I thought he was in a position of power and no one would believe me.

‘I was so horrified by how he behaved I felt I would be trading in my dignity to work there.’

Nwosu, who denied all the allegations, said he was happily married and called the case ‘female activism gone wrong’.

He added: “She has the power, that’s why I am here [because] she’s applied overt activism [and] I am the victim.

“She’s embarrassed me and brought me here, she has the power.”

He said it would be ‘rude’ for the tribunal to believe the woman over him, ‘a solicitor of the Supreme Court’.

But the panel found his remarks had ‘sexual connotations’.

The SDT fined Nwosu £20,000 for his conduct and ordered him to pay £23,550 costs.

All Progressives Congress (APC) National Leader, Bola Tinubu is “working on an alternative party” to vie for the 2023 presidency.

DAILY POST was informed that his camp is not putting all eggs in one basket to avoid being caught unawares by an “unfavourable outcome” of the APC primary.

President Muhammadu Buhari is said to be considering “a younger person” as a successor.

In January, he refused to name his preference, saying the person may be killed.

At the weekend, insiders in Ekiti claimed Tinubu plans to test the waters with the governorship election that will be held on June 18, 2022.

The ambition of the ex-Lagos Governor “does not have the full backing” of Governor Kayode Fayemi, who himself is reportedly interested in the presidency.

Tinubu, well aware of this, is “tactically aligning” with Segun Oni, a one-time Ekiti Governor and Social Democratic Party (SDP) flagbearer.

Fayemi’s ally, Biodun Oyebanji, a former Secretary to the State Government (SSG), won the APC ticket after defeating Ojo Kayode, Opeyemi Bamidele and Dayo Adeyeye.

The calculation is that with 54-year-old Oyebanji as Governor, the state government and party chapter may not commit to working for Tinubu’s emergence as President.

The Jagaban of Borgu is disposed to stopping Fayemi from installing a next-in-line not only for refusing to support his bid but daring to join the presidential race.

“The President wants a younger person and that’s not Tinubu. Fayemi wants to be President if the office is zoned to the South”, a source said.

“If he fails, he may get the SGF (Secretary to the Government of the Federation) position as long as the next President or Vice are not from South-West.

“Tinubu is monitoring all that’s happening and he seems to have pitched his tent with the SDP. The truth is that civil servants like Oni are ready to vote for him.

“With his cold war with Fayemi and Oni’s popularity, Tinubu has developed a soft spot for the SDP. And this isn’t just about Ekiti election, he may contest on the platform if APC denies him a ticket.”

DAILY POST gathered that Oni’s running mate, Otunba Ladi Owolabi was picked after consultations with Tinubu’s camp. Oni, 67, is from Ifaki while Owolabi, 68, is an Ado Ekiti indigene.

During Tinubu’s visit to Ekiti monarchs a fortnight ago, the state government allegedly frustrated the use of the Adetiloye Hall.

“The authorities stopped the use of the venue because Fayemi isn’t working for his political leader’s ambition. In fact, by the time Tinubu landed, Fayemi left the state via helicopter.

“They said he had to be in Abuja. He could have briefly showed up at the parley with the Obas but didn’t want to be seen with Tinubu in such a gathering”, another source hinted.

The Onisan of Isan Ekiti, Oba Gabriel Ayodele Adejuwon is Chairman of the Council of Traditional Rulers. Fayemi hails from Isan.

The meeting was eventually held at the palace of the Ewi of Ado Ekiti, Oba Adeyemo Adejugbe, where Tinubu decried “hopelessness, hunger and lack of development” in the land.

“We can not just be talking of airport alone in Ekiti, we should boast of good roads and better education system and better future for our children.

“We are here to answer the call of our forefathers to build a nation that will be united, prosperous and happily developed. I need your prayers to achieve this mandate.

“We are here to renew the hope of Nigeria and make the country better for our children. I have been on the issue of Nigeria since 70s. (MKO) Abiola was brought out by us, we fought for democracy”, he stated.

The late Abiola, a business mogul and philanthropist, won the 1993 presidential election. He contested on the platform of the SDP.

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The biggest news out of Nigeria this week is undoubtedly the altercation between Bianca, the widow of the late Biafran leader, Odumegwu Ojukwu and Ebele Obiano, the immediate past First Lady of Anambra State, on Thursday afternoon in Awka, the Anambra State capital.

The occasion was the inauguration ceremony of Governor Charles Soludo, an incident that momentarily disrupted the swearing-in ceremony.

Mrs Ojukwu slapped Mrs Obiano after the latter stood up from her seat and walked up to where Mrs Ojukwu.

Setting the records straight on Friday, Mrs Ojukwu said her action was an act of self-defence against Mrs Obiano, who attempted to remove her headgear in public.


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Bianca Ojukwu..

Mrs Ojukwu, a former Nigerian Ambassador to Spain, explained that she ignored several provocative verbal and physical assaults from the former first lady, whom she alleged were intoxicated by alcohol. Mrs Obiano is yet to comment on the matter publicly.

Following the incident, Mrs Ojukwu has once again found herself suddenly thrust into the limelight.

At the same time, the term ‘Inaugural Slap’ continues to generate debate and trends on several social media platforms.

But long before the infamous slap, Mrs Ojukwu has always been a media darling because of her strides in pageantry, her well-celebrated affair, marriage to Mr Ojukwu, and her political leanings.

Just in case, you have you need a refresher; this PREMIUM TIMES article revisits ten times Mrs Ojukwu has made headlines.

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Bianca Ojukwu being crowned MBGN


10. 1987- 1989 Beauty queen with many crowns

From the early 1990s till date, Bianca’s name has become synonymous with beauty. A multiple international pageant titleholder, Bianca emerged as the winner of Miss Martini in 1987 and the Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria in 1988.

She reigned through most of 1989, mainly when she emerged as Miss Africa 1989 at the pageant held in The Gambia.

Bianca represented Nigeria at the Miss World in Hong Kong and Miss Universe in Mexico following her win.

In the same year, she achieved success when she won Miss Intercontinental and was named Miss Congeniality at the now-defunct Miss Charm International in Russia, where she was also a semi-finalist.

She made history as the first Nigerian and African to win Miss The Intercontinental pageant.

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The power couple


9. 1989 – Affair with Ojukwu, the warlord

Her high profile and fame ensured that she was the toast of many, including her father’s close political associate, Odimegwu Ojukwu.

In no time, the news of her romantic relationship with Mr Ojukwu, who was 34 years older than her, spurred controversies and was a topic of national discussion in the 1990s.

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Bianca Ojukwu


8. 1989 – Renouncing her Crown

Amidst their controversial relationship, a young Bianca was under immense pressure, which was increasingly unbearable as the day went by, causing her to resign as Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria (MBGN).

However, since the MBGN holders are restrained from having public love affairs, she decided to relinquish her crown despite not acknowledging or debunking her affair with Mr Ojuwku at the time.

The first runner-up, Regina Askia, assumed her position and completed Bianca’s tenure as Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria.

Her main concern for the young beauty queen was completing her education as a Law student, and no beauty crown was worth letting go of Mr Ojuwku, who was madly in love with her.

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Bianca and Ojuwku on their wedding day photo courtesy Bianca Ojukwu's Facebook page


7. 1994 – Wedding

Although Bianca and Ojukwu had been in a relationship since 1989, they formally married on November 12, 1994.

The wedding was the talk of the town in those days; it was a lavish wedding ceremony in Abuja. Bianca was 22, while Mr Ojukwu was in his 50s.

Their union is blessed with three children Chineme, Afamefuna, and Nwachukwu.


6. 1994 – Mission Impossible
Her father, Christian Onoh, never supported her decision to partake in beauty pageants and had banned her from coming home after she emerged the MBGN winner in 1988.

Although it took him a while to come around, Bianca’s marriage to his political associate, Mr Ojukwu, was an even more bitter pill to swallow.

Mr Onoh gave his inlaw an arduous task.

Mrs Ojukwu, who regularly shares her personal stories on her Facebook page, recently revealed that her father requested that her husband present ‘100 pre-independence copper coins’ as her bride price.

She wrote, “He demanded a bride price of 100 pre-independence copper coins (those old coins with a hole in the middle), and where could anyone readily find these scarce coins, and in such quantity in 2001?

“And so, he dispatched people to various parts of the country in search of the old coins. But unfortunately, it cost so much more to source the coins than they were worth. Years later, when I asked my father what informed his request, he said I had to make it quite difficult for him. If it were purely a matter of paying money…Being a man of great means, he would have been prepared to pay any amount, no matter how huge, as bride price. That would have been easy for him. But in your marriage, anytime he makes you upset, and you threaten to head back home to us, he will remember the difficulty in procuring your bride price!”

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Bianca at Ojukwu's funeral


5. 2011 – Ojukwu’s Widow

After almost 17 years of marriage, Mr Ojukwu died in the United Kingdom after a brief illness, aged 78. He was buried in a newly built mausoleum in his compound at Nnewi.

The legendary beauty queen focused on her marriage and business, despite political offers that kept knocking on her door.


4. 2012 – Fights with family

Following the death of her husband, Bianca was thrust into a lengthy legal battle with Ojukwu’s first son, Debe Odumegwu Ojukwu.

The battle, characterised by a series of court cases, spurred a great deal of controversy about the late Biafran leader and the chaos in his family.

At the end of the court battle, which ruled in her favour, Mrs Ojuwkwu had the lion’s share of her late husband’s will.


3. 2011- 2012 – Appointments

Shortly after her husband’s death, she had some diplomatic appointments that brought her to the forefront of politics.

In 2011, she was appointed Senior Special Assistant on Diaspora Affairs by President Goodluck Jonathan.

In 2012 she became Nigeria’s Ambassador to Ghana. In the same year, she was appointed the Ambassador of Nigeria to the Kingdom Of Spain.


2. 2013 – Alleged affair with Fani- Kayode

After she was appointed Ambassador to Spain, another controversy surfaced.

In his controversial piece ‘A Word For Those Who Call Me A Tribalist’, Femi Fani-Kayode, a former minister of aviation, claimed he had a “long-standing and intimate relationship” with Mrs Ojukwu while she was unmarried.

The piece stirred a brief media frenzy as journalists reached out to her for a reaction.

Mr Fani-Kayode would later apologise, saying he regretted naming three of his former girlfriends – one of them Bianca Ojukwu, as evidence he was not anti-Igbo.


1. 2022 – Infamous inaugural slap

Mrs Ojukwu has maintained a low profile save for her ambassadorial duties and her political leanings not until Thursday’s ‘inaugural slap’ that has once again thrust her into the spotlight.

Popular navigation app, Google Maps, on Friday afternoon went down, leaving users frustrated around the world.

According to Down Detector, the issues started at around 3:44pm on Friday.

While reason for the outage remains unclear, more than 11,000 reports have now been logged on Down Detector.

Of those who reported issues, 58 per cent said they were struggling with the website, 39 per cent with the app and three per cent were having problems with data.

Google is yet to respond to request for comment on the outage.

Many frustrated users have taken to Twitter to discuss the outage.

Google Maps is available in over 220 countries and territories, and features hundreds of millions of businesses and places.

Its last major update was in October 2021 when Google introduced new tools to help users reduce their environmental impact including eco-friendly routing, live navigation for cyclists and bike and scooter share information.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) says the offence for which the immediate past governor of Anambra State, Willie Obiano, was arrested is being kept under wraps because of an ongoing investigation.

Obiano was apprehended at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, on Thursday evening, hours after he left office and Prof Chuwkuma Soludo was sworn in as the new governor of the state.

Obiano arrested hours after losing immunity
Soludo: Why Bianca, Obiano’s wife clashed at my inauguration

He was reportedly on his way to the United States of America when he was picked up at the airport.

The anti-graft agency had placed the former governor on its watch list since November last year.

The EFCC had in a letter to the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) dated November 15, 2021, requested the Service to place Obiano on watchlist and alert the agency anytime he is travelling out of the country via any International airports and other points of entry and exit.

The agency, however, did not state why the ex-governor was placed on watchlist.

Speaking with Daily Trust, Mr Wilson Uwujaren, spokesman of the anti-graft agency, said Obiano’s alleged offence was not disclosed after his arrest because it’s not time for the commission to do so.

He said, “We are not giving that (the offence) out at the moment. The matter is still under investigation. It is also not correct that he has been released. He is with the commission.”

Uwujaren was evasive when asked when Obiano would be released, saying, “Once he is released, you will get the information.”

Willie Obiano, former Anambra state governor, tried to use a court order to stop his arrest at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos on Thursday, TheCable understands.

Obiano, who ended his tenure on Wednesday with the inauguration of Chukuwuma Soludo, had been placed on a watchlist by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) since November 2021.

TheCable learnt that as the inauguration of Solodu was going on, a private jet was waiting at the newly opened Anambra International Cargo Airport, Awka, for the former governor.

Around 3pm, he left for the airport and flew to Lagos state on his way out of the country.

He was believed to be heading to the US.

However, while he was going through immigration formalities, officials of the Department of State Services (DSS) informed him that there was an instruction to stop, arrest and hand him over to the EFCC.

At this point, Obiano reportedly reached for his bag and produced a court order stopping the EFCC from arresting him.

TheCable could not confirm if the EFCC was aware of this order.

The DSS officials were said to have advised Obiano to present the order to the anti-graft agency instead.

The secret police immediately informed EFCC officials who were on hand to take him into custody.

It was the end to a dramatic day in the life of the former banker, whose wife was apparently slapped by Bianca Ojukwu at the inauguration.

Initial reports had said his wife, Ebelechukwu, slapped the widow of the late Igbo leader but a video later emerged appearing to show that the assailant was Ojukwu.

In September 2021, the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Anambra had asked the anti-graft agency to probe the finances of the state in order to unearth “monumental deception”.

Basil Ejidike, Anambra APC chairman, had alleged that Obiano was “fraudulently” using the state’s security vote.

But reacting to the development, Don Adinuba, the state commissioner for information at the time, said the issue between the governor and the EFCC was masterminded by persons in high places who “unsuccessfully canvassed for emergency rule” in the state during the build-up to the November 2021 governorship election.

The Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, has said there is no confusion or conflict over the extradition proceedings and cocaine-trafficking charges filed against Abba Kyari, a suspended deputy commissioner of police.

Mr Malami said this while addressing State House correspondents after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Wednesday.

There have been concerns that the move to extradite Mr Kyari to the U.S. may be scuttled by the cocaine-related charges filed against him at the Federal High Court in Abuja by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).

The concerns are anchored on section 3 (6) of the Extradition Act, which prohibits the extradition of a fugitive standing trial on different criminal charges in Nigeria.
The part of the Extradition Act reads, “(A) A fugitive criminal who has been charged with an offence under the law of Nigeria or any part thereof, not being the offence for which his surrender is sought; or

“(B) Who is serving a sentence imposed in respect of any such offence by a court in Nigeria, shall not be surrendered until such a time as he has been discharged whether by acquittal or on the expiration of his sentence or otherwise.”

But Mr Malami, without addressing the specific implication of the statutory provisions on the move to extradite Mr Kyari, described the concerns about the likely impact of the cocaine-trafficking charges on the extradition move as a misconception.

“There is no confusion, but there is a great misconception or perhaps either mischievous or otherwise on the part of certain, perhaps journalists that have not taken their time to study a situation, understand it and act accordingly,” he said.

He recalled that the United States government had asked for Mr Kyari’s extradition regarding his roles in a $1.1million fraud spearheaded by a former Nigerian Instagram celebrity, Ramon Abbas, aka Hushpuppi, before the NDLEA charged him with cocaine-related offences in February.

PREMIUM TIMES reported how Mr Malami filed the extradition proceedings against Mr Kyari based on the U.S. government’s request.

Despite the clear provisions of the Extradition Act and the likelihood of the defence citing the NDLEA case as grounds for dismissing the extradition proceedings, the AGF maintained that there was no conflict between the two cases on Wednesday.

“What I am saying is there is nothing like confusion, there is nothing like conflict, there are two distinct and separate cases,” he said.

He added, “So the conclusion as to whether a person should be extradited or not, is a function, or perhaps multilateral function inclusive of the international community that makes a request, the Office of the Attorney General … request and the judiciary to which the request is presented for review, analysis and decision.”

Asked the status of the extradition proceedings, Mr said, “It’s being processed at the judicial level.”

The comment appears to be an attempt to set the judiciary up for blame, considering that the court may have to dismiss the extradition proceedings once the pending NDLEA’s cocaine case is cited by Mr Kyari’s legal team.

It also fuels speculations about a conspiracy theory that the NDLEA case was hurriedly filed in court to scuttle the extradition proceedings, and have Mr Kyari remain in Nigeria where his trial can go on without an end for years.


Non-committal response

Mr Malami’s response to the question of the implication of the cocaine charges on the extradition case was non-committal.

Asked about the legal implication of elevating the illegal dealing in cocaine charges above the extradition case, the AGF said, “You can have hundreds of cases pending in court related to a single individual.

“So that is the position things and as you rightly know perhaps you may have a criminal case pending before a state high court another one pending before the federal court depending on the magnitude dimensions, characters and peculiarities of the case. I hope it is clear.”

He went on to distinguish between the extradition case and the cocaine-related, without being clear on whether or not the extradition proceedings might be scuttled.

“And then while this (communication with U.S.) was ongoing, the request for extradition was being considered, another case came in, which has to do with the NDLEA, and this time around a local case that is devoid of any international dimension,” he said.

He explained further that “what you have are two distinct separate and independent cases – one international in dimension the other one local, so your idea of conflict does not arise.”

He blamed the “misconception” arising from the matter on journalists whom he accused of “reporting cases out of context without caring to understand the true provisions, dimensions and characters of a case might have”.

“What I am saying is there is nothing like confusion, there is nothing like conflict, there are two distinct and separate cases,” he added.


Further probe on fraud allegation

Mr Malami also reiterated that his office had yet to exonerate Mr Kyari of his alleged involvement in the Hushpuppi fraud case.

PREMIUM TIMES reported how Mr Malami explained that his recent legal advice to the police was not meant to exonerate Mr Kyari.

He described the case as a work in progress.

Mr Malami noted that the report of the investigation was submitted to his office for a review “to see whether there is a need for enhancement of investigation as it relates to certain key elements of the offence”.

“So it is from this background perspective that you will need to consider what fully transpired in the case of Abba Kyari. Allegations were made, investigations were conducted, and then requests for further enhancement of investigation were indeed made by the Office of the Attorney General for the purpose of covering the field in arriving at an informed decision one way or the other.

“So while this process of correspondence between the Office of the Attorney General and the police is ongoing, it is indeed a work in progress and never conclusive position. So that is what I can tell you clearly, there was indeed an independent request for an investigation.

“Interim investigation report was presented to the office of the attorney general and the attorney general at the point requested for further enhancement of the investigation and highlighted some areas in respect of which enhancement of investigation is required.

“So it is indeed premature or perhaps mischievous for any conclusion to have been driven in the direction of exoneration or otherwise of liability or responsibility related therein.”

By John Owen Nwachukwu


Some Russian soldiers captured in Ukraine have vowed to rise against President Vladimir Putin when they return to their country.

The prisoners of war said that they would be judged for attacking and killing innocent civilians in the ongoing invasion of Ukraine by Russian forces.

They expressed shame over the invasion of Ukraine, saying “We all will be judged”, CNN reports.

“I want to tell our commander-in-chief to stop terror acts in Ukraine because when we come back, we’ll rise against him,” one of them said as reported by CNN.

Russian President Vladimir Putin “has given orders to commit crimes. It’s not just to demilitarize Ukraine or defeat the Armed Forces of Ukraine, but now cities of peaceful civilians are being destroyed.

“The crimes that we committed, we all will be judged,” they stated.

President Volodymyr Zelensky said that 600 Russian soldiers have been captured in Ukraine and nearly a dozen of them appeared in news conferences held by the Ukrainian authorities.

However, their public appearances may be questionable under the Geneva Conventions. The conventions go against states unnecessarily humiliating prisoners of war.

Democratic Party (PDP) National Caucus meeting on Monday night, forcing National Chairman Dr Iyorcha Ayu to abruptly reschedule proceedings till today.

The uproar at the meeting was triggered by the insistence of some leaders from the South that members, who defected from the party to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the past and returned, should be excluded from seeking the 2023 presidential ticket.

A vocal governor from the South, according to sources, spearheaded the call.

Atiku, former Senate President Bukola Saraki; former Kano State Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso and Sokoto State Governor Aminu Tambuwal are among prominent PDP chieftains that defected to the APC in the run-up to the 2015 general election.

However, they all returned to PDP following irreconcilable differences with the Muhammadu Buhari Presidency and the APC leadership. Some of the returnees won and lost elections in 2019 on the platform of the PDP.

They are all believed to be eyeing the party’s presidential ticket.

Those canvassing the exclusion of former defectors argued that their defection to APC was the major reason PDP lost power in 2015. They were said to have argued that the PDP found itself in the opposition today because of their past actions.

The southern power brokers in the party, who were also reported to have insisted on zoning of the ticket to their region, pointed out that the failure of former President Goodluck Jonathan to respect the zoning arrangement for the 2015 election led to the mass defection that hit PDP.

But some members, mainly from the North, reportedly countered the arguments, saying the call for exclusion was not only a distraction but a witchhunt of the returnees.

A source close to the meeting said: “We are all aware that these same people contested elections in 2019 on the platform of PDP after returning to our great party.

”If nobody called for their exclusion in 2019, on what grounds are they calling for their disqualification now?

”It is quite unfortunate that some people have been carrying on as if PDP is their personal property.

”We need to make it clear that some people built PDP from scratch to become what it is today. So people should stop conducting themselves as if they are the owners of the party. We all have an equal stake in PDP.”

Stating their case further, they declared that it’s against the spirit of the PDP constitution and the 1999 Constitution to prevent interested members from seeking the party’s ticket for any elective position.

Another source told The Nation that when the disagreement degenerated, Dr Ayu brought the meeting to close.

Consequently, the meetings of the National Caucus, the Board of Trustees (BoT) and National Executive Committee (NEC) which were to hold yesterday were all shifted to today to allow for further consultations.

Those at the National Caucus meeting included former Vice-President Namadi Sambo; BoT Chairman Walid Jibrin; Atiku; Senator Ike Ekweremadu; former PDP Chairman Okwesilieze Nwodo; and Saraki.

Ten PDP governors; former Senate Presidents Anyim Pius Anyim and Adolphus Wabara; Senator Ahmed Makarfi; Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe; Abubakar Baraje; Ndudi Elumelu; and Chief Bode George were also in attendance.

Speaking after the truncated meeting, PDP Spokesman Debo Ologunagba explained that the decision to end the meeting abruptly was taken to allow various committees of the party study documents to be presented to NEC for approval.

The disagreement over moves to exclude some persons from vying for the presidential ticket was confirmed by Chief Raymond Dokpesi, who coordinates Atiku’s consultative engagements, during a meeting between Atiku and members of the BoT yesterday.

Addressing the BoT members, Dokpesi said: “The information reaching me now is not very palatable. It’s a case of attempting to divide this party.

“Information available to me indicates that some persons, who are founding members of the party, but who left the party in the past and came back, should not be allowed to contest for the PDP presidential ticket.

”Sentiments and emotions have been brought in by various interest groups. It is for you, as fathers and mothers of this party, to defend what the vision should be, and to discern what the agitations from certain quarters appear to be”.

My position on zoning, by Atiku
Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar yesterday intensified his presidential aspiration by meeting with BoT members.

Addressing the party’s elders at the Yar’ Adua Centre, Atiku said 2023 presents PDP with the last opportunity at regaining power or going down completely.

He said: ”Your excellences, friends, brothers and sisters, we are now at a crucial moment in this country. For many of you here, it is either we retire together or we move on together.

”As one of the speakers said, I am worried and you should be worried too, that if we do not win, it means we will be in opposition again for the next eight years.

”By the next eight years, I don’t know how many of you will be left in politics. It (defeat) may even ultimately lead to the death of the party because people gravitate, particularly in developing countries, towards governments.

”Ordinary people naturally gravitate towards the government. So, this is a very, very crucial and historical moment in history for our survival. I want you to think about it.”

Atiku dismissed his alleged disregard for zoning, saying the PDP had always been faithful with the zoning arrangement.

He said: “Yes, people have not stopped talking about power rotation and zoning, or whatever it is.

”For sure, in the party, we invented and formulated this zoning policy simply because we wanted every part of this country to have a sense of belonging and I personally have paid my dues on the issue of zoning.

”Many of you were members of our government when all PDP governors came in 2003 and said I should run and I said no.

”We had agreed that power should remain in Southwest. Why should I contest? Some of those governors that supported me at the time went to jail. Some of them were kicked out of their offices but we made sure that we kept the zoning policy.

”So, you cannot come and try to imply that PDP has not been following the zoning policy.

”In the many years of PDP government; eight years and six years, all of them (President) were from South.

”My vision is to build bridges across the country. Please, join me in building bridges across this country so that every part of this country will have a sense of belonging.”

Claim: This week, news outlets reported that the head of Russia’s Space Agency, Dmitry Rogozin, threatened to leave American astronaut Mark Vande Hei — the record-holder for the longest spaceflight — aboard the International Space Station (ISS) rather than allowing him to return to Earth on a Russian spacecraft.

Full Text:

The report states that Russia’s space program has “apparently threatened” to leave an American astronaut aboard the International Space Station (ISS).

This is coming amidst United States’ sanctions against Russia over the ongoing invasion in Ukraine.

Rogozin had posted a video on Twitter which features up-beat music with the lyric ‘Farewell’ as the two cosmonauts on board the ISS with Vande Hei wave him goodbye and detach Russia’s segment of the station – which would send it spiralling to Earth.

Mark Vande Hei, a married 55-year-old father of two from Texas, is scheduled to return to Kazakhstan from the International Space Station (ISS) with two Russian cosmonauts aboard a Russian Soyuz spacecraft on March 30 after spending nearly a year on board.


Verification:

Findings by PRNigeria reveals that the claim stems from a video posted on Feb. 26, which was shared by a Kremlin-aligned publication, RIA Novosti, according to Ars Technica.

RIA Novosti captioned it: ‘The Roscosmos television studio jokingly demonstrated the possibility of Russia withdrawing from the ISS project — the undocking of the Russian segment of the station, without which the American part of the project cannot exist,’ according to a translation from Newsweek.

The same video also jokingly suggests that Russia might go so far as to detach its portion of the ISS from the American side of the space station, in addition to stranding Vande Hei.

On Friday (March 11), a NASA spokesperson assured The StarTribune that “On March 30, a Soyuz spacecraft will return as scheduled carrying NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei and cosmonauts Pyotr Dubrov and Anton Shkaplerov back to Earth.”

And even if Rogozin’s threat to leave Vande Hei on the station was legitimate — which it’s not — American astronauts Raja Chari, Kayla Barron and Thomas Marshburn, as well as German astronaut Matthias Maurer are all on the ISS, too, Ars Technica reported. So in any case, Vande Hei would be able to catch another ride back to Earth.

Mark Vande Hei is due to return from International Space Station on March 30 on board a Russian Soyuz spacecraft after he began his mission on April 9, 2021,

This week, news outlets reported that the head of Russia’s Space Agency threatened to leave American astronaut Mark Vande Hei — the record-holder for the longest spaceflight — aboard the International Space Station (ISS) rather than allowing him to return to Earth on a Russian spacecraft.


Verdict: Russia Space Station did not officially threaten to strand American Astronaut, Vande Hei in space or abandone the ISS. Roscosmos TV, the television station of the Russian Federal Space Agency, provided footage for the video but noted that the video was a “joke,” Ars Technica reported.

Conclusion: Roscosmos TV dubbed the footage a “joke” and publicly available official statements do not suggest the threat is real. There is no sufficient evidence to the claim that Moscow has threatened to abandon ISS or the American Astronaut.

Authorities in the U.S. state of Georgia have dissolved Springfield Aviation Company LLC allegedly used for bank fraud and money laundering by the CEO and Chairman of Air Peace, Allen Onyema.

The company, incorporated and based in Georgia State, is said to have been deficient in filing its annual registration, after the U.S. Department of Justice filed charges against its principals, including Mr Onyema in 2019.

Owned and controlled by Mr Onyema, Springfield Aviation Company LLC was formed on April 4, 2016, as a domestic limited liability company to carry on any legitimate business, documents seen by PREMIUM TIMES show.

But on November 22, 2019, the U.S. Department of Justice announced the charging of Mr Onyema, accusing him of moving more than $20 million from Nigeria through United States bank accounts in a scheme involving false documents based on the purchase of aeroplanes.

Mr Onyema was charged alongside Air Peace Limited’s Head of Administration and Finance, Ejiroghene Eghagha.

They both face 36 charges of conspiracy, bank fraud, aggravated identity theft, money laundering, and credit application fraud in connection with the $20million scheme.

One of the companies used in committing the alleged offences is Springfield Aviation LLC, prosecutors said.

“Beginning in approximately May 2016, Onyema, together with Eghagha, allegedly used a series of export letters of credit to cause banks to transfer more than $20 million into Atlanta-based bank accounts controlled by Onyema,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Northern District of Georgia said in a November 22, 2019 statement announcing the indictment of the two suspects.

“The letters of credit were purportedly to fund the purchase of five separate Boeing 737 passenger planes by Air Peace. The letters were supported by documents such as purchase agreements, bills of sale, and appraisals proving that Air Peace was purchasing the aircraft from Springfield Aviation Company LLC, a business registered in Georgia.

“However, the supporting documents were fake — Springfield Aviation Company LLC, which is owned by Onyema and managed by a person with no connection to the aviation business, never owned the aircraft, and the company that allegedly drafted the appraisals did not exist. Eghagha allegedly participated in this scheme as well, directing the Springfield Aviation manager to sign and send false documents to banks and even using the manager’s identity to further the fraud.

“After Onyema received the money in the United States, he allegedly laundered over $16 million of the proceeds of the fraud by transferring it to other accounts.”


Firm’s dissolution

However, since the charges were filed, nothing has been heard of the progress in the case and Mr Onyema is not known to have visited the U.S. ever since.

Bob Page, the public affairs officer for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Northern District of Georgia, declined comments when PREMIUM TIMES contacted him for updates on the case.

But this newspaper has now obtained information that Springfield Aviation, the U.S. company Mr Onyema used in making the problematic transactions, has now been dissolved.

In an October 22, 2020 letter to the company, seen by PREMIUM TIMES, the Secretary of State and the Corporation Commissioner of the State of Georgia informed the firm that it had been dissolved.


“I, Brad Raffensperger, the Secretary of State and the Corporation Commissioner of the State of Georgia, hereby certify under the seal of my office that Springfield Aviation Company, LLC a Domestic Limited Liability Company was mailed a notice in accordance with Title 14 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated and was involuntarily or administratively dissolved or its certificate of authority revoked by the Office of Secretary of State on 10/22/2020 for failure to file its annual registration and/or failure to maintain a registered agent or registered office in this state,” the document, tiled Certificate of Administrative Dissolution/Revocation, read.

“This certificate is issued pursuant to Title 14 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated and is prima-facie evidence of the existence or nonexistence of the facts stated herein.”

PREMIUM TIMES learnt that Springfield Aviation LLC (with Control Number 16035630) became deficient in filing its annual registration following the indictment of its principals in 2019.

Mr Onyema has kept away from the U.S. while the company’s only staffer, based in Georgia, was also charged with conspiracy to commit bank fraud.

The firm’s long-term registration agent, Roy Hadley, E. Jr., of Atlanta, also appeared to have cut off links with the embattled corporation.

He did not respond to an August 7, 2020 correspondence from the Georgian Secretary of State informing him of the state’s intention to dissolve Springfield Aviation and requesting him to show cause why that should not be done.


Other indicted firms

Findings by PREMIUM TIMES showed that Springfield Aviation LLC is one Mr Onyema’s four overseas business entities.

The others are Springfield Aviation Company Inc., registered in Canada on August 22, 2018 (with incorporation number 1095798-4), Bluestream Aero Services Inc., also formed in Canada on August 22, 2018 (with incorporation number 1095801- and Air Peace Limited (Johannesburg) founded on December 9, 2020 (with identification number K2020918092).

At least $10.4 million of the $14.3 million seized from Mr Onyema in the case are held by the Bank of Montreal, Canada, by the two Canadian-registered firms. While $5,634,842.04 is held in the name of Bluestream Aero Services Inc., the sum of $4,593,842.05 is said to be held in the name of Springfield Aviation Inc.

The balance of the funds – $4,017,852.51 – is held by JP Morgan Chase Bank in the name of Springfield Aviation Company, LLC, Mr Onyema’s U.S.-based entity that has now been dissolved.


Air Peace responds

PREMIUM TIMES contacted Air Peace whose head of public affairs, Stanley Olisa, said he knows nothing about the dissolution of Springfield Aviation Company, LLC.

“I am not aware of that, I will not be able to comment.”

When asked about the status of the previous indictment, Mr Olisa said: “the case is in public domain, there are reports on it, so that is it.”

Matthew Ochei


There was apprehension on Saturday at Dr. Ambrose Okereke street, behind Stephen Keshi Stadium, Asaba, following the sudden death of a 24-year-old intended groom, Mr. Chukwuka Igbonekwu who died after he allegedly drank sniper insecticide in the Delta State capital.

PUNCH Metro gathered that the late Igbonekwu whose traditional marriage and wedding was slated for Tuesday, April 19, and Wednesday, April 20, 2022, respectively, according to his wedding card.

A source in the street told our correspondent on Sunday that the deceased died after quarreling with his girlfriend simply identified as Adaeze on allegation that he was leaving her to marry another lady.

“There was a fight between late Igbonekwu and his girlfriend on Thursday, March 10, 2022, after much quarreling and fighting, we decided to enter their room to enquire what was the problem.

“The lady who has been living together with him over the years until his death said that the fight was as a result of the late Chukwuka wanting to leave her for another lady.

“When we asked the deceased what was the issue, he said that he and the girlfriend are related and also both of them are the same AS genotype and therefore cannot marry.

“After the fight, they reconciled again and later we saw both of them coming out from a shopping mall and going home on Friday.

“Towards evening, the girlfriend raised alarm calling people that the late Chukwuka drank sniper, so immediately he was rushed to the hospital in Okpanam. The lady called the wife-to-be and she met them at the hospital, unfortunately, he died Saturday morning.

“They brought his corpse to the compound, after a while the family came and took the body together with the wife-to-be and the so-called girlfriend to the village without reporting to the police,” the source said.

The source said they did not involve police rather carried the body and left to their village.

The traditional marriage/wedding card indicated that the deceased hailed from Umuezeogwu village in Uzo-Uwani, Enugu State while the wife-to-be Blessing (surname held) also hailed from the same state.

By Dirisu Yakubu

ABUJA- Ahead of the Presidential primaries of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, and the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP governors of the 36 states are desirous of producing the President in the 2023 poll, Sunday Vanguard gathered at the weekend.

The decision of the governors was reportedly agreed upon at the Nigerian Governors’ Forum, NGF, with an understanding that Presidential candidates of the two major parties be picked from among the governors.

Sources within the NGF hinted at the weekend that the state governors had reached a consensus that one of them, regardless of the party, should emerge as the next President of the country, following their insistence that state governors possess the knowledge and experience to salvage the country.

Sunday Vanguard gathered that the development is partly the reason governors are bent on controlling party structures in their respective states.

“I can tell you that the governors of the 36 states have reached a consensus that one of them should emerge as the next President of the country.

The governors have been meeting and consulting on producing the Presidential candidates of both the APC and the PDP and the consultations have reached a very advanced level. In a matter of days, the governors will make a formal declaration in this direction”, an NGF source said.

It was learnt that this is the main reason the state governors in the APC are insisting on retaining the control of the APC’s Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) ahead of the party’s National Executive (NEC) meeting next Thursday in preparation for the National Convention later in the month.

In the opposition PDP, the governors are said to have intensified consultations among party leaders ahead of the PDP national caucus meeting scheduled for Monday in Abuja as well as the Party’s NEC meeting on Tuesday.

The PDP is expected to reach important decisions, including zoning as well as its schedule of activities and guidelines for the 2023 general elections at the two crucial meetings.

The source in the NGF however added that following the decision, the governors may have to support any party that takes its candidate from their forum, in the likely event that one of the political parties picks its candidate that is not a governor.

The governors are expected to make formal presentations to their parties ahead of the Presidential primaries.

PDP mocks as INEC rejects leadership change in APC

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday mocked the APC over INEC’s rejection of moves by the ruling party to drop its CECPC Chairman, Governor Mai Mala Buni.

The PDP described the rejection as an indication that the APC lacked the legitimacy and statutory requisites to participate in the 2023 general elections.

Spokesman for the PDP, Debo Ologunagba, said: “This decision by INEC is therefore another unmistaken ‘red flag’ to intending aspirants on the platform of the APC in the 2023 general elections that the APC has become defunct and cannot validly, legally and constitutionally field candidates in the 2023 general elections.

“Our party draws attention to the grave import of INEC’s letter to the APC, dated March 9, 2022 to the effect that APC’s NEC meeting scheduled for Thursday March 17, 2022 will not be recognised by the Commission due to invalid notice; a development that will invalidate any decision reached at such meeting.

“Furthermore, INEC’s reference to the failure of the APC to give the required 21-day notice for its National Convention confirms the invalidity and unconstitutionality of any National Convention conducted by the APC’s illegal Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC).

“As it stands today, regardless of the boldface escapist excuses, the Sword of Damocles hangs precariously on the status of the contraption called CECPC and the APC itself. This signals an existential threat to the soulless, precipice-bound bunch of pretenders masquerading as a political party.

“The PDP had earlier informed Nigerians, especially intending aspirants on the platform of the APC that the APC became legally non-operational when in December 8, 2020 it dissolved its National, State as well as Local Government structures and handed its affairs over to an illegal body.”

APC Chairmanship: Northern group backs Al-Makura

More confusion may be brewing over the national chairmanship seat of the APC as the Northern Progressive Youths (ANPY) yesterday rejected the purported Presidential endorsement of any chairmanship candidate, insisting that Tanko Al-Makura must not be shut out of the contest.

The group’s Director, Gender and Governance Ms Amina Wakawa, addressing reporters in Abuja, said Al-Makura represented the right mix of accomplished leadership qualities that would not only add value to the APC but would also facilitate and sustain and build on the successes recorded by the party so far.

She explained that the northern youths decided to support Al-Makura because of his contribution during the historic merger of the defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), All Nigeria People’s Party (ANPP) and Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN).

She said that Al-Makura was the only former governor elected on CPC’s platform, and who had contributed greatly to the successes of President Muhammadu Buhari in the 2015 general elections, which ended the 16 years of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) leadership.

Wakawa said that the emergence of Al-Makura as APC national chairman would be a reward for loyalty, hard work and competence, and ensure justice, equity and fairness.

Top leaders, governors and members of the Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) are eagerly awaiting the outcome of the London consultations between President Muhammadu Buhari and some of his close allies on the leadership crisis rocking the party.

Apart from the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami (SAN), other key functionaries of the government in London, according to reports yesterday, were the Minister of Education Mallam Adamu Adamu, the Minister of Aviation Senator Hadi Sirika and a close ally, Farouk Adamu Aliyu.

The Chairman of the CECPC and governor of Yobe State, Mai Mala Buni, was also in London. He left the United Arab Emirates where he went for medical treatment last week for London on Thursday.

It was learnt that Buhari may soon break the ice in the APC by issuing a clear-cut directive.

Buni, sources said, is highly optimistic that he would return to office as Chairman of the CECPC upon his return to Nigeria latest Monday.

His confidence was said to be buoyed by the letter of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to APC CECPC warning against violating the laws and Electoral Act 2022. INEC said in the letter that it recognises Buni as the party’s chairman and that it must be given 21 -day notice for it to recognise a new leadership.

It was not clear last night what Buhari and his key allies have agreed as the way forward for the party. Nonetheless, party chiefs who spoke with THE NATION yesterday in Abuja said they would abide by whatever decision Buhari as the leader of the party comes up with.

A top source said: “As it stands now in APC, President Buhari holds the ace. Both Buni’s camp and the group backing Governor Abubakar Sani Bello, who on Monday announced himself as acting chairman of the CECPC on the directive of the Presdent, are awaiting the outcome of the London meeting.

“Whatever is the directive of the President, all leaders, governors and Caretaker Committee members will comply.

“I can tell you that there is anxiety in both camps because Buhari’s position will determine the way forward for the APC.”

A Buni loyalist said: “He has completed his medicals. He will return this weekend and resume duties as the National Chairman of APC.

“Governors loyal to Buni are busy coordinating a reception for him to prove that he is still the chairman of APC.”

Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State broke the news of the purported removal of Buni on Wednesday, citing certain actions and inactions of the CECPC Chairman which he said constituted a hindrance to the March 26th convention.

One of such is a court injunction obtained by a party member to stop the convention until his grievances were addressed.

El-Rufai, who said Buni was aware and neither informed the party nor did anything on it, said efforts had commenced now to vacate the injunction which he described as “a weapon of mass destruction”, planned to use to scuttle the convention.

He said the fate of caretaker secretary James Akpanudoedehe had been decided after he refused to take instruction from acting Chairman Bello who took over on Monday.

El-Rufai, who spoke on a Channels Television programme, said he had the authority of Chairman of the Progressives Governors Forum (PGF) Kebbi State Governor Atiku Bagudu to explain the action that led to the appointment of Niger State Governor Abubakar Sani Bello as acting chairman of APC.

He said 19 of the 23 governors elected on the ticket of the party were on same page on the mission to prevent the party from collapsing. He did not name the four governors that are not with them.

El-Rufai said: “We got a wind of a court process wherein an order had been gotten directing that the convention should not be held until the determination of the case. And it was unfortunate that our lawyer engaged by Buni-led committee agreed with this in court. If this remains, how can the convention be done?

“We got signals that there were some elements in the party that were bent on scuttling the proposed March 26 convention.

“And if we miss that date, the following Saturday will be Ramadan, and that means we would not be able to have convention until after Ramadan. That means we would have lost another month according to INEC’s timetable.

“Based on this, we met with the President to discuss a number of issues with him like zoning formulae, which the President signed off on.”

!b]APC defies INEC, vows to go ahead with March 26 convention[/b]

Earlier yesterday, the party’s Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) vowed to press ahead with arrangements for its March 26 National Convention, brushing aside the demand for a 21-day notice of intention by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

But the party appeared to have soft-pedaled on the removal of Yobe State Governor Mai Mala Buni as CECPC Chairman with a party spokesman saying Buni remained in office.

However, INEC is not about to waive its insistence on the 21-day notice from the party.

The Nation gathered yesterday that the commission might boycott the APC convention unless the party complied with the provisions of the law.

The opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) took time out to mock the APC over the controversy generated by its convention.

It said INEC’s rejection of a new APC leadership was an indication that the ruling party lacked the legitimacy and statutory requisites to participate in next year’s elections.

Spokesperson for the CECPC and the APC National Youth Leader, Ismail Ahmed, told reporters yesterday in Abuja that INEC got it all wrong in demanding that the party should give a fresh 21-day notice for the March 26th national convention.

Ahmed, a lawyer, said the notice issued by the party originally fixing February 26 for the convention was sufficient to meet the relevant legal requirement and that what was now required for the new date of March 26 was simply a notice of an adjustment and not a fresh 21-day notice.

He said: ”Convention will hold on the 26th of March. I am not only a youth leader or internal spokesperson, I am also a lawyer. And we had served a notice to INEC for the 26th of February earlier. We served that notice on the 5th of February and that was the required 21 days.

“If you are going to make any adjustment to that date, all you need is a letter, making an adjustment to the date. You don’t need another 21 days. And that letter was written about two weeks ago when we realised that we couldn’t hold it on the 26th of February.

“The moment the CECPC agreed on the 26th of March, that letter was written to INEC, INEC has accepted that letter. So that is long gone; it is not an issue.

“The issue of the date of convention is not in question, not in INEC, not certainly with us. That is settled. It is sacrosanct: that 26th of March and we have complied with all the rules and we have notified INEC as appropriately expected of us to do. So that’s no longer an issue.”

On the status of the embattled chairman of the CECPC, Ahmed said Governor Buni remained the chairman of the party and that Governor Abubakar Sani Bello of Niger State has always been functioning in an acting capacity whenever the chairman is not available.

His words: “Since the inception of this CECPC on June 25, 2020, whenever the chairman is not around and Governor Sani Bello is around, he acts as chairman. It has always been the case that has never changed. It has always been the case.

“And now we have a convention on the 26th of March, the chairman wrote a letter and transmitted his power to go for medical treatment.

“These are two emergencies. He has a medical emergency that cannot wait for convention. We have a convention that cannot wait for him to be healthy, so one has to leave for other.

“The Chairman left, transmitted a letter, Governor Sani Bello has been acting appropriately. What is the problem? Why is it difficult for people to simply understand that?

“I just simply don’t understand why people are making this an issue. So Governor Bello is acting with the full authority of the caretaker committee and with the full authority of the stakeholders, and leaders of the party, and with the full consent and knowledge of Governor Mai-Mala Buni.

“It’s very clear and very simple. If anybody has any issues with any of our decisions, you can take it to court. For now we’re doing it with the full authority and backing of the law. So there is no ambiguity in this. Absolutely none.”

Ahmed also spoke on the APC zonal congresses earlier scheduled for today across the six geopolitical zones.

He said the congresses would now take place simultaneously with the National Convention.

He described March 26 as sacrosanct for the party as arrangements are in top gear for the conduct of a hitch-free convention.

He said: “I was tasked with the responsibility for Media and Publicity; Prof. Tahir Mamman will be overseeing the Legal Department, Hon. Stella Okotete and Senator Yusuf Abubakar Yusuf will be overseeing Organizing Department, and then Dr James Lalu and Chief David Lyon will oversee the Finance Department and former Senate President, Ken Nnamani and Senator Abba Ali will be overseeing the Policy, Strategy and Research Department.”

He was however silent on the role of Senator John James Akpanudoedehe, the committee’s National Secretary, in the convention preparations.

“We just talked about the members of the committee; we didn’t talk about either Secretary or Chairman. They have their responsibilities cut out for them anyway. The other members are the ones that were all told to come and handle specific departments.”

The Independent National Electoral Commission had snubbed a March 8, 2022 letter from Governor Bello inviting it to an emergency NEC meeting of the party.

It said: ”Please refer to your letter Ref.APC/NHDQ/INEC/019/022/32,dated 8th March 2022.

“The commission draws your attention to the fact that the notice for the meeting was not signed by the national chairman and national secretary of the CECPC.

“This is contrary to the provision of the Article 1.1.3 of the commission’s Regulations and Guidelines for Political Party Operations (2018).

“Furthermore, the APC is reminded of the provision in Section 82(1) of the Electoral Act 2022, which requires ‘at least 21 days’ notice of any convention, congress, conference, or meeting convened for the purpose of ‘merger’.

“And electing members of its executive committees, other governing bodies or nominating candidates for any elective office.

“While hoping these issues are noted for compliance, please accept the assurance of the commission’s warm regards.”

INEC may boycott APC’s March 26 Convention

There were indications yesterday that INEC might not send its personnel to monitor the APC convention or even recognise the outcome of the convention unless it complies with the provisions of the Electoral Act.

The commission wants a 21-day notice from the party as stipulated by the law.

It said in a letter to the party that it could not attend the emergency National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of APC slated for next week because it did not comply with relevant laws and that the party could only remove the National Chairman of Caretaker /Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC), Governor Mai Mala Buni, and other officers after a 21-day notice to the Commission.

A Director in the Commission who didn’t want to be mentioned told The Nation that the INEC letter ”is very clear. They (APC) should give INEC a 21-day notice. Their legal officer should guide them properly.”

According to the source, the 2022 Electoral Act has strict guidelines for the 2023 general elections, which the Commission is determined to enforce.

INEC wrong to reject APC’s letter, says lawyer

A Niger Delta-based lawyer, Somina Johnbull, yesterday faulted INEC’s rejection of the APC invitation to its forthcoming NEC meeting on the grounds that it was not signed by the party’s National Chairman and Secretary.

He said: “With the greatest respect, INEC’s response is incorrect and was made without regard to the current state of the law.

“Section 82(1) of the Electoral Act requires political parties to notify INEC when it intends to hold any congress, convention, conference or meeting for the purpose of ‘merger’, electing members of the executive committees, other governing bodies of the political party and nomination of candidates.

“INEC is not to be notified of the meeting of a political party where the business is not for merger or election of members of the executive committee or nomination of party.

“INEC does not require to be notified of a meeting by a political party to discuss preparations for convention or congress as long as that meeting is not held to elect members of its executive committee.”

Johnbull insisted that INEC’s reference to its guidelines could not override the magisterial provisions of a statute, citing Jegede v INEC.

He said: “For whatsoever it is worth, what is the effect of the failure to even notify INEC or for INEC to be present?

“Section 82(5) of the Electoral Act provides that failure by a political party to notify INEC of its convention, congress or meeting cannot nullify the validity of such meeting, convention or congress.”

Grave danger ahead for APC

Another lawyer, Monday Onyekachi, warned that the APC could be courting trouble if it failed to give a 21-day notice to INEC before removing its CECPC chairman and other officers.

Onyekachi, a former Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association, advised the ruling party to adhere to the provisions of the law and said: “Don’t they have what their law says about the removal of the chairman?

“Who removed him? Because there is an organ that removes a chairman of a party. Was it the organ that removed him? Was there any time the organ met and removed Buni?

“The implication is that they have to remove him properly. If they don’t remove him properly, INEC will still recognise Buni as chairman. There would be an implication if there is no proper removal.

“They cannot be behaving like lawless people now. I am not interested in who becomes what. I am only subservient to the law. What does the law say about the removal of a chairman and have they complied with it?. Don’t they have legal advisers?

Matawalle cautions APC governors over party crisis

Zamfara State Governor Bello Matawalle yesterday cautioned his fellow APC governors against unguarded statements over the party’s crisis.

Matawalle said this in a statement through Mr Zailani Bappa, his Special Adviser on Public Enlightenment, Media and Communications, in Gusau that it was not right for the governors to “wash our dirty linens in the media, especially at this critical time of the party’s transformation as we move towards a decisive period in 2023.”

He added: “I believe that each of us has been trying his best in his way to move the interest of our great party forward. However, we all disagree to agree. That is the beauty of democracy. There is no point in promoting disharmony among ourselves after disagreements are settled.

“It is not wise to drag the name of His Excellency, Mr President into taking sides on issues that are ordinarily a normal political misunderstanding common to every collection of interests.

“Now, more than ever before, the party needs the strength and unity to face the challenges ahead as we move towards the critical period of elections of which the party must maintain its supremacy at all levels.”

Matawalle expressed reservation over the statement issued by Gov. Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo state in which he criticised some governors for their actions and said those who were not okay with the party should quit.

Sanction those colluding with Buni to scuttle convention – Lukman

The immediate-past Director-General of the Progressive Governors’ Forum (PGF), Dr Salihu Lukman yesterday called for disciplinary action against APC governors he claimed were working with Buni to scuttle the March 26th national convention.

Lukman, in a statement entitled “APC and Surrogate Politics of Timid Leaders” named Buni’s collaborators as Governors Yahaya Bello of Kogi State, Hope Uzodinma of Imo State, and Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State.

“There are other party leaders, including Senator Uzor Kalu, who have actively supported His Excellency Mai Mala to undermine the decision to organise the National Convention of the party.

“The March 17, 2022 APC NEC should initiate processes of a disciplinary hearing in line with provisions of the APC Constitution to sanction all these leaders if found guilty,” he said.

The former PGF boss advised the party stakeholders to be constantly vigilant as the national convention draws nearer, warning that the “days leading to the March 26 national convention could sound the death knell for the party or give it an exhilarating breath of fresh air.

“Events in APC require constant vigilance by all committed party members and leaders. Without a doubt, the days ahead, leading to March 26, 2022 National Convention, will define both the survival, the democratic orientation and the quality of leaders of the party.

“Whether APC will produce both party leaders and candidates for the 2023 elections who can justify the trust reposed in them depends a lot on how all the current leadership challenges facing the party is resolved.”

Friday Olokor, Abuja


The Independent Investigation Panel on Human Rights Violations by the defunct Special Anti-Robbery Squad and other units of the Nigerian Police Force on Friday ordered the Chairman of National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Brig. General Mohammed Buba Marwa (retd.), to produce the suspended Assistant Commissioner of Police (Intelligence Response Team), Abba Kyari, before it on March 22, 2022.

A statement issued by the Deputy Director (Press and External Linkages), National Human Rights Commission, Fatimah Agwai Mohammed, said a representative of the Nigerian Bar Association on the panel, John Aikpokpo Martins, made the order while presiding over the panel on behalf of its Chairman, Justice Suleiman Galadima (retd).

According to her, the presence of Abba Kyari before the panel was very necessary owing to the fact that a witness of the petitioner had earlier testified that Kyari allegedly promised to reach out to him in respect of the missing persons, adding that to date, nothing was heard about them.

Similarly, the panel also ordered the new Commandant of the IGP-IRT, Tunde Disu, to do the needful to ensure that Abba Kyari, who he succeeded in office, is produced before the panel on the aforesaid date.

The orders were made in respect of three persons who were arrested and detained by the IGP-IRT detention facility and to date, their whereabouts are still unknown.

They are Yakubu Danjuma, Ibrahim Daniel, and Choji Dung.

Mohammed said, “The order of the panel followed information from panel’s counsel, Halilu Adamu that Abba Kyari is in the custody of the NDLEA and Police counsel, James Idachaba told the panel that the Police can no longer produce Kyari since he is no longer in Police custody, having been suspended.”

The NHRC recalled that the panel had on March 8, 2022, ordered the Office of the Inspector-General of Police to unfailingly produce the aforementioned three victims before it.

Before the panel’s order, a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory in Gudu, Abuja had ordered the release of the mentioned persons but to date, the order was not carried out.

Earlier in the proceedings at the panel, lead counsel for the Police, James Idachaba, informed the panel that he personally made some efforts to produce the case file in respect of the matter from the IGP-IRT Office.

Idachaba said he went to the Office of the Force Criminal Investigation Department and that to date, he had yet to get details of the whereabouts of the three persons in question.

He went further to say that the disbandment of IRT somehow affected their search for the three victims, adding that all the officers of the defunct IRT have been transferred to different Police commands.

He, however, promised to do the necessary things within his powers to ensure that documents and information about the missing persons are supplied to the panel.

The families of the missing persons in a petition had alleged that their breadwinners were arrested and detained in 2019 by the police and nothing had been heard about them to date.

The matter was adjourned till March 22, 2022.

Aliko Dangote, chairman of the Dangote Group, says the federal government should stop the export of maize from Nigeria to avoid the scarcity expected to come as a result of the Russia-Ukraine war.

Responding to a question by TheCable at the fourth Annual Nigerian Food Processors and Nutrition Leadership Forum on Thursday, Dangote said Russia and Ukraine are the major producers of ingredients used in making fertilizers.

He said the shortage of these ingredients as a result of the war will also lead to a shortage of fertilizers and some food products like wheat and maize.

“There will be shortage of wheat, maize and a lot of products because as we speak now Russia and Ukraine do almost 30% of the world’s urea and 26% of the world’s potash — and phosphate also, there are one of the largest in the world,” he said.

“There would be scarcity of food generally, we would not be able to access fertilizers going forward, we would not see the effects now, but in the next two, three months. The US will not be able to do same number of tonnage they did last year because of this.

Dangote said he believes food producers need to have a sit down with the government to halt the coming scarcity.

“Right now, you would start seeing people exporting maize to earn foreign exchange, which I think we need to stop, so that we don’t create shortage, and we need to make sure we grow more so we don’t have shortage. It is about food security, and it is very very serious.”


Olusanya: We’ll see maize trafficking
Boye Olusanya, the CEO of Flour Mills of Nigeria, said Nigeria will be affected by the crisis in Russia and Ukraine, and the country needs to start discussing solutions.

“The reality is that Russia and Ukraine are number one and number five in wheat production, and if you take that volume, which is almost one-third of global production, there would be an immediate impact on prices,” he said.

“Today, the prices of wheat have gone up. There is a lag that comes because of inventory control, but it is something that we need to sit down with the government to say what measures can we put in place to alleviate what is coming.

“The impact is not just on wheat alone; Ukraine is one of the largest producers of maize, which will also have a significant on maize, which is an alternative to wheat.

“You will start looking at cross-border trafficking of maize, more farmers will look into taking maize out of the country.

“The last impact is on fertilizers, and the impact is not just short term, you’re looking at a one-off thing. You’re looking an impact on production over a year to 18 months.

“When you look at all that and what then happens in pricing, obviously, if we don’t manage this well, there will be significant volume compression, in terms of material that comes in and therefore the volume of food that is sold.”

He said this may affect fortification efforts, which will subsequently affect the health of Nigerians if a quick solution is not figured out.

Osagie Ehanire, the minister of health; Niyi Adebayo, minister for trade and investment; and Olusola Idowu, representative of the minister of finance, were all in attendance.

Last night, I was in a meeting with Dangote and friends. I asked them what the #RusssiaUkraineWar was doing to their businesses, especially as it concerns the wheat industry. I didn’t expect response I got. They said food scarcity is coming and it’s not just #wheat. A thread.

Boye Olusanya, CEO of flour mills, said “Russia and Ukraine are number one and number five in wheat production, and if you take that volume, which is almost one-third of global production, there would be an immediate impact on prices.” This has started. Ditto for Maize.

He said we would start seeing cross border Maize trafficking from Nigeria, which would lead to a scarcity of maize in Nigeria. He told the ministers at the meeting to work with private sector to see how these problems can be solved.

Dangote brought a scarier perspective. He said most of the ingredients used in making fertilizers come from Russia and Ukraine:

Urea
Potash
Phosphate

So fertilizer scarcity is coming. This he believes will affect food production and prices.

Solution: FG should ban maize export.

The industry, including Dangote, expect that maize producers will start exporting maize to earn #FX, so they asked FG to ban export of Maize from Nigeria.

I should add that they also recommended investment in local maize production. To ramp up local production and avoid scarcity.

But that would also need fertilizer, which is also about to become scarce. So, compounding problems.

MadamVanessa:




My heart breaks to pieces when I see a lovely animal like python been killed ruthlessly like this. This animal is so harmless when train.

As a lady if you used the tail of a trained python to masturbate, you may forget about dick entirely. Though the way the python will wriggle on bed will be so scary, especially for first timers.

by Silas Jonathan


Claim: On its official Facebook page, the Nasarawa State Government posted a picture of a ‘before and after’ construction of a road it claims to be in Sisinbaki-Kwarra, Wamba Local Government Area of the state.

Verdict: Analysis shows that the ‘after’ image was truly that of Sisinbaki-Kwarra road in Wamba Local Government Area. The ‘before’ was, however, an image of a road under construction in Camaçari Metropolitan Road in Lauro de Freitas, Brazil back in 2015. As such, this claim is misleading.


Full Context

Social media has become an acceptable part of our daily lives as a means of information dissemination. While there are ongoing debates about its efficiency, organisations and sectors continually use it to promote their agenda and activities.

It is in light of this reality that the official Facebook page of the Nasarawa State Government shared a ‘before and after’ picture of a road it claims to be in Sisinbaki-Kwarra, Wamba Local Government Area of the state.

The Facebook page has over 13,000 followers and contains thousands of other pictures that convey the achievements of the state governor, Abdullahi Sule.

The governor, who is an entrepreneur and businessman, was elected in 2019 under the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC). The Facebook page captures his achievements since assuming office.

Comments on the page show that many depend on the page for authentic news about the state and take it as a reliable source. For instance, a user wrote this in praise of the page: “It brings to the people what the government is doing with(out) any distortion but as it is.”

How true is this particular information from the page?


Controversy

The post, which presents the picture of the ‘before and after’ road construction, attracted over 200 reactions and over 70 re-shares. Even more, the same picture with apparently the same narrative is featured on other Facebook users’ pages and also on Twitter.

For example, a user, Akashe Abdullahi Ari (@AkasheAri), on Twitter, tweeted a picture of the road with the caption: “Before and after construction of 15.5km Sissinbaki-Kwarra Road in Wamba. Thank you, Governor Engr. Abdullahi A. Sule.”


https://i2.wp.com/media.premiumtimesng.com/wp-content/files/2022/03/pasted-image-0-1-e1646942217379.png?w=606&ssl=1A tweet by a user sharing the same claim on Twitter


However, not convincing enough for some users, they challenged the authenticity of the picture. “In Wamba Nah halfway to” Ibrahim commented. Also, another user, Joan, who doubted the picture challenged that “the picture of the road above is not in Nasarawa State. This is not true.”

Nasarawa State is a state in the North-central region of Nigeria, bordered to the east by Taraba and Plateau states, to the north by Kaduna, to the south by Kogi and Benue, and to the west by the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.


Verifying the ‘before’ picture of the road

To verify the ‘before’ picture in the narrative, a Yandex reverse image was conducted to trace the actual source of the ‘before’ picture of the road.

The Yandex results show the picture was first used in 2015 in a report that details the construction of the Camaçari Metropolitan Road in Lauro de Freitas, Brazil.


https://i2.wp.com/media.premiumtimesng.com/wp-content/files/2022/03/pasted-image-0-2.png?resize=750%2C574&ssl=1 A screenshot of the actual source of the ‘Before’ image of the road on Jornal Grande Bahia

In fact, the Newspaper Grand Bahia, a leading publication in Brazil, reported on several levels of the road’s construction. Even more, the article credited the picture to Mateus Pereira of the Jornal Grande Bahia.



https://i2.wp.com/media.premiumtimesng.com/wp-content/files/2022/03/pasted-image-0-3.png?resize=750%2C527&ssl=1 Multiple reports on the Jornal Grande Bahia detailing the process of the road construction of the Camaçari Metropolitan Road in Lauro de Freitas, Brazil

https://i1.wp.com/media.premiumtimesng.com/wp-content/files/2022/03/pasted-image-0-4.png?resize=750%2C584&ssl=1 Screenshots of the News reports on the completed road project in Brazil, not in Nasarawa state, Nigeria

The current governor of Nasarawa State, Mr Sule, to whom the alleged road was referenced, came into office in 2019, while the ‘before’ image of the road has been in existence since 2015 as found in the Jornal Grande Bahia.

Thus, the alleged image used to depict the ‘before’ conditions of the road in Sisinbaki-Kwarra, Wamba local government council, Nasarawa state Nigeria, is false.


Verifying the ‘after’ picture of the road

When a google reverse image search of the alleged ‘after’ conditions of the road was conducted, results from multiple credible news sources show the image was truly that of the Sisinbaki-Kwarra road, Wamba Local Government Area.

In a news story by Eggonnews, the governor was reported to commission the Sisinbaki-Kwarra road in Wamba local government council, Nasarawa State Nigeria, on May 22, 2021.


https://i0.wp.com/media.premiumtimesng.com/wp-content/files/2022/03/pasted-image-0-5.png?resize=750%2C411&ssl=1 A screenshot of the ‘after’ road construction as presented in Eggonnews report


https://i1.wp.com/media.premiumtimesng.com/wp-content/files/2022/03/pasted-image-0-6.png?resize=750%2C429&ssl=1
Screenshot from the Eggonnews report depicting the governor about to commission the Sisinka/Kwarra road


In another report by Afridailynews, the governor was also reported to commission the same Sisinka-Kwarra road on the same day as that of the initial report, May 22, 2022.

Both reports featured the image of the road ‘after’ completion. Even more, one image shared on Afridailynews showed the governor beside a signpost with the details of the Sisinbaki/Kwarra road project.

DUBAWA visited the location to further verify the claim. Findings at the location revealed that the purported ‘after’ picture of the road is actually true of the road project.

Community members who confirmed the claim admitted that the ‘before’ picture of the road is nowhere near their environment. However, they ascertained that the ‘after’ picture was genuine and even took DUBAWA to the actual location.

John Joel, a member of the Sisinbaki community who took DUBAWA around, said that the claim by the state government is indeed misleading.

“The ‘before’ picture is not from this part, this is not anywhere in Sisinbaki/Kwarra axis. I was here before and after and I can’t recall this location. But the ‘after’ is true, I even know the location, and I can take you to the exact place.”

Similarly, Abdullahi Muhammad, a bike rider who acknowledged the same narrative offered to take this reporter to the location.

https://i1.wp.com/media.premiumtimesng.com/wp-content/files/2022/03/20220304_144807-scaled-e1646943436230.jpg?resize=750%2C535&ssl=1 The location of the “after” picture of the road as indicated by the community members


DUBAWA’s findings uncovered that the Sisinbaki/Kwarra road project was actually constructed and even commissioned in 2021 by Mr Sule. However, the picture shared to depict the ‘after and before’ condition of the road is misleading.

Further attempts made to contact the Facebook page of the Nasarawa State government for comments were not successful. Neither the messages sent on Facebook nor the ones sent via the email address provided on the page were replied to.

Likewise, two of the governor’s media aides also did not respond to calls and messages placed to their known telephone numbers as of the time this report was filed.


Conclusion

While DUBAWA has uncovered that the ‘before’ picture of the completed Sisinka/Kwarra road in Wamba LGC, Nasarawa State is false and extracted from another location, the ‘after’ picture is truly that of the completed road project. The claim by the state government is misleading.

The female attendant finally threw her hands into the air in helplessness, a sign that the filling station would no longer sell petroleum products for its crowd of rowdy customers. Her gestures confirmed the fears of many who had besieged the station, waiting with bated breath in chaos-riddled queues sprawling into the road linking Maryland to Ikeja, the capital of Lagos.

“This is sad,” Jide Ajiboye, a commercial bus driver, muttered under his breath. He told PREMIUM TIMES in an interview that he had spent several hours at the filling station and was worried that he might not get fuel due to the chaos. His fears were confirmed by the abrupt manner the fuel station stopped dispensing petrol around noon on Monday.

“For over six hours, I have been here. It’s almost getting to my turn and they said they no longer have fuel. This is frustrating.”

Since last month, Nigerians have faced the worst petrol crisis the country has seen in recent years. Filling stations across the country have either closed or have been operating intermittent schedules, selling at higher prices.

In February, the Nigerian government said the scarcity was due to an off-spec product imported into the country, which reportedly damaged vehicles and generating sets.

Since the crisis broke out, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) that operates as a major importer of petrol blamed five other oil companies for the off-spec product, including MRS, Emadeb, Brittania-U, Oando and Duke Oil.

The government also promised to address the scarcity and ensure regular supply of petrol, but over a month since the crisis broke out, it has failed to address the issues and stabilise supply.

Mr Ajiboye told this newspaper that since the fuel scarcity hit the nation, he has struggled to feed his family due to the disruption and uncertainty.

“I work and earn money to survive on a daily basis,” he began, anger and frustration written on his tired face.

“If we don’t work on some days, feeding will become a problem at home. The scarcity is just too bad. They started selling for N200 and above and we aren’t even complaining; let’s just have the fuel. But look at what’s happening: they are not even selling at all now.”

An airline passenger, Chris Igwe, lamented the high cost of flight tickets, which many airlines have attributed to the high cost of aviation fuel. He also complained about the troubles associated with alternative means of transport by road.

He said: “The fear of kidnappers and armed robbers was what worried many of us in the past; now even road transport is very expensive due to fuel scarcity. It’s crazy.”

Nigerians have faced unprecedented hardship in recent years, suffering the most in the two areas President Muhammadu Buhari promised to address after taking office: economy and security.

Mr Buhari, a former military head of state, told members of his party in 2014 at the Adokiye Amasiemeka Stadium in Port Harcourt, capital of Rivers State, that he would pick competent hands to run the nation’s economy, which he said was in poor shape.

“The fundamental issue facing this country is insecurity and the problem of economy which was being made worse by corruption. I assure you that we are going to finally assemble a competent team of Nigerians to efficiently manage the country,” he said.

“I am appealing to you, the damage done to this country is great. The level of unemployment, level of insecurity is intolerable. The journey has begun. It will take time, it will take patience, it will take support from you to make sure that we succeed.

“Let us make sure that our votes count. The problem we are facing today is the problem of security and economy. We have gathered competent hands to manage the economy and tackle insecurity.”

By May 29, the president will have exactly one year to complete his full two terms of four years each. His seven-year reign has seen the nation endure deteriorating security and economic challenges, with inflation and unemployment at worse levels than he met them. The grim socio-economic situation has had a devastating effect on the people’s standard of living, plunging many millions into poverty.

The Nigerian National Bureau of Statistics said in 2020 that 40 per cent or 83 million Nigerians lived in poverty. The World Bank estimated that 33.1 per cent of the population lived below the poverty line in 2012/2013 before the president took office. Experts say the current situation is bound to be more dire.

“Since the coronavirus pandemic wreaked havoc on peoples’ means of livelihood across the world, it is estimated that the number of poor people in Nigeria must have increased to at least 90 million in 2022,” said Banji Olatoye, a development analyst.

Although the Nigerian government claimed to have lifted millions of Nigerians out of poverty, a PREMIUM TIMES analysis found that the claim was not supported by data.


Double Jeopardy

In the midst of the current fuel scarcity conundrum and its biting effects, the nation has equally continued to battle with the ripple effects of poor electricity supply.

In recent weeks, electricity consumers across Nigeria have experienced extremely poor supply in some areas and total blackout in most places across Nigeria.

The Nigerian government in its response last week blamed the poor power supply in Abuja and other parts of the country on low water levels in hydro dams in the country.

With Nigeria’s electricity supply challenge, many business owners who depend on petrol for their daily operations have had to shut down or operate on a skeletal basis.

“I asked one of my staff to go home temporarily until things normalise,” says Christiana Johnson, an entrepreneur operating out of Alagbole-Akute area of Ogun State.

“We have not been producing due to fuel scarcity and poor electricity and I have to pay them daily. It’s not sustainable.”

Another entrepreneur based in Ojodu area of Lagos, who declined to have her name in print, lamented the high electricity bills incurred despite the poor state of power in the country.

“The alternative for many of us was a generator but now that there is no fuel, it’s a case of double Wahala (double jeopardy),” she said.

Last week, the Minister of Power, Abubakar Aliyu, who spoke on the Presidential Power Initiatives (PPI) being driven by Siemens, said government was doing everything to ensure optimum supply of gas to ensure quick restoration of power supply to consumers.

However, since the minister assured Nigerians of improved electricity supply, the power situation has worsened in many parts of the nation.


More Troubles

Amid the poor state of power and fuel scarcity, both of which are central to economic productivity, Nigerians have continued to face numerous other challenges that impede growth.

Last December, the National Bureau of Statistics said that Nigeria’s annual inflation rate rose the first time in eight months after recording a consecutive fall for that long. Inflation rose to 15.63 per cent in December 2021 compared to 15.40 per cent in November.

But in January, the consumer price inflation rate fell to 15.60 per cent from 15.63 per cent recorded in December 2021, yet food prices continued to surge.

The bureau said the composite food index rose by 17.13 per cent in January 2022 compared to 20.57 per cent in January 2021. According to the NBS, the rise in the food index was caused by increases in prices of bread and cereals, food products potatoes, yam and other tubers, soft drinks, oils and fats and fruit.

Apart from increase in domestic prices, many Nigerians struggling to operate and create businesses even beyond the nation’s borders are affected by the value of the nation’s currency.

Last month, the International Monetary Fund said that the long-term rate of the depreciation of the naira equates to a loss of 10.6 per cent of its value annually since 1973. According to the IMF, the rate is 1.5 times higher than the long-term rate of the currencies of other emerging markets and developing economies outside of sub-saharan Africa, at 7.2 per cent.

According to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Naira on Monday, the naira exchanged at the interbank market at N416.34 to a dollar. At the black market, it sold against the greenback at N575.

Mr Olatoye argued that the general state of the economy was depressing, adding that the nation cannot progress when the fundamentals are poor and abysmal. He expressed worry on how the nation has also failed to put its growing youth population in meaningful engagements, leading to crimes, social unrest and widespread insecurity in parts of the country.


Time Bomb

According to the NBS Labour Force Report, unemployment among young Nigerians (15-34 years) stood at 21.72 million or 42.5 per cent of the estimated 29.94 million young Nigerians in the labour force.

The NBS in its last report said that the national unemployment rate stood at 33.3 per cent as at December 2020, and is estimated to have reached 45 per cent since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. With youth population estimated at 60 per cent of Nigeria’s total population of about 215 million, it means that about 45 million Nigerian youths are jobless.

Mr Olatoye described the situation as a ‘time bomb’ that must be addressed urgently to forestall a major disaster in the nearest future. He enjoined the government to create incentives and the enabling policy environment for private entities to create jobs and engage young people.

The president of African Development Bank (AfDB), Akinwumi Adesina, recently deplored the high rate of unemployment in the country, especially among the youths, whom he said “are discouraged, angry and restless”.

Speaking at a lecture in Lagos, he explained that the future of Nigeria depends on what it does today with its dynamic youth population, adding that the nation must prioritize investment in young people.

“As a way out of the economic quagmire, much has been said about the need for restructuring. I know the discussions are often emotive. Restructuring should not be driven by political expediency, but by economic and financial viability – the necessary and sufficient conditions for political viability,” Mr Adesina said.

The Kremlin says Russia’s economy was experiencing a shock amid ‘unprecedented’ economic sanctions by Western nations.

According to Reuters, Dmitry Peskov, Kremlin spokesperson, told reporters during a conference call on Thursday that measures were being taken to curb the effect of the war on the country.

The United States and its allies had imposed several sanctions on Russia’s vast sectors to deprive the country of income.

Last month, they removed “selected” Russian banks from the SWIFT international payment system

“Our economy is experiencing a shock impact now, and there are negative consequences, they will be minimised,” Peskov said.

He described the situation as tumultuous but said measures were already being taken to calm and stabilise it.

“This is absolutely unprecedented. The economic war that has started against our country has never taken place before. So it is very hard to forecast anything.”

Vladimir Putin had said the sanctions imposed on Russia by western countries over the invasion of Ukraine are like a declaration of war.

On Tuesday, the US banned the importation of coal, gas and oil from Russia amid the invasion of Ukraine.

Sunday Aborisade in Abuja


Senators elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), yesterday, after a closed-door meeting for about three hours, insisted that the Yobe State Governor, Mai Mala Buni, remained the Chairman of the Caretaker/Extraordonary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) of the party.

Fielding questions from journalists after the second day of their emergency caucus meeting, leader of the Senate, Yahaya Abdullahi, said the various issues facing the party, were exhaustively deliberated upon with clear indication of peace ahead of the March 26, 2022 National Convention of the party.

“These are trying times for major political parties in the country, the very reason we in the APC as Senate caucus met for second day running this week towards required collaboration with other stakeholders for unity of purpose in the party ahead of the coming National Convention and 2023 general elections.

“Required strategies have been mapped out by the caucus to bring all interests groups together in making the party stronger and well-positioned for the 2023 general election. The reported storm in the party by the media is not true as there was no leadership crisis.

“Governor Buni, to us, remains the Chairman of National Caretaker/ Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee of the Party. He will resume in that capacity any moment he returns from Dubai, where he went for medical check.

“Governor Sani Bello, who is acting in that capacity now is doing so to avoid vacuum in leadership and most importantly, to put in place required arrangements for the forthcoming National Convention of the party, 17 days from now,” he said.

But a source privy to the meeting told THISDAY that not only did the senators support the sack of Buni, they also ratified the new national planning committee of the party.

The meeting was attended by the President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan; his Deputy, Ovie Omo – Agege; the Whip, Orji Uzor Kalu and other principal officers, who adopted seven point communique geared towards dousing any form of tension in the party.

The caucus further resolved to meet with CECPC of the party, leaders of the Governors Forum and aspirants/candidates, starting from tomorrow, Friday.

Russia on Wednesday said it was working on a broad response to sanctions that would be swift and felt in the West’s most sensitive areas.

“Russia’s reaction will be swift, thoughtful and sensitive for those it addresses,” Dmitry Birichevsky, the director of the foreign ministry’s department for economic cooperation, was quoted as saying by the RIA news agency.

Russia’s economy is facing the gravest crisis since the 1991 fall of the Soviet Union after the West imposed crippling sanctions on almost the entire Russian financial and corporate system following its invasion of Ukraine ordered by President Vladimir Putin.

U.S. President Joe Biden on Tuesday imposed an immediate ban on Russian oil and other energy imports in retaliation for the invasion.

Russia warned earlier this week that oil prices could rise to over $300 per barrel if the United States and European Union banned imports of crude from Russia.

According to Russia, Europe consumes about 500 million tonnes of oil a year.

Meanwhile, Russia supplies around 30 per cent of that, or 150 million tonnes, as well as 80 million tonnes of petrochemicals.

Russia said it was essential to ensure its security after the United States enlarged the NATO military alliance to Russia’s borders and supported pro-Western leaders in Kyiv.

(Reuters/NAN)

Husseini Lawal, who planned to commence an SOS march from Abuja City Gate to Tafawa Balewa Square in Lagos, to persuade Sen. Bola Tinubu to contest the 2023 presidency had failed to show up.

According to an invitation to the News Agency of Nigeria to cover the take-off, Lawal who hails from Durun Town in Kabo Local Government Area of Kano State, was supposed to commence the march at 10.00 am on Wednesday.

The invitation was signed by Mr Chris Richard, and efforts to reach Richard were abortive as the line on the invitation card was switched off.

Mr Tinubu, one of the national leaders of the All Progressives Congress, APC, and a two-term former Governor of Lagos State, is a leading 2023 presidential aspirant.

Mr Tinubu had on Jan. 10, formally informed President Muhammadu Buhari of his intention to contest the 2023 presidential election and had also been visiting traditional rulers in the country to intimate them of his intention.

He has promised brief Nigerians on his intention at a later date and why he wants to be the country`s next president.

Abeokuta, the Ogun state capital, was on Tuesday, thrown into confusion as Yoruba and Hausa youths had a violent clash.

The clash occurred at the popular Lafenwa Market in Abeokuta, leading to apprehension in the area.

It was learnt that the gunshots could be heard as the bloody clash became messier on Tuesday morning.

It was gathered that the clash started from a fight between a Yoruba and a Hausa man on Monday and by Tuesday, shops and stalls were being razed.

Goods worth millions of naira were reportedly destroyed during the crisis.

Unconfirmed reports of the death of a Hausa man, one of the two persons at the centre of it, was said to have provoked his tribesmen, who reportedly destroyed goods, Daily Post reports

The Seriki Hausa (head of Hausa settlers), who was called to intervene in the crisis was also injured.

The spokesman for the state police command, Abimbola Oyeyemi, confirmed the incident but added that the situation had been brought under control.

The police spokesperson said no life was lost, contrary to the report that a Hausa man was killed in the incident.

Oyeyemi added that the police had arrested several persons in connection to the crisis.

“I’m aware of the clash, but the situation has been brought under control. We have made some arrests. I don’t want to disclose the number of persons we have arrested, but we have made some arrests.

“But, contrary to what people are insinuating, no life was lost, but people were injured while shops were also burnt and property destroyed.

“We are still investigating the clash. The crisis is a result of a rumour because there was a clash between a Hausa man and a Yoruba man. I think the Hausa man was injured and some people went to town with the rumour that the injured man died and that was what led to the whole thing and the issue escalated.

“But, contrary to that rumour, no life was lost, and we are still investigating and after a thorough investigation, whoever that is found culpable will be charged to court,” Oyeyemi said.