News

By Uzair Adam Imam 

The former Accountant General of the Federation, Ahmed Idris, is going to be arraigned before the court by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The Daily Reality gathered that the EFCC will arraign the former Accountant General Friday before Justice A.O. Adeyemi Ajayi of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Abuja.

However, Idris was said to have been arraigned alongside three others: Godfrey Olusegun Akindele, Mohammed Kudu Usman and Gezawa Commodity Market and Exchange Limited.

Our reporters gathered that the accusations embodied a 14-count charge of stealing and criminal breach of trust to the tune of N109, 485,572,691.9. 

One of the counts reads, “That you, Ahmed Idris, while being the Accountant General of the Federation and Godfrey Olusegun Akindele while being the Technical Assistant to the Accountant General of the Federation between February and November 2021, at Abuja in the Abuja Judicial Division of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, in such capacity, entrusted with a certain property, to wit: N84,390,000,000(Eighty-Four Billion, Three Hundred and Ninety Million Naira) committed criminal breach of trust in respect of the said property when you dishonestly received the said sum from the Federal Government of Nigeria through Godfrey Olusegun Akindele trading under the name and style of Olusegun Akindele & Co., and you thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 315 of the Penal Code Act Cap 532 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 1990.”

By Muhammad Aminu

Kano State Police Command said it had apprehended 198 suspects for various criminal activities in the State.

Police Commissioner, Sama’ila Dikko, made l this known while briefing journalists on Thursday in Kano.

CP Dikko explained that the suspects were arrested between 27th June to 21st July in different parts of the State in their efforts to “protect with courage and serve with compassion”.

He stated: “From our last Press Release of 27th June 2022 to date, i.e. for 24 days, the Command arrested One Hundred and Ninety-Eight (198) suspects for major offences which include; Armed Robbery, Kidnapping, Car Theft, Fraud, Thuggery (Daba), Drug Abuse, etc., most of which were charged to court for prosecution.”

According to Dikko, the suspects arrested are “Forty-Two (42) Armed Robbery Suspects; Nine (9) Kidnapping Suspects; Sixteen (16) Suspected Fraudsters; Two (2) Human Trafficking Suspects; Twenty-Seven (27) Motor Vehicles and Tricycles Thieves; Twelve (12) Suspected Drug Dealers; Ninety-Two (92) Suspected Thugs (‘Yan Daba).”

The Police Chief further said they rescued trafficked persons and recovered weapons, “Five (5) Human Trafficking Victims; Twenty-Five (25) Rifles, including Three (3) AK-47s, One (1) Micro Uzi, One (1) Pistol, One (1) Pump Action, Ten (10) locally made Pistols and Nine (9) Den Guns; One Hundred and Twenty-Two (122) Knives and Ninety-Six (96) Other Rod-made Sharp Weapons.”

He said the command also recovered stolen vehicles and motorcycles “Twelve (12) Motor Vehicles; Seven (7) Tricycles and Three (3) Motorcycles.”

Dikko further revealed that some drugs and substances were found in possession of the suspects.

“Two Hundred and Sixty-Nine (269) Parcels and Two Hundred and Sixty-Five (265) Wraps of Dried Leaves Suspected to be Indian Hemp valued Two Million, Seven Hundred and Twenty Five Thousand Naira (N2,725,000:00); Seventy-Four (74) Bottles of Suck and Die Substance and Two Hundred and Eighty (280) Pieces of Exol Tablets.”

Other recoveries include four (4) laptop computers, 134 Mobile Phones and 16 Plasma TV.

He said the Police are committed to community-based and citizen-led policing in the State.

He applauded other security agencies, residents and civil society organisations for their support and cooperation toward ensuring a crime-free Kano State.

By Uzair Adam Imam

The sum of $61,400, which the suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police Abba Kyari allegedly offered as bribe to the operatives of the National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), has been admitted as exhibit by court.

The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja under Justice Emeka Nwite, has admitted the money as exhibit on Wednesday.

The Daily Reality recalls that Kyari was on February 22 arraigned alongside ACP Sunday Ubua, ASP Bawa James, Inspectors Simon Agirigba and John Nuhu, while one ASP John Umoru was said to be at large.

Reports, however, gathered that this was coming after the NDLEA tendered the money through the third prosecution witness, Peter Joshua.

Joshua, told the court at the resumed hearing that the currency was handed over to him on January 25 after he conducted preliminary tests on the exhibits.

The NDLEA claimed to have obtained a video footage of Kyari negotiating the $61,400 sum as a bribe with its investigators to prevent the testing of the 17.55 kilogrammes of the drugs.

The witness also tendered 24 packs of cocaine brought before the court in two travelling bags.

However, the bags contained nine packs wrapped in white cotton sacks, three additional packs of cocaine, and 12 pellets that were separately tied in nylon bags.

By Aisar Fagge and Uzair Adam Imam

The House of Representatives has urged the federal government to come to the rescue of Darazo community in Bauchi State affected by a devastating flood a few days ago.

The Daily Reality gathered that the devastating flood disaster destroyed more than 200 houses, farmlands and other sources of livelihood.

The lawmakers made the call through the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), the North East Development Commission (NEDC) and other relevant agencies.

However, reports disclosed that this was coming Wednesday at the plenary after the adoption and passage of a motion moved by the member representing Darazo/Ganjuwa Federal Constituency, Mansur Manu Soro.

Soro expressed deep concern over what happened in the community that the flood had displaced thousands of citizens.

Therefore, The House has called on the NEMA to provide support to the victims and to also engage the Bauchi State Government with a view to resettling those who were displaced by the flood disaster.

By Muhammad Aminu

The Federal Government has denied giving any ultimatum to the Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu, to bring an end to the lingering industrial action in public universities.

Senior Special Adviser to President Buhari on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, said in a statement on Wednesday that there was no ultimatum given to the education minister to end the strike.

He accused the media of being deceived by their sources by giving definite time, saying the minister only suggested two or three weeks or even less.

The statement noted: “Neither during nor after the meeting was any ultimatum given to the Minister of Education.

“During the meeting, the Minister of Education requested that the Minister of Labour hands off the negotiation to allow him lead and conclude what he had earlier on started with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU). And he promised that he could get an agreement within the shortest possible time, possibly two to three weeks.”

“It is a pity that almost all media houses allowed themselves to be deceived by interested sources that are not the authorized spokesmen of the government.

According to Shehu, the Minister will carry all the necessary stakeholders who can realistically work to end the strike as the government doors are open.

“In carrying out this assignment, the Minister will carry along all relevant ministries and agencies with statutory functions and duties relating to the issues involved.

“The Presidency is optimistic that agreements can be reached in even a shorter period if all parties/stakeholders are not unrealistically obstinate. We appeal to the parties to work together to end the strikes.

“On the part of the administration, all doors remain open for dialogue and the resolution of the issues.”

The statement called on the media to desist from spreading misinformation on the matter.

“We appeal to the media not try to spread misinformation. The orchestrated media narratives seeking to present an entirely different picture, attributed to sources, in the last 24 hours are not helpful at all.

“The outcome of the meeting held by President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday with relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to end the agitations by university unions ought to be beyond spin-doctoring and conjectures, it added.

By Ahmad Deedat Zakari

Nigeria’s former vice president and presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, said the Buhari-led government had adopted his proposal to rebrand the Nigerian National Petroleum Company, NNPC

Atiku disclosed this in a post he made on his verified Facebook page on Wednesday, July 20, 2022. He said he is happy the decision was taken, but there is still more to be done to make the NNPC a world-class company.

“I had in 2018 made public my plans to reform the NNPC to make it more profitable, transparent and efficient. The APC-led government denigrated me for my patriotic vision. But today, I am happy to note that the same government has taken a tentative step along the lines of the suggestions that I had made. It is a step in the right direction, but we are still far from what I had envisaged. I hope I’ll have the opportunity to complete the process of turning the NNPC into a genuinely world-class company in the mould of NLNG, Aramco of Saudi Arabia and Petrobras of Brazil, where Nigerians and institutions will invest in. ” Atiku posted 

 Recall that President Muhammadu Buhari, in a televised programme on Tuesday, officially unveiled the rebranding and commercialization of the NNPC.

By Muhammad Sabiu

The Delta State Police Command has nabbed a 23-year-old man named Godspower Adigheti for allegedly killing his girlfriend Gift Oloku.

It was discovered that Oloku, a student at the Delta State Polytechnic in Ozoro, was allegedly murdered by the suspect because she had broken his iPhone 11 Pro Max.

According to sources, Adigheti got into a disagreement with the deceased, who shared a home with him, over what she did there.

It was learned that the suspect’s iPhone 11 Pro Max’s screen was broken during the tense altercation.

The woman passed away in a hospital, according to State Police Public Relations Officer DSP Bright Edafe, who confirmed the incident in a statement.

The statement reads, “On July 16, 2022, the Divisional Police Officer in charge of Ozoro received a distress call that one Godspower Adigheti, 23, of Oramudu quarters, inflicted machete cuts on his 22-year-old girlfriend, Gift Oloku.

“The lady was taken to a hospital where she was confirmed dead. Meanwhile, the suspect is in custody, and an investigation is ongoing into the matter.”

By Uzair Adam Imam 

Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, the Chairman of the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC), has vowed that the come 2023 general election will be the best ever in Nigeria’s history.

Yakubu said this Tuesday, July 19th 2022, in Abuja, when he received delegations of the International Republican Institute (IRI) and that of the National Democratic Institute (NDI).

He also assured that INEC would improve on its successes in subsequent elections to come.

The Daily Reality gathered that the meeting was the first that INEC was hosting after Saturday’s governorship election in Osun State.

Yakubu was quoted as saying, “We assure you that we will continue to work not only hard but even harder to deliver the 2023 general elections.

“As for the preparation for the 2023 general elections, I want to assure you that we promised Nigerians that Ekiti was going to be good, and Ekiti was a good election.

“We promised that Osun was going to be better; Osun was a better election. We are promising that the 2023 general elections will be our best election ever, and we are committed to delivering the best election ever,’’ Yakubu said.

Speaking earlier, Secretary of State for Ohio, United States and leader of the delegations, Mr Frank LaRose, had commended INEC over on its successes.

He, however, commended INEC for its various efforts to improve the conduct of elections in Nigeria.

He states, “we took the opportunity to visit Osun because that was only the second time election has been conducted under the new Electoral Law. 

“We met with the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Osun, and we observed many different polling locations on Election Day,” he stated. 

By Muhammad Aminu

The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), South-West Zone, has said it would join the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in protest to pressurise the federal government to end the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) strike.

In a statement issued by NANS Coordinator and Public Relations Officer Adegboye Olatunji and Awoyinfa Opeoluwa, which was made available to newsmen on Tuesday.

The NLC had earlier vowed to embark on a nationwide protest on July 26 and 27 in solidarity with the trade unions in the Nigerian public universities and others.

The NLC President, Ayuba Wabba, who made the disclosure in a circular jointly signed by Mr Emmanuel Ugboaja, General Secretary of the Congress, on Sunday, said the protest was in line with the decisions of the National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of the NLC on June 30.

ASUU and other trade unions in the education sector have been on strike for over five months over the alleged failure of the Federal Government to keep to the agreement entered with the unions.

The demands of the striking workers include issues bordering on funding of universities, salaries, and earned allowances of lecturers.

However, the NANS leadership in the South-West zone called on students across the country to join the NLC in the nationwide protest in solidarity with ASUU.

NANS added that it would “not keep silent and watch our future being ruined by the prolonged ASUU strike.”

It stated: “It is timely and urgent to issue this statement today with a view to putting an end to the lingering strike action by ASUU. We want a total reformation of the educational sector.

“The Leadership of NANS, Zone D, has taken it upon herself to categorically stand against the dilapidated state of the educational sector in Nigeria.

“We are at a time when Nigerian students have lost hope and do not know what’s next on the radar. ASUU strike has been on for over five months without any hope of resumption.

“We have also waited for so long to see if the Federal Government will dance to the music of Nigerian students who have been clamouring for an end to the ASUU strike, but the reverse is the case.

“We’ve had several press conferences, granted several interviews, held several meetings to plead with both ASUU and the Federal Government, and held several peaceful protests across the Federation.

“According to the commandment of solidarity, we’re on the last ‘Cs of Aluta,’ which is confrontation. This is the time to call on all Nigerian students across all zones to join the NLC in solidarity to end the ASUU strike on Tuesday, July 26, 2022, and Wednesday, July 27, 2022. Nigerian students are tired of the long overdue strike action.

“Consequently, all NANS cadres and stakeholders, zonal leadership, Campus Committee Chairmen, Student Union Government presidents, Nigerian students, and the general public are hereby put on high notice to mobilise, organise and get prepared to be part of the movement,” NANS said

By Ahmad Deedat Zakari

President Muhammadu Buhari has reportedly intervened in the ongoing impasse between the  Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, and the Federal Government. 

Presidential Spokesperson Femi Adesina posted on Facebook on Tuesday, July 19, 2022, that the president was in consultation with ministers and government officials over the lingering ASUU strike.

“President Buhari in consultation with Ministers and other Government Officials over [the] lingering ASUU Strike in [the] State House on 19th July 2022”, Mr Adesina posted. 

In attendance in the meeting with the president were the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu; the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed; the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami; the Head of Service of the Federation, Folashade Yemi-Esan; the Chairman of National Salaries Income and Wages Commission, Ekpo Nta, and the Director-General Budget Office, Ben Akabueze.

Sources in the presidency confirmed that the president had directed the Minister of Education to resolve the industrial crisis within two weeks.

It can be recalled that ASUU embarked on strike on February 14, 2022, which has crippled the academic and commercial activities in all the Nigerian universities.