Sabinews Evening News Update for June 30, 2015
Jega bows out of INEC, hands over to Wali
Prof. Attahiru Jega on Tuesday bowed out of office as Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission.
He handed over to Mohammed Wali, a national commissioner of the INEC from Sokoto State, whose five-year tenure will also expire on August 11, 2015.
Jega was appointed chairman of the commission by former President Goodluck Jonathan on June 30, 2010. Read more
Gunmen abduct former Bayelsa Gov’s wife
Unidentified gunmen have kidnapped Madam Martha Binabo, the wife of former Speaker of Bayelsa State House of Assembly and the state former Acting Governor, Rt. Hon Nestor Binabo.
The incident, the latest in the series of high profile kidnaping in the state occurred at Agbura community in the outskirts of Yenagoa the state capital. Read more
Ogun begins rehabilitation of 20Km federal road, others
Despite the recent move by many state governors to collect the money spent on roads which belong to the Federal Government in their states, the Ogun State Government has commenced the rehabilitation of a Federal Government-owned 20km road, Ago-Ika-Adatan Road in Abeokuta North Local Government area.
The state government said this was a move to ensure that road users within the state have accident-free and safe motoring. Read more
Court discharges murder suspect for showing remorse
An Ijede Magistrates’ Court near Ikorodu, Lagos State on Tuesday discharged a man, Kazeem Ajiga, who allegedly lynched another man for stealing his aluminium roofing sheets.
Ajiga was arraigned on Tuesday for taking laws into his hands by executing jungle justice on a suspect, Raheem Omoyele, whom he accused of stealing his property. Read more
Police refusing to prosecute suspected vandals – IBDEC
The management of Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company has expressed dismay at the way the police in Osun State always free suspected vandals caught and taken to their custody.
The Osun Regional Communication Officer, Branding & Communication, Kikelomo Owoeye, said this in a statement made available to our correspondent in Osogbo on Tuesday.
The energy company lamented the spate of vandalism of its cables and transformers in some areas within the state. The company stated that the suspected vandals caught and taken to police stations in some cases were freed without the police charging them to court. Read more
N125bn fraud: EFCC opens case against Atuche Oct 28
A Federal High Court in Lagos has fixed October 28, 2015, for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to open its case against a former Managing Director of the defunct Bank PHB, Francis Atuche, charged with N125bn fraud.
Atuche, who was on June 22, 2015, freed by a Lagos State High Court of alleged N25.7bn theft charges by the EFCC, is currently facing an amended 45-count before Justice Saliu Saidu of the Federal High Court. Read more
Terrorism trial: Court grants Ndume permission to travel
A Federal High Court in Abuja where Senate Leader Ali Ndume is being prosecuted for terrorism charges has granted him permission to travel for lesser Hajj.
Justice Gabriel Kolawole, ruling on Ndume’s application for leave to embark on the trip, ordered the Deputy Chief Registrar, Litigation, of the Federal High Court to release to him his passport and other travel documents. Read more
Foreign varsities delisting N’Delta students – IYC
President, Ijaw Youth Council Worldwide, Mr. Udengs Eradiri, has raised the alarm over the plight of over 6,000 Niger Delta students on Federal Government’s scholarships in some foreign universities.
He said the authorities of the foreign universities had started delisting the students, majority of whom were Ijaws, due to the alleged Federal Government’s failure to pay the students’ fees.
Eradiri, who made the revelation at a news conference on Tuesday in Yenagoa, appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari and other well meaning Nigerians to wade into the matter to save the students. Read more
Malaysian father, son jailed for supporting terrorism
Shukor Abu-Bakar, a Malaysian deputy prosecutor, said on Tuesday that a man and his son were sentenced to 18 and 12 years imprisonment respectively for supporting terrorist activities.
He said that Kamardin Hashim, Kuala Lumpur High Court Judge, handed down the sentences, after the two pleaded guilty to the crime. The deputy prosecutor said the father and son, identified as Murad Halimmuddin, 49, and his son Abu Daud, 25, were among the six terrorist suspects arrested by police on April 5 in the state of Kedah. Read more
CBN extends deadline for BVN enrolment
The Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, has extended the registration for the Bank Verification Number (BVN) till 31st October, 2015.
Recalled that chaotic situations were recorded in most banks’ premises in Nigeria, Monday, as hundreds of customers besieged banks in a bid to beat the deadline for the BVN enrolment which was earlier billed to expire on Tuesday, 30th June, 2015. Read more
World oil prices rebound
Oil prices rebounded on Tuesday after starting the week with sizeable losses caused by Greece’s debt saga. US benchmark West Texas Intermediate (WTI) for delivery in August rose 29 cents to $58.62 a barrel compared with Monday’s close. Brent North Sea crude for August gained 77 cents to stand at $62.78 a barrel in London afternoon deals.
WTI sank $1.30 and Brent lost $1.25 on Monday. Greece confirmed it would fail to make a key IMF repayment due on Tuesday, fanning fears of a chaotic eurozone exit on the same day the country’s international bailout expires. Read more
Lai Mohammed defends Buhari’s govt
Pres. Buhari: Tackling insecurity, corruption and restoring Nigeria’s respect
Being the text of a media parley hosted by the National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, in Lagos on Tuesday, June 30th, 2015
Good afternoon gentlemen.
I have arranged this interaction to rub minds with you, as always, on the situation of things in our country, top of which are the efforts being made by President Muhammadu Buhari to chart a new path for our dear country, Nigeria. Read more
Police uncover baby factory in Abia
Imo State police command has uncovered a baby factory at Mbutu, Isiala Ngwa South local government area of Abia State, and arrested the proprietor, Chief Emmanuel Eke.
The police similarly picked up some young pregnant ladies, including a deaf and dumb, from the filthy Isiala Ngwa South baby factory.
Briefing journalists in Owerri after the successful operation, the Police Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Mr. Andrew Enwerem, gave the name of the pregnant deaf and dumb lady as Miss Blessing Nwabeke. Read more
Man, 31, Bags 5 Months For Stealing In Mosque
An Iyaganku Chief Magistrates’ Court, Ibadan, on Tuesday sentenced one Akeem Adeyemi, 31, to five months in prison for stealing inside a mosque during prayers to end the day’s Ramadan fast.
Adeyemi, whose address is unknown, had on Monday pleaded guilty to a two-count charge of felony and stealing inside a place of worship. Read more
3 Men In Court For Allegedly Demanding N5m Ransom
The police on Tuesday arraigned three men in a Wuse Zone 2 Senior Magistrates’ Court, Abuja, for allegedly threatening a man to pay N5million ransom.
The three accused persons- Usman Abubakar, Ismaila Uthman and Aliyu Mohamadu, all of Lambata Area, Abuja, were arraigned on a two-count charge of joint act and criminal intimidation. Read more
Speaker Sets Up Committee To Review House Standing Orders
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rep. Yakubu Dogara, on Tuesday inaugurated a 15-member ad hoc committee on Rules and Business to review the standing orders of the house.
Represented by the Deputy Speaker, Rep. Yusuf Lasun, Dogara, the speaker said that the assembly was committing itself to the review of its standing orders in order to achieve greater efficiency in law making. Read more
30 Killed As Indonesian Military Plane Crashes
No fewer than 30 people were killed when a military transport plane crashed into a residential area two minutes after take-off in northern Indonesia on Tuesday. The C-130 Hercules aircraft, which first went into service more than 50 years ago, plunged into houses and a hotel in a built-up area of the Sumatra city of Medan. It killed passengers on board and people on the ground.
“The latest information we have is that 30 have died. That’s the latest information, the number could go up,” Hisar Turnip of the Basarnas search and rescue agency said. Read more
‘Spread HIV in Ondo, go to jail for 10 years’
WITH commencement of implementation of Ondo State government’s HIV Anti-stigma Law, a 10-year jail term, fine of N500,000 or both awaits anyone, who transmits the virus to another person.
Giving details of the law which was signed last year, the Secretary to the State Government, Aderotimi Adelola, stated that the stigmatisation and discrimination discourages individuals infected with and affected by HIV from accessing health and social services, hence, the law stipulates further that anybody who discriminates against people living with disease commits an offence and is liable to fine of N100,000.00 or imprisonment of six months or both. Read more
26 suspects discharged in DPO’s murder case, five remanded
YESTERDAY, an Iyanganku Chief Magistrates’ Court presided by Mr. A. Adebisi discharged 26 suspects in the murder of the Divisional Police Officer (DPO), Agugu Police Station in Oyo State, CSP Ike Nworgu, as he held that the accused should not be charged with any criminal offence.
The accused were arraigned on April 10 on a five-count charge of conspiracy, murder and unlawful possession of firearms. They include Aminu Idowu, Adebayo Hammed, Rilwan Kazeem, Oguniran Olalekan, Tiri Oladele, Lateef Sulaiman, Taofeek Ajibola and Ajibade Oloyede. Read more
Okonjo-Iweala denies unauthorized spending of ECA
The former Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has denied claims she spent $2.1 billion out of the Excess Crude Account without authorization and has offered to face any inquiry over the allegation.
Reacting to Monday’s claims against the former finance minister by some governors after the National Economic Council (NEC) meeting in Abuja, her media adviser, Paul Nwabuikwu, said “the allegation by some governors that former Minister of Finance, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala spent $2.1 billion out of the Excess Crude Account without authorization is false, malicious and totally without foundation.” Read more
Checkpoints’ withdrawal will restore police mandate – IGP
The inspector General of Police, Solomon Arase, on Tuesday said the withdrawal of military checkpoints will restore the police mandate of ensuring internal security.
Arase also disclosed that force top hierarchy has concluded arrangements on dress code for the Special Anti Robbery Squad (SARS) unit of the police.
The IGP spoke during a meeting with Commissioners of Police in Abuja. Read more
ICPC arraigns two for N72.6m fraud
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission has arraigned two officials of the National Anti-corruption Volunteer Corps, Akinyemi Badejogun and Olanrewaju Bakare, for an alleged theft of N72.6m.
Badejogun and Bakare are the Coordinator and the Treasurer respectively of the Lagos Chapter of NACV.
The ICPC on Tuesday charged them with 36 counts before Justice Lateef Lawal-Akapo of Lagos State High Court in Ikeja. Read more
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