Category Nigeria News

On Thursday, the Federal University of Transportation, Daura, Katsina State, announced plans to enroll its students in classrooms throughout China, Russia, and the United Kingdom to enhance their academic performance.

Umar Katsayal, the vice-chancellor of the university, made this known during a press conference held at the university’s Daura, Katsina North campus.

He explained that the university is working with a Chinese company to adopt world-class learning standards by sending students abroad for practical training.

Katsayal acknowledged that the university faces financial difficulties as a young institution while highlighting the institution’s strategic collaborations with prominent local and international organizations, particularly important transport regulatory bodies.

He emphasized the need for more funding from the Federal Government to cover rising operating and maintenance costs.

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The university intends to send its students to China, Russia, and the United Kingdom for two years before finishing their practical training by spending three years studying theory domestically.

The Federal Government worked with the company to select and interview students from Ahmadu Bello University in Zaria for a two-year practical program in China in 2018 and 2019.

After completing two years of theory here, these students followed a “three plus two” model, spending three years in China for practical training. He claimed that many of them are now pioneering academic staff members, preparing students for opportunities like this.

The university has also been listed among those that could benefit from TETFund funding, which will significantly enhance the development of the academic environment and staff.

We are incorporating cutting-edge technology into our classrooms and developing virtual learning environments. Priorities are also given to sustainability initiatives like green campuses and solar-powered facilities.

The university intends to expand its academic offerings to include programs in transportation security, aviation technology, smart transportation systems, and sustainable urban mobility.

A short, executive-level course will soon be offered to executives and working professionals.

The Supreme Court has struck out a suit by the 36 states ‘ governments and the Nigeria Governors ‘ Forum (NGF) challenging the Federal Government’s application of recovered looted funds.

Delivering judgment, a seven-member panel unanimously held that the suit was wrongly instituted before the apex court.

In the lead judgment, prepared by Justice Chidiebere Uwa, but read by Justice Mohammed Idris, the apex court held that the plaintiffs wrongly invoked its jurisdiction.

The apex court held that the subject matter of the suit was within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court.

The plaintiffs had claimed that “between 2015 and 2021 when the suit was filed, the FG has secured both international and municipal forfeiture, recovery and repatriation of” stolen assets “in the sum of NI, 836, 906, 543, 658.73, about 167 properties, 450 cars, 300 trucks and cargoes, and 20, 000, 000 barrels of crude oil worth over N450 million”, which it allegedly failed to remit as required by the Constitution.

They alleged that instead of paying the cash into the Federation Account, the FG illegally diverted it into the Consolidated Revenue Accounts (CRA) and other accounts not recognised by the Nigerian Constitution.

The states argued that the CRA is the account into which FG’s share from the Federation Account, other federal earnings, and funds belonging to specific state governments are paid.

They added that other federal earnings payable to the CRAs include receipts from federal government licenses and land revenue, administrative fees, earnings and sales, rent of government property, interests from federal government investments, repayments from state governments, Personal Income Tax of Armed Forces, and others.

The plaintiffs stated that by establishing the Asset Recovery Account and Interim Forfeiture Recovery Account, into which revenue from recovered assets was to be paid, the Asset Recovery Regulation contradicts the provisions of the Constitution.

They noted that since 2015, “numerous recoveries of illegally acquired assets have been secured through anti-corruption and law enforcement agencies”, including the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), the Nigerian Police Force and the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation.

Citing sections 162 (1), 162 (10), and 80 of the Constitution and section 2 of the Finance (Control and Management) Act, 1958, the plaintiffs argued that recovered funds qualify as revenue payable to the Federation Account instead of the Consolidated Revenue Account of the Federal Government.

They stated that it is “unconstitutional to remit or divert revenue payable into the Federation Account to the Consolidated Revenue Account of the Federal Government or any other account whatsoever, or to apply the said revenue to any other purpose”, the plaintiffs argued.

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The plaintiffs prayed the court to, among others, declare, “that by the provisions of Section 162 (1) and Section 162 (10) of the Constitution of all income, returns, proceeds or receipts howsoever described derived from confiscated, forfeited and/or recovered assets constitute revenue of the federal republic of Nigeria, must be remitted to the Federation Account for the collective benefit of the federal, state and local governments”.

They urged the court to issue a d order compelling the remittance of N1.8 trillion (cash) and N450 billion (non-cash) in recovered loot since 2015 into the federation account.

The plaintiffs also prayed the court to compel the defendants to give a detailed account of the recovered assets that are not remitted into the Federation Account by the President, as well as all the relevant officials and agencies of government.

Rauf Aregbesola, the former governor of Osun State, and former vice president Atiku Abubakar met on Friday.

In his Osun State apartment, former ally of President Bola Tinubu, Aregbesola gave the former leader of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) a gift.

On his X page, Atiku uploaded a video of the meeting.

Atiku wrote in the post, “Breakfast time at Engr. Rauf Aregbesola’s residence.”

Oba Clement Adesuyi Haastrup, the 49th Owa Obokun and Paramount Ruler of Ijesaland, were in Ilesa just hours before the ceremony.

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The Osun State High Court in Ilesa had earlier refused to halt the coronation on Thursday.

Breakfast is served at Engr. Rauf Aregbesola’s home, which was once the governor of Osun State. -AA pic. twitter.com/dIdtZkqy1i

Although it’s unclear why Atiku and Aregbesola went to the same place, it might not have been in keeping with his presidential campaign strategy for 2027, in which case President Tinubu is running for re-election for a second term.

Aregbesola and Tinubu have a long-standing friendship, but their relationship suffered as a result of the election’s preparations for the 2023 presidential election.

An opposition coalition aimed at removing Tinubu from power in 2027 is being spearheaded by Atiku.

On Tuesday night, the former Vice President met with Nasir El-Rufai, a former governor of Kaduna State, and former Labour Party candidate Peter Obi, a former governor of the state.

As part of their attempt to elude the 25 Taskforce Brigade headquarters in Damboa near Sambisa Forest, joint task force operations Hadin Kai killed 16 Boko Haram terrorists.

In addition to the weapons and IED-making materials, members of the civilian joint task force and Taskforce Brigade troops also recovered.

When troops spotted a group of terrorists and engaged them in sustained indirect fire at around 1am today, the attack occurred. The terrorists were forced to retreat after roughly two hours of intense combat.

While 16 of the terrorists were successfully neutralized, many of them escaped with varying degrees of injuries.

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The success was aided by the air component of the Joint Taskforce being intervened quickly, according to the spokesperson for Northeast Joint Taskforce Operations Hadin Kai, Captain Reuben Kovangiya, who confirmed the incident to Channels Television.

Captain Reuben Kovangiya added that troops have launched an offensive into the forest in an effort to stop more terrorists.

According to a statement from the Nigerian Army, troops responded to an earlier intelligence report about insurgents’ attempt to steal food from a civilian vehicle close to Rann, the headquarters of Kala Balge Local Government Area.

Six terrorists were neutralized during the alleged encounter, along with an AK-47 rifle and ammunition.

In a different operation, soldiers from Forward Operation Base Molai and the CJTF ambushed terrorists along the Maiduguri-Damboa Road in an ambush near Komala.