Two social media influencers, Bukola Rufai and Abdulateef Jimoh, have been found guilty by justice Uche Agomoh of the Federal High Court for using naira notes.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Dele Oyewale, the head of media and publicity, stated in a statement that the convicts were charged with a joint one-count mutilation by the Ibadan Zonal Directorate of the EFCC.
According to the charge, “You Bukola Arike Rufai and Abdulateef Ayinde Jimoh did match on Naira Notes issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria on or about September 25, 2024 in accordance with Section 21 (3) of the Central Bank Act 2007 and are guilty of an offense as per Section 21 (1) of the same Act.”
They pleaded “guilty” when the charge was brought, and the prosecution’s attorney, Lanre Suleiman, requested that the court find them guilty and sentence them accordingly. The court was instructed by the defense attorney, O. D. Ajadi, to temper justice with mercy, citing the pair’s history of first-degree retribution and remorse.
Justice Agomoh gave both offenders a 50 000 (Fifty Thousand Naira) option of fine each and found them guilty without a sentence.
The Senate has taken a major step toward reforming the nation’s contracting system by mandating its Committee on procurement to liaise with the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) to amend both the Public Procurement Act and the Local Content Act.
The proposed amendments aim to open up contract opportunities to newly registered companies and indigenous contractors, as part of a broader push to promote local economic development and reduce over-dependence on foreign firms
The call for reform followed a motion sponsored by Senator Suleiman Umar Sadik (APC, Kwara North), who highlighted the marginalization of local contractors in projects valued below N50 million.
READ ALSO: Senate Approves Establishment Of Bitumen Development Commission
He pointed out that many such contracts are awarded to large, non-indigenous firms, undermining the capacity and growth of small and medium-sized enterprises, which he described as the backbone of Nigeria’s economy.
During the deliberation, the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, and other lawmakers amplified the need for an amendment to the Act to eliminate loopholes that currently allow foreign contractors, particularly Chinese firms, to dominate government contracts.
The Ogboji neighborhood in Anambra’s Orumba South Local Government Area is where Ebonyi indigenous people were killed, according to the Anambra State Government.
The Anambra State Commissioner for Information, Law Mefor, made this point in a statement released on Wednesday.
The statement stated that it was “deeply saddened by the recent killing of innocent lives,” but that it was not “targeted at any particular state or ethnic group.”
Chukwuma Soludo, governor of Anambra State
The recent killings of innocent people in Ogboji, Orumba South Local Government Area, “stricken the Anambra State Government.” The government expresses its condolences to the victims’ families and expresses its sincere condemnation of this reckless behavior in the most fervent terms.
We want to assure the good people of Anambra and beyond that this incident didn’t target any particular nation or ethnic group. According to preliminary investigations, the unfortunate incident may have been the result of a conflict within the organization.
The government promised to do everything in its power to bring justice to Ogboji’s residents and the entire state.
The government anticipates that the police command will conduct a thorough investigation, find the responsible parties to this heinous crime, and prosecute them. The government reassures Ogboji’s residents and the entire state that we will do everything in our power to bring justice to the people.
We urge all residents to cooperate with security forces to prevent the arrest of the perpetrators. We will work tirelessly to keep our wonderful state safe and secure.
Read more about Nwifuru’s condemnation of the killing of Ebonyi indigenous peoples in Anambra and demands a probe.
Francis Nwifuru, the governor of Ebonyi State, had condemned the alleged murder of 13 Ebonyi residents in Anambra and demanded a prompt investigation into the incident.
Francis Nwifuru, the governor of Ebonyi State, is pictured in a file photo on Facebook/Rt. Hon. Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru ()
Governor Nwifuru described the killing of the indigenes in the Ogboji community, Orumba South Local Government Area of Anambra, as shocking, according to a statement released by the governor’s chief press secretary, Monday Uzor, and obtained by Channels Television.
They allegedly died at their monthly town union meeting on Monday, according to the allegations.
Nwifuru argued that a direct attack on law-abiding citizens who were merely holding a community meeting was a retribution for humanity and peace.
This barbaric and direct assault on peace, unity, and the sanctity of human life is “not only barbaric but also a direct assault on humanity.”
A group of Ebonyi people meeting peacefully will be shot at close range defies logic and reason. He said, “I strongly disagree with such a heinous act in its entirety, and it is unacceptable.”
According to the statement, the governor has emailed Charles Soludo, the governor’s counterpart in Anambra State, to request a swift, thorough, and transparent investigation.
He hoped that the Anambra State government and relevant security forces would quickly find and prosecute the perpetrators. He claimed that Ebonyi and Anambra’s relationship might be strained if they don’t do justice.
Governor Nwifuru has sincerely urged the Ebonyi people to remain calm and refrain from acting in any way that might cause tensions, while Governor Nwifuru is still waiting for the results of these inquiries.
A transformative hybrid energy project at a significant Nigerian airport has already been discussed with the Federal Government, which has engaged international financial institutions to secure more than $60 million in climate finance.
The facility could serve as a model for the use of clean, affordable, and digitally monitored energy across other important public infrastructures.
At the State House Conference Center Abuja’s Decarbonizing Infrastructure Summit, Vice President Kashim Shettima made the disclosure. The summit sought to bring climate finance into play for long-term development.
He urged Nigeria to make the transition to a low-carbon economy a priority in order to address the threat posed by climate change.
Read more about Senate approval of the Bitumen Development Commission.
Shettima, the vice president, warned that the country’s development goals and economic prospects would be hampered if more action was taken in response to the country’s growing climate challenges.
“We can no longer delay,” He asserted that climate change is an economic necessity as well as an environmental necessity.
Shettima explained that the key infrastructure sectors, including energy, transportation, agriculture, and urban development, which are essential to the nation’s economic life, account for more than 75% of Nigeria’s greenhouse gas emissions.
Without urgent intervention, he claims, Nigeria’s projected population boom, which will reach 440 million by 2050, could strain resources and worsen environmental degradation.
“The industries that sustain our livelihoods are also the ones that contribute most to our emissions.” He added that investing in Nigeria’s prosperity is the only way to decarbonize.
The Vice President cited a number of government-backed initiatives aimed at boosting climate resilience, including a State Innovation Challenge Park, regional climate engagement clinics, and a brand-new white paper on green growth financing, as well as a new white paper on green growth financing.
“Our transition must not be exclusive. Every state, every neighborhood, and every home must be served by it. Integrity is the foundation, he said, not an afterthought.
He advocated for the implementation of innovative financing models like green bonds and climate investment funds to support local solutions and scale climate-smart technologies, as well as policy harmonization across all levels of government.
A bill calling for the establishment of the Bitumen Development Commission will help to encourage the use of the nation’s vast bitumen resources has been passed by the Senate.
Following the adoption of a report from the Senate committee on solid minerals development, the bill, which was sponsored by Senator Jimoh Ibrahim (APC, Ondo South), was approved for third reading on Wednesday.
Senator Diket Plang, who was present, noted that the commission’s establishment is necessary for the effective regulation, exploration, and development of Nigeria’s estimated 42 billion tonnes of bitumen deposits, which are reportedly the second-largest in the world.
READ MORE: Senate Hands 10-Day Ultimatum Over 200trn Unaccounted Funds
Senator Godswill Akpabio, the Senate’s president, praised the development-focused initiative that aims to unlock Nigeria’s potential in the solid minerals sector.
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s advisor Paul Ibeh described President Bola Tinubu’s administration as a “civil dictatorship.”
He made this assertion on Wednesday’s The Morning Brief on Channels Television.
He claimed that major opposition figures were being urged to save the nation from its current state, including Abubakar, who was the Peoples Democratic Party’s candidate for president in 2023.
Because of the current civil dictatorship that we have, Atiku Abubakar and other leaders are being asked to restore Nigeria.
The rest of them, you may know, were military dictatorships, and these people are likely sporting “agbada” and suit after all, but they are not. They are worse than “Ibeh,” a military dictatorship.
Since Nyesom Wike, the minister of the Federal Capital Territory, could work with President Tinubu’s government while also being a member of the opposition PDP, he claimed there was no justification for coalition members from leaving the party.
In light of the zoning controversy, Atiku questioned whether he could become the coalition’s sole candidate. “This coalition will stand to benefit from all of his experiences over the years. They are not therefore focused on the selection of the presidential candidate and anything else.
Read more about Atiku, David Mark, and other PDP leaders asking Nigerians to join the opposition-led APC in an interview.
Ibeh further refutes claims that Atiku threw the PDP into a debacle following the party’s primary for the 2023 presidential election.
He claims Wike worked against Atiku in the presidential election rather than working for the PDP. He lost in an open primary for president.
He also accused the minister of stifling efforts to address the PDP’s crisis.
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and former Senate President David Mark are among the concerned leaders of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) who have appealed for Nigerians to join them in urging President Bola Tinubu to step down in 2027.
Following a closed-door meeting to discuss the state of the PDP and the nation, they called on Tuesday in Abuja.
They urged all PDP members and Nigerians to form a broad coalition that is united in a statement released after the meeting, which is also committed to economic recovery, national security, democratic principles, security, and a strong fight against corruption.
