Top Nigerian newspaper headlines and breaking news in Nigeria today, Wednesday, April 19, 2023.
Nnamdi Kanu Nosebleeding Profusely in DSS Custody – Lawyer
The legal team of the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu said the latter’s health issue has deepened in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS).
The IPOB Leader disclosed this to a member of his legal team, Prince Mandela Umegborogu at the DSS facility in Abuja.
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Umegborogu had gone for a routine visit to the IPOB Leader on Monday. He disclosed Kanu was bleeding from his nose.
Umegborogu revealed an alleged relocation of a tuberculosis inmate near Kanu’s cell which could be why his boss was diagnosed with the ailment.
READ ALSO: Northern Groups Kick Against Nnamdi Kanu’s Release
He added that Kanu complained bitterly about the development, saying it could be a deliberate attempt to infest him with an infectious disease.
He said:
“I met with Mazi Nnamdi Kanu today (Monday) at the DSS headquarters in Abuja, and he was complaining to me that they brought somebody suffering from tuberculosis close to his cell block.
“The patient, Emeribe Uduma was arrested in Ohafia on September 15, 2022, and handed over to the DSS which brought him to Abuja.
“Onyendu ( Kanu) complained to me that that boy was suffering from tuberculosis and that he was moved near his cell block so that he would infest him and others with tuberculosis.
“You know that tuberculosis is very infectious. Do they want to infest him so he will die in detention?
“Onyendu also told me that he ( Kanu) was yesterday ( Sunday) bleeding from his nose. He requires serious attention by his personal physician.”
Recall that the Biafra advocate has been in DSS custody since June 2022 when he was arrested and subjected to extraordinary rendition from Kenya.
Subsidy Removal: 10m Households to Receive N5,000 for 6 Months — FG
The Federal Government is offering to pay N5,000 to 10 million households for six months as palliative for removing the petrol subsidy after June.
The Minister of Finance, Budget, and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed, explained this at the Nigerian briefing on the sideline of the World Bank/ International Monetary Fund spring meetings in Washington DC.
The total amount budget is N50 billion per month and would reach N300bn with $800m (N371.6bn at CBN N464/$1 rate) World Bank loan to fund the project.
READ ALSO: Subsidy Removal: PENGASSAN Pegs Petrol Price at N400 Per Litre
According to Zainab, the sum of $800m has been negotiated and approved by the Federal Executive Council and was presented before the parliament for approval.
She said:
“Once the parliament approves it, we roll. We have also been doing preparatory work side by side along the approval process. And that includes the building of the social register, which will be used for the electronic transfers of the funds.
“We needed to have this ready because when the government eventually removes the fuel subsidy, there will be an immediate transport palliative that will be provided to the most vulnerable members of our society who have been identified, registered, and now contained in our national social register
The minister said the effort is led by the Ministry of humanitarian affairs, disaster management, and social development.
“They developed that register with the support of the World Bank. The register has about 10 million households, equivalent to 50 million Nigerians.”
Zainab explained that the initial design is to disburse cash transfers of N5,000 per month per household for six months.
She said:
“So, whether this is enough is an assessment that we are undertaking with the transition team. If it’s not enough, the country has to raise additional resources to be able to cover more people, extend the period or increase the amount; whichever is finally negotiated upon.
“When the subsidy is removed, there would be additional revenue that would now accrue to the Federation account.”
The Minister also spoke on how the development will impact the transport sector.
On that, she said there would be a consideration of whether or not some of the support will go to the transport sector directly but that has not been decided.
Police Discover $440m Worth of Cocaine Floating on Water
Financial Police, Guardia di Finanza in Italy has discovered a huge consignment of cocaine floating off the eastern coast of the island of Sicily.
The Italian police released a statement on Monday saying authorities seized nearly two tons of the drugs during routine surveillance.
The drugs were spotted floating in the Mediterranean on Sunday.
It was learnt that the substances were carefully sealed in 70 waterproof floating packages, which were connected and included a signaling light device.
N480m Fraud: Police Declare CEO Chinmark Group, Ijiomah Marksman Wanted
The statement read:
“The identification and subsequent seizure of this quantity of drugs, one of the largest ever carried out in the national territory, likely prevented the drug from being recovered by criminals for subsequent illegal sale in the national territory, which would have yielded very high earnings.”
Guardia di Finanza suspected that the floating packages were left by a passing cargo ship to be retrieved and brought ashore by traffickers.
The financial police said it further dispatched boats from the Sicilian municipality of Catania and provided air cover from multiple units to ensure the safety of the officers involved in the operation.
According to them, the surveillance tour was still on around the area to seize any more floating packets.
JAMB Extends Direct Entry Registration Deadline
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has announced the extension of its direct entry registration.
The JAMB direct entry registration was extended till April 28 by the examination body.
This was contained in a statement made available to newsmen in Abuja on Monday by the board’s Head of Public Affairs and Protocol, Dr Fabian Benjamin, after the board’s management meeting.
Recall that the Board, after a series of discoveries of falsification of A/Level results, modified its DE registration platform to ensure, among others, that only certificates with verifiable processes are allowed as entry requirements for the DE exercise.
READ ALSO: Prof. Dibu Ojerinde: CPC Arraigns ex-JAMB Registrar, 4 Children For N5b Fraud
The statement read, “The Direct Entry (DE) registration exercise, which commenced on Monday, March 20 2023, and billed to end on Thursday, April 20 2023, has been extended by one week starting from Friday, April 21, 2023.
“This extension is partly to give all holders of Cambridge A/Level Certificates, who were unable to register for the exercise on account of some issues associated with the verification of their certificates, another opportunity to do so, as well as accommodate others, who wish to register but were unable to do so within the stipulated time.”
The spokesperson added that the board has partnered with the British Council on providing a verification portal for the seamless verification of its Cambridge Certificates.
He said a number of certificates that are allowed for DE registration had been added in order to streamline the process.
“The British Council is partnering with the Board and, as such, would be providing a verification portal for the seamless verification of its Cambridge Certificates as obtained with other categories of A/Level certificates. It is this provision of a verification portal by the Council that informs the Board’s decision to reconsider its earlier stand on the non-inclusion of the Cambridge certificate for DE registration.
“Consequently, all holders of Cambridge Certificates, who desire to register for the 2023 Direct Entry, can now proceed to any of the Board’s offices nearest to them to register for the exercise.
“This consideration does not in any way include candidates awaiting Cambridge Certificates as “Awaiting Results” would not be accepted, he stated.
Bayern Fine Mane £260,000 for Punching Team-mate
Bayern Munich have handed Sadio Mane a huge fine and are now keen to sell him this summer after he punched team-mate Leroy Sane during a furious confrontation last week, according to multiple reports.
Things became heated between the pair after the German side’s 3-0 defeat at Manchester City on Tuesday, and Mane lashed out at Sane in the dressing room, forcing other members of the squad to step in.
Sane was left with a bruised lip following the incident, while Mane was dropped from the squad for Bayern’s Bundesliga match with Hoffenheim on Saturday and docked some of his £17m-a-year wages.
The size of the punishment has now been revealed, with Bayern handing out the highest fine in their history.
“According to our information, it is an amount that goes far beyond €300,000 (£260,000), so it’s a very, very sensitive fine for Mane,’ Bayern expert Florian Plettenberg told Sky Germany.
Mane missed Bayern’s 1-1 draw at home to Hoffenheim, and Thomas Tuchel has now won just two of his first five matches since replacing Julian Nagelsmann last month.
The former Chelsea boss has confirmed Mane will be back in contention for Bayern’s return match with City on Wednesday as they look to pull off a dramatic comeback to progress to the semi-finals.
Pep Guardiola has suggested the clash between Mane and Sane could galvanise Bayern and give them an extra edge, but the Senegalese forward only started the first leg on the bench and it appears Tuchel is not a fan of the ex-Liverpool star.
Mane is far from certain to start in Munich, and his days at Bayern could be numbered less than a year after he joined the club, with Plettenberg claiming the Bundesliga giants are ready to sell him already.
“From what I’m hearing, Bayern will try everything to offload Sadio Mane in the summer,’ he said.
“From a sporting point of view, Thomas Tuchel has no plans with Mane as he doesn’t fit his system. This is my information. The player is seen very critically internally.”
Date For Nigeria To Begin Direct Flights To Israel Announced
Direct flights from Nigeria to Israel will begin on April 20, 2023, says the Israeli Ambassador to Nigeria, Michael Freeman.
He held that Air Peace would operate the flights twice a week from Nigeria to Tel Aviv.
Freeman said the Nigerian government made the development possible.
The ambassador also said the innovation would benefit Nigerian travellers who had to travel to Israel enduring 13 hours of delay with Ethiopian, Turkish, or British airlines as the direct journey now just takes 5 hours 20 minutes.
He said:
“Now, it is important for us to make it clear that this government made this happen and we have to understand the positive differences these flights will make.
“On April 20, we will be starting direct air links between Israel and Nigeria; there will be twice weekly flights from Lagos, Abuja, and Tel Aviv with Air Peace airline. The direct flights will do a number of things; especially, they will bring our countries closer together. ”
According to Freeman, the economic relations between Isreal and Nigeria would also improve due to this.
This was because Israel was known for having strong enterprises and Nigeria on the other hand, has the largest economy in Africa.
Freeman understood that Christians, Muslims, and Jews have made pilgrimages to Israel over the years because of its holy territory and 3,000-year history.
Binani Seeks Judicial Review of Her Declaration as Winner of Adamawa Governorship Election
The candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the Adamawa governorship election, Senator Aisha Binani Dahiru and the Party have filed a motion exparte before the Federal High Court in Abuja, seeking a judicial review of INEC’s administrative decision regarding her declaration as the winner of the polls held on March 18 and the supplementary poll of April 15.
Binani, alongside her party, APC, is seeking an order prohibiting the election umpire from taking any further steps towards the declaration of the winner of the election pending the determination of her application for judicial review.
Recall that controversy trailed Binani’s declaration as the winner of the governorship election by the state’s Resident Electoral Commissioner, Hudu Yususa, on Sunday, April 16.
INEC waded in immediately, saying the declaration was null and void.
Yususa, the REC, was thereafter suspended on Monday, April 17.
But, Senator Binani, unsatisfied with INEC’s move, has approached the Court.
Sued with the Independent National Electoral Commission were PDP and its governorship candidate, Ahmadu Fintiri, listed as first, second, and third defendants, respectively.
The application was brought pursuant to order 34 Rules 1a, order 3(1) and 3(2) a, b, c, Order 6 of the Federal High Court (civil procedure rules) 2019, and Section 251 (1)q and r of the 1999 Constitution, as well as Section 149 and 152 of the Electoral Act, 2022.
In the grounds upon which the application was brought, the senator argued, “The only court with power on a declaration made from the conduct of an election is only the election petition tribunal set up by the 1999 Constitution.”
The APC candidate maintained that after the completion of vote in the supplementary governorship election of April 15, and the subsequent collation of same results, INEC declared her as the winner of the governorship election, and she was thereby returned as elected.
She faulted the cancellation of her declaration on April 16, based on some crisis caused by PDP and Fintiri, stressing that INEC “has no powers to cancel or declare the declaration as been made as null and void”.
The applicants added, “INEC after the declaration of Senator Aisha Dahiru Ahmed as the winner usurped the powers of the Election Petition Tribunal and declared the declaration null and void.
“The first respondent does not have the requisite powers to declare an election in which the winner has been declared null and void.”
Binani, through her lawyers led by Hussaini Zakariyau, SAN, submitted that a judicial review existed to enable the superior court checkmate the actions and decisions of inferior courts as well as the legislative and administrative arms of government, including agencies and public officers.
The applicant further submits that INEC being an agency of the government can have its actions, records and decisions checked by the court and only a court can nullify the actions of an INEC official and not INEC itself.
Court Reinstates Ifeanyi Ararume as NNPCL Chairman
The Federal High Court Abuja, has reinstated Ifeanyi Ararume as the non-executive Chairman of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL).
Justice Inyang Ekwo ruled that for the wrongful removal and interruption of the term of office as the non-executive chairman of the NNPCL, Ararume would go home with the sum of five billion naira as damages.
The judge further ruled that all decisions and resolutions of the Board of the NNPCL made behind Ararume from January 17, 2022, to date were null and void.
Court Stops PDP From Suspending Wike, Fubara
A Federal High Court in Abuja has denied a plea by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to suspend Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State over alleged anti-party activities.
Justice Inyang Ekwo in his ruling also barred the party from also expelling the State Executive Members of the PDP in Rivers State.
According to the judge, the members’ pre-election fears were well founded, thus suspending or expelling them would mean a breach of their rights to freedom of association.
Wike, and four other PDP governors known as the G5, had openly campaigned against PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar in the February 25 poll.
Hudu Yunusa: INEC Demands Prosecution of Adamawa REC
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has demanded that the Adamawa State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) Barrister Hudu Yunusa-Ari be prosecuted.
This follows a closed-door meeting between INEC and all National Commissioners at the commission’s national headquarters in Abuja earlier today (Tuesday) over last Saturday’s Adamawa supplementary governorship election.
The commission resolved to write the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Usman Alkali Baba to probe and prosecute Yunusa-Ari.
INEC said in a statement:
“At its meeting today, 18th April 2023, the Commission discussed matters arising from the Adamawa Governorship election and decided to:
“Write to the Inspector-General of Police for the immediate investigation and possible prosecution of the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for Adamawa State, Barr. Hudu Yunusa Ari.
“Request the Secretary to the Government of the Federation to draw the attention of the appointing authority to the unwholesome behaviour of the REC for further action.”
Yunusa-Ari had earlier been suspended on Monday due the his “unlawful declaration” of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Governorship Candidate, Aisha Dahiru Binani as Governor-elect in Saturday’s supplementary election.
Blessing CEO Still in Jail After Bail Grant
Self-acclaimed relationship expert, Blessing Okoro, known as Blessing CEO is still in jail after a court granted her bail for alleged cyber-bullying.
Blessing CEO was arrested by the Nigeria Police Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID) days ago over her involvement in Lagos celebrity auto dealer Ikechukwu Ogbonna, a.k.a IVD, and his late wife, Bimbo Ogbonna’s case.
She was charged with six counts by the Lagos state police command, including cyberbullying, libel, and showing unedited films.
The relationship expert who had applied for bail on April 4, however, was still in detention as she has not been able to meet the conditions.
A Twitter user has hence called out her supposed millions of mentees for refusing to support their mentor in her trying time.
According to the user identified as Christine, Blessing CEO was still detained because she couldn’t afford the ten million bail grant by Judge Yelim Bogoro.
Christine then recalled the influencer just had her behind worked on and probably has gone bankrupt.
Fintiri Wins Adamawa Governorship Election
Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri has been declared winner of the Adamawa governorship election.
Fintiri was declared winner by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Tuesday following its resumption of collation of results from Saturday’s supplementary poll.
According to results announced by INEC, Fintiru polled 430,821 votes to defeat Aisha Binani, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who scored 396,788.
Daily Report Nigeria reported that the Adamawa governorship election was marred with infraction after the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Hudu Yunusa-Ari declared Binani winner of the poll under questionable circumstances.
INEC swiftly described the announcement by Hudu as lacking merit and a usurpation of the powers of the Returning Officer.
The Adamawa REC was subsequently suspended and recommended for prosecution prior to the resumption of collation of results on Tuesday.
Fintiri will now serve a second term as governor of Adamawa state following his declaration.
Adamawa Governorship Election: Fintiri Reacts to Re-election
Governor Ahmadu Fintiri has reacted to his victory at the just concluded Adamawa governorship election.
Daily Report Nigeria reports that Fintiri was declared winner of the supplementary poll by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Tuesday.
The incumbent governor polled 430,821 votes to defeat the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Aisha Binani, who polled 396,788 votes.
Following his declaration, the governor said his re-election is “a victory to the people of the state”.
The candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) further assured that no one in the state “will be left behind” by his government.
READ ALSO: Binani Seeks Judicial Review of Her Declaration as Winner of Adamawa Governorship Election
Taking to his Twitter handle, he said;
“Alhamdulillah, victory to the people of Adamawa state! I still remain a governor for all. No one will be left behind and nothing will be left untouched.”
Fintiri’s victory is coming amid a heavy controversy that trailed the outcome of Saturday’s supplementary election.
Recall that collation of results for the election was stopped on Sunday after the Resident Electoral Commissioner of the state, Hudu Yunusa-Ari controversially declared Binani winner.
The REC was subsequently suspended by INEC and recommended for probing before collation resumed on Tuesday.
Atiku congratulates Fintiri
Meanwhile, the Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the 2023 election, Atiku Abubakar has congratulated Fintiri on his victory.
Shortly after the governor was declared winner for second-term, Atiku took to social media to say;
“I congratulate my dear friend and brother, Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, on his declaration by INEC as the duly elected winner of the Adamawa State gubernatorial election.
“This victory is a testament to the fact that the will and resolve of the people shall always triumph over any attempt to usurp it.
“Therefore, I congratulate the people of Adamawa State on this victory and for standing resolute behind our party, and their Governor.”
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