The Nigerian Bar Association (Ikeja Branch) is gearing up for a spectacular End-of-Year Celebration on Monday, 9th of December, 2024 at the Secretariat of the Branch. The much-anticipated party will kick off right after the Branch’s Annual General Meeting (AGM), promising an evening filled with fun, camaraderie, and gratitude.
In a remarkable show of support, Nigerian Breweries PLC has taken the lead as the headline sponsor of the event, cementing its strong relationship with the Tiger Branch. The chairman of the branch, Mr. ‘Seyi Olawumi expressed heartfelt appreciation to eminent members who went above and beyond to make the event possible, singling out legal luminaries like Emeka Ozoani (SAN) and Dr. Wunmi Bewaji for their generous donations while calling on other distinguished members of the branch and corporate bodies willing to promote the brand of their clients and/or companies, to kindly reach out to the branch (through the office of the Social Secretary @ +234 806 286 6125).
“This is a celebration of our collective achievements and the vibrant spirit of our branch,” the chairman said. “The support we have received from members and sponsors is truly inspiring.”
The event promises to bring the legal practitioners together for a well-deserved moment of relaxation and reflection, rounding off what has been an eventful year for the NBA, Ikeja Branch.
Popular investigative journalist Fisayo Soyombo has shared details of his undercover operation after his release by the Nigerian army.
Soyombo’s release on Friday evening was revealed following outcry from members of the public and he was quick to express gratitude to Nigerians.
Revealing that he was involved in an undercover investigation on oil bunkering in an interview with Arise TV, the reporter said his arrest was because someone in the security setup was offended because he was not offered a bribe.
“Everyone other than the Nigerian army already knows what happened. I’m an investigative and undercover journalist. I was investigating illegal oil bunkering.
“It happened that, you know, it’s a complex story. It happened that someone in the security setup was offended that he didn’t get bribed. Because the illegal bunkerers would bribe people in security.
“For now, I don’t want to be specific. But they would bribe and one got annoyed and tipped off others to say something is happening there. So they came.
“Everyone else ran away other than me. I came forward, I had an interaction with them. So, one, there was no arrest. The Nigerian army did not arrest me.
“They spotted me, flashed their touch, and I came out. And I wanted to open a conversation with them,” Soyombo said.
“The grouse of the army, the real grouse of the army is that I did not carry them along. I won’t deny that I have low trust for Nigerian public institutions… I didn’t trust the army. I didn’t carry them along.
“But I had also known that illegal oil bunkerers were bribing different people in various security formations. And I would endanger my life by carrying them along,” he added.
The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Ikeja Branch is gearing up for a spectacular end-of-year celebration on the 9th of December, 2024. The much-anticipated party will kick off right after the branch’s Annual General Meeting (AGM), promising an evening filled with fun, camaraderie, and gratitude.
In a remarkable show of support, Nigerian Breweries PLC has taken the lead as the headline sponsor of the event, cementing its strong relationship with the Tiger Branch. The chairman of the branch, Mr. Seyi Olawumi expressed heartfelt appreciation to members who went above and beyond to make the event possible, singling out legal luminaries like Emeka Ozoani (SAN) and Dr. Wunmi Bewaji for their generous donations.
“This is a celebration of our collective achievements and the vibrant spirit of our branch,” the chairman said. “The support we’ve received from members and sponsors is truly inspiring.”
The event promises to bring the legal practitioners together for a well-deserved moment of relaxation and reflection, rounding off what has been an eventful year for the NBA Ikeja.
Edo Government says it has lifted the suspension on the operations of the state security corps to strengthen the state security apparatus.
The Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Musa Ikhilor announced this via a statement issued in Benin on Friday.
“In a move to fortify the security architecture of Edo State, the government has lifted the suspension imposed on the Edo State Security Corps in September 2024.
“The decision made by the Governor, His Excellency, Senator Monday Okpebholo, marks a comprehensive shift in the state’s quest for enhanced safety and security.
“The suspension was initiated by the Inspector General of Police ahead of the Sept. 21, 2024 Gubernatorial Election.
“The suspension was based on the constitutional stipulation that election security is the sole responsibility of the Nigeria Police Force, although it can be assisted by other sister agencies within the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES).
“However, with the successful conduct of the gubernatorial election, the Edo State Government has deemed it necessary to reinstate the security corps,” he said.
Ikhilor said the move was to bolster the state’s security apparatus and ensure the safety of its citizens.
According to him, all returning officers are required to report to the office of the State Corps Commander or the three zonal offices of the Corps.
“This directive aims to ensure a seamless transition and the effective deployment of the security corps,” the SSG said.
Operatives of Lagos Taskforce have apprehended four suspected traffic robbers who specialise in robbing motorists during gridlocks at rush hour in Mushin area of the state.
The Chairman of the Lagos State Taskforce, CSP. Adetayo Akerele, in a statement signed by the agency’s Director, Press and Public Affairs, Mr Gbadeyan Abdulraheem, on Thursday identified the suspects as Ismail Akinlade, 26; Rasak Abiodun, 25; Adefabi Gbolahan, 25; and Rilwan Olaloye, 20.
He said that the suspects were apprehended in the Mushin area after a series of investigations led officers to their hideout.
The agency boss said that the Taskforce had been monitoring miscreants who operate in specific areas of the state to perpetrate their crimes.
“These individuals reportedly target distracted motorists, stealing phones, bags, and other valuables from vehicles while distracting the occupants,” he said.
According to him, one of the suspects, Akinlade confesses that they usually give the phones to their Number One (now at large), who handles selling the loot, after which they return for the cash proceeds, which they spend on drugs and gambling.
He said that Akinlade also revealed that they exploit bad portions of roads to carry out their attacks, preying on motorists who are forced to slow down due to poor road conditions, ” he said.
The chairman stated that following a series of manhunts and intelligence gathering, officers of the agency traced a stolen phone to the Idi-Oro axis in Mushin, where the suspects were apprehended.
“They have all been interrogated and will be charged to court immediately,” he said.
He warned others still engaging in such crimes in traffic to desist immediately or risk the same fate as the detailed four suspects. (NAN)
The General Council of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) has resolved to reappoint Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala as Director-General for a second four-year term.
The decision was taken by consensus. The former Nigerian Finance minister’s second term as the DG of WTO will begin on September 1, 2025.
WTO in a statement shared on its website, said, “The reappointment process, initiated on 8 October 2024, was overseen by Ambassador Petter Ølberg of Norway, Chair of the General Council. With no additional nominations submitted by the 8 November deadline, Dr. Okonjo-Iweala stood as the sole candidate. The process was conducted in a fully open and transparent manner, adhering to the WTO’s ‘Procedures for the Appointment of Directors-General’ (WT/L/509).
The New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) in Osun State has threatened to unseat Governor Ademola Adeleke in 2026.
Speaking at the official unveiling of the party’s secretariat in Ila-Orangun, the state chairman, Dr. Tosin Odeyemi, said the NNPP was prepared to take over the reins of government from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Odeyemi, who expressed confidence in the ability of the party to challenge the PDP and other political parties in the next governorship election, stated that the party has made significant progress in the state and the country at large.
Citing the current economic hardship in the country, Odeyemi said NNPP was at a vintage position to win future elections in the country.
The NNPP boss called on members of the party to remain committed and focused, assuring that their efforts would pay off at the end.
The Ekiti State Chairman of the party, Chief Edward Adelusi Ayeni, said the mission of the party is to bring in new ways of governance, saying that the essence of every political party is to gain political power to govern.
He said: “Part of what we are doing as a party is commissioning of local government offices, classrooms and we promise that everywhere in Nigeria will have the NNPP office.”
Ayeni stated that there have been a lot of policies made by the previous and present governments, which made the rich to be richer and the poor to be poorer.
He said a party that is interested in governing the nation ought to have a blueprint on how to govern the people, even before getting to office.
Femi Fani-Kayode, former Minister of Tourism, has responded to critics of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) regarding the recent revival of the Port Harcourt Refinery.
He accused certain factions within the private oil and gas sector of attempting to downplay and undermine the rejuvenation of the refinery.
In a statement shared on his official X account on Thursday, Fani-Kayode said that the oil industry is not comparable to selling products like sugar, spaghetti, or cement, indirectly addressing Aliko Dangote, the president of Dangote Refinery.
His remarks follow skepticism about the Port Harcourt Refinery’s viability after the NNPCL announced that the facility began distributing petroleum products on Tuesday.
Timothy Mgbere, Secretary of the Alesa community stakeholders, claimed in an interview on Arise Television that the refinery was only distributing old stock and not newly refined products.
In response, Fani-Kayode pointed to certain elements in the private sector as being behind a smear campaign aimed at discrediting NNPCL’s Group Managing Director, Mele Kyari, and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, especially regarding the refinery’s restart after years of inactivity.
He asserted that the revitalization of the Port Harcourt Refinery represents a significant achievement for Nigeria and expressed that what the country truly needs is for NNPCL’s refineries, as well as Dangote Refinery and others, to thrive.
He said, “The resurrection of the PH refinery is one of the most encouraging things that has happened in the petroleum sector for many years, and the credit for this must go to the President and the GMD of NNPC.
“It is a pity that some elements in the private sector who are new in the field are doing all they can to undermine and underestimate this great victory for Nigeria.
“The oil business is not the same as selling sugar, spaghetti, cement, or rice, and no matter how hard you try, you cannot muscle your way and create a monopoly on the sale of refined products as you did for other commodities over the years.”.
He added: “NNPC will go from strength to strength, and once its other refineries are working as well, Nigerians will have cause to smile again. Let the new kid on the block flourish, but let the NNPC refineries flourish too. That should be our goal and not a squalid attempt to discredit NNPC and its leadership.
“Every optimistic and true lover of Nigeria’s progress and President Tinubu’s renewed hope agenda must be proud of the GMD Mele Kyari. His tenacity, bravery, ingenuity, and forthrightness have been rewarded with this great feat. Surely this is hope renewed for Nigerians.”
The Edo State Police Command said it has arrested a 40-year-old man, Monday Obakpian for raping a 14-year-old girl (name withheld).
Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) of the command, SP Moses Yamu disclosed this in an X post on Wednesday.
Obakpian, of Odo quarters in Ibillo, Akoko Edo Local Government Area, was said to have lured the minor into his room under the guise of sending her on an errand.
Yamu said, “He took advantage of that situation and forcefully had carnal knowledge of her.”
He added that it took the effort of a neighbour who called in the police when he heard the victim screaming from the suspect’s room.
Yamu said the suspect has confessed to the crime and will soon be charged to court.
“The command, in the spirit of this year’s theme for the campaign against Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV) *‘Safety, everywhere and always’* is calling on each one of us to contribute in preventing or stopping such violence, especially against women and girls,” he said.
Yamu added that the command would do everything in its powers to protect the vulnerable and bring perpetrators of such dastard acts to book.
The Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID) has detained a self-acclaimed licensed Bureau De Change (BDC) operator, Chinedu Ngwaka, for alleged fraud of N320 million.
The FCID’s Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Aminat Mayegun, confirmed this in a post she shared on her X handle @mayegunAmina on Wednesday.
She said that the police received a petition addressed to the Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG), Mr Ayodeji Ogundele, FCID Annex, Lagos on Sept. 9.
“Chinedu Laz and Partners (Deo Gratia Chambers) filed a petition on behalf of Mr Tochukwu Unachukwu, the Managing Director of Casco Electronics Company Limited, against Ngwaka and wife, Janet, of being involved in a fraudulent scheme amounting to N320 million.
“Upon receipt of the petition, detectives from the Special Investigations Team (SIT) of the Anti-Fraud Section attached to FCID Annex, Lagos, swiftly swung into intelligence led investigation.
“The team reviewed relevant banking records and secured a warrant of arrest, which led to the apprehension of Ngwaka.”
PPRO said that further investigation revealed that between March and May 2024, Unachukwu made payments totaling N320 million to Ngwaka and his wife.
“Unachukwu made payment of N320 million through Ngwaka company accounts, Edunaco Multiple Resources Limited and Bright Janes World, for the procurement of $200,000 USD to facilitate the supply of goods from China.
“However, additional intelligence uncovered fraudulent document, including a telex confirmation from Zenith Bank, which purportedly shows the completion of the transactions in two $100,000 USD tranches.
“The Chinese suppliers confirmed that no such funds were received,” she said.
Mayegun said that during the operation, the SIT recovered a black 2024 Toyota Hilux with a fraudulent Presidency number plate (02B679FG) from Ngwaka, who falsely claimed to operate under the name Phobia BDC Ltd.
Verification with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) confirmed that he had no association with the company in any form, and that the company’s license has been revoked earlier in the year.
“Additionally, a fake identity card, purportedly issued by the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, was discovered, fraudulently identifying Ngwaka as a consultant of the ministry.
“Another letter of introduction addressed ‘to whom it may concern’, purportedly issued by the Head of Service of the Federation, seeking allocation of presidency number plate to the suspect was also recovered from him.
“Relevant authorities have confirmed the illegitimacy of the document.
“The investigation further revealed that the Toyota Hilux, imported into Nigeria in June by Humble Autos, who sold same to a local dealership, Don-Neiel Automobiles Nigeria who subsequently sold to Ngwaka, after he had engaged in the fraudulent transaction with Unachukwu, ” she said.
The image maker said that several other petitions had been received against the suspect, including claims from Mr Moses Enechukwu and Chinedu Nwaforcha, seeking the recovery of ₦1 billion and ₦840 million respectively.
She said that upon the conclusion of the investigation, Ngwaka, along with his co-conspirators, would be charged to court for prosecution.
Mayegun said that the AIG Ogundele advised Nigerians to remain vigilant and report any similar fraudulent acts to the relevant authorities.
“Ogundele urged the pubilc to report fraudulent activities and further warned citizens that anyone involved in such illegal activities will face the full consequences of the law, ” the PPRO said.
