Nation
THE STATES
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Adamawa
The Controller of Adamawa Command of the Nigerian Prison Service (NPS), Mr Peter Tenkwa, has rejected the medical letter used by a Yola High Court in granting bail to convicted ex-Governor of the state, Mr Bala Ngilari, on health ground.
Justice Nathan Musa of Yola High Court, on Monday granted bail to Ngilari, currently in the prison for a five-year jail sentence, on health grounds, after he appealed against his conviction.
Tenkwa told newsmen Monday in Yola that he was not aware of the letter and had communicated to the prison headquarters.
He said the headquarters directed him to issue a query to officials involved in the matter, including the Deputy Controller of Yola Prison, Mr Abubakar Abaka and a Superintendent of Prisons, Mr John Bukar, in charge of health.
“Nigeria Prison Service, as I stated, knows nothing about this letter; whoever wrote that letter is on his own. I have been directed to query the officers involved.”
Bauchi
Some married women residing in Bauchi have attributed their improved health status to regular exercises with the active support and encouragement of their husbands.
Some of the women told newsmen in separate interviews in Bauchi on Tuesday that the new lifestyle had helped to stave off debilitating disease burdens.
They identified some of the diseases as High Blood Pressure and Diabetes.
Hajiya Zainab Abdulkadir, the founder of the gymnasium, told newsmen that her husband donated the facility to assist married women interested in exercising their bodies.
Abdulkadir noted that other available gymnasiums were for both men and women, hence the need to provide a facility for only married women.
Benue
Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue has said the most recent killings in the State were not perpetrated by herdsmen, but criminal elements.
Ortom said this after the State Security meeting in Makurdi last Monday.
The governor also said the killings were not due to communal clashes, stressing that they were carried out by criminal elements bent on unleashing terror and mayhem on innocent citizens.
He, however, promised that the killings would soon be nipped in the bud; and the perpetrators arrested and prosecuted.
He further said that the criminals had been identified and that the security agencies would soon go after them.
“’We are not ready to surrender the state to criminals”, the governor vowed.
Ekiti
Two men, Ebenezer Temitope and Ojo Toyin, who allegedly burgled an apartment and stole three cell phones valued at N110, 000, were on Tuesday charged before a Magistrates’ Court in Ado-Ekiti.
The accused,Temitope, 22 and Toyin, 22, whose addresses were not given, are facing a charge of stealing.
The prosecutor, Sgt. Oriyomi Akinwale, told the Court that the accused committed the offence on March 24, at about 2 am, at Ekute Quarters in Ado-Ekiti.
Akinwale alleged that the accused broke into the house of one Abosede Oladaiye and one Damilola Odunayo and stole their phones.
FCT
Vice-Chancellor, University of Ilorin, Prof. AbdulGaniyu Ambali, has debunked allegations of corrupt practices levelled against the university administration, saying many people were not aware of the universities procedures.
Ambali stated his position in an interview with newsmen in Abuja last Tuesday.
The vice-chancellor said that the university followed laid down guidelines in appointments of staff, payment of entitlements to principal officers and reappointment of principal officers.
Katsina
A Katsina State High Court on Tuesday adjourned hearing in the alleged N11 billion scam brought against a former state governor, Ibrahim Shema, until June 6.
The former governor is charged with conspiracy, forgery and diversion of N11 billion public funds by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Standing trial with Shema are former Commissioner for Local Government Affairs, Sani Makana, former Permanent Secretary, Ministry for Local Government Affairs, Lawal Safana and former State ALGON Chairman, Lawal Dankaba.
The offences contravene Sections 312 and 364, Cap 96 of the Penal Code, Laws of Katsina State, 1991.
When the case came up for hearing on Tuesday, Justice Ibrahim Bako said the adjournment was sequel to the defendants’ appeal, challenging the court’s jurisdiction to try the case.
Kwara
The Nigerian Society for Animal Production (NSAP) has honoured Gov. Abdulfatah Ahmed of Kwara and seven others for their contributions to the development of agriculture in the state.
It is reported that the event, held at Landmark University’s Auditorium in Omu-Aran, Kwara on Monday, was part of activities to mark the society’s 42nd annual national conference.
The conference has: ‘Emerging Challenges Facing Animal Agriculture in Nigeria and the Way Forward,” as its theme.
Ahmed was represented at the event by the State Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Mr Bamidele Adegoke.
The governor was honoured under the society’s agriculture leadership award for sustaining the legacy of his predecessor with regards to the Shonga Farm Initiative in poultry and dairy production.
Lagos
An Ebute Meta Chief Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday sentenced a security guard to 10 years in prison for burglary and stealing goods worth N20.95 million from his employer’s house.
In her judgment, the Chief Magistrate, Mrs Helen Omisore, jailed James Jacob seven years for burglary and three years for stealing with no option of fine.
The 20 year-old convict had pleaded guilty to the three-count charge of conspiracy, break-in and stealing.
The Prosecutor, Insp. Cousin Adams, told the court that the convict had on February 19 burgled the home of Oludayo Adeyinka and absconded with property worth N20.95 million.
“He used a saw blade to gain entrance by cutting the burglary of the toilet and disconnected the CCTV camera to avoid being identified.
Ondo
Two teenagers, Olusola Ogunsede, 18, and another, aged 17, were on Tuesday brought before an Okitipupa Magistrates Court in Ondo State over the alleged theft of 50 bunches of palm fruits worth N100,000.
The accused, of no fixed addresses and occupations, were standing trial in the court on a two-count charge of felony and stealing.
The Prosecutor, Insp. Zedekiah Orogbemi, told the court that the accused on February 11 around 10:00 a.m., behind Mercury School, Ikoya in Okitipupa, conspired to commit the offences.
He said the accused entered the farmland belonging to one Wilson Ageh and stole the palm fruits, which were already harvested for transportation to the market.
Osun
Governor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun State has inaugurated a five-man judicial commission of enquiry into the crisis that erupted between the Yoruba and Hausa in Ile-Ife on March 8 in which lives were lost and property destroyed.
A media aide to the governor, Mr Semiu Okanlawon, made this known in a statement in Osogbo on Monday.
The statement quoted the governor as urging members of the commission to investigate and determine the remote and immediate causes of the mayhem.
He also mandated them to recommend appropriate civil or criminal actions to be taken against the perpetrators and make appropriate suggestions to the state government in order to prevent a future occurrence.
Oyo
A don, Dr Musibau Babatunde, has advised lawmakers in Oyo State to make laws that would enhance the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) of the state.
Babatunde, a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Economics, University of Ibadan, gave the advice at a two-day workshop for members of the Oyo State House of Assembly in Ibadan on Tuesday.
The workshop was organised by Konrad-Adenaeur Shifting Foundation, Germany.
Plateau
A bill seeking to enact the Plateau Penal Code on Tuesday scaled through the second reading on the floor of the State House of Assembly.
Presenting the bill for deliberation at Plenary, Majority Leader of the House, Mr Henry Yunkwap, said that the bill, if passed into law, would capture penalties for contemporary crimes.
He said that Plateau needed its own penal code because the penal code of Northern Nigeria, being used in the state, had become “out-dated and obsolete”.
He further explained that the bill, which contained 398 clauses and 31 chapters, would address primary, secondary and tertiary crimes in the state.
Nation
Council Boss Impeached 48 Hours To LG Polls In Katsina
The Chairman of Malumfashi Local Government Council of Katsina State, Maharazu Dayi, has been impeached.
Maharazu Dayi was impeached yesterday by 11 out of 12 councillors, barely two days before the local government elections in the State.
The councillors reportedly took action following allegations of misconduct and poor governance against the chairman after a dispute over the distribution of the council’s Paris Club funds.
The development has sent shock waves across the local government area, especially as the impeached chairman is among those who failed to secure the ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to contest in the forthcoming election.
Nation
Association Tasks Fubara On Rumuwoji Market Phase Three
The Rumuwoji Ultra Modern Market Traders Association, Mile 1, Port Harcourt, has urged the state government to utilise the available spaces within the area to build phase 3 of the Rumuwoji Market in order to solve the ever increasing needs of traders.
The association, which said this at a media briefing in Port Harcourt, also described as a welcomed development the decision by the state Governor to open the phase 2 of the market for business.
According to the association, “We consider it as an answer to the various cries of the people, because he is a man on a mission who is out to place the interest of Rivers people first. It is a dream come true for the first time for the market to be dully allocated and open for business”
Chairman of the association, Hon Godspower Wobo, who briefed the press shortly after a meeting of the association in Port Harcourt, also urged the public to disregard the activities of some persons whose stock in trade is to cause disaffection in the market.
He said the attention of the association was drawn to the activities of some strange fellows who went about misforming the people about situation in the market, stressing that apart from his association, no other group exists in the market except subdiary unions.
Wobo also tasked the reallocation committee to tread with caution so as to avoid being deceived by any group.
According to him, time has come for the state government to engage in robust discussion with aggrieved shop owners who went to court and those who paid monies to the state coffers and issued with allocation certificates for the overall interest of peace.
He also advised the public to deal directly with his association, stressing that the meeting was to review activities for the last year as well as unveil their new Constitution.
Also speaking, former Chairman of the association, Deacon Kenneth Eze urged the Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara to open the phase 2 of the market, as it is long overdue.
Eze who is the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the association also urged the public to do business with only the Rumuwoji Ultra Modern Market Traders Association as it is the only union recognised by the traders.
Nation
AfDB President Denies 2027 Presidential Ambition
The President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), Akinwunmi Adesina, has debunked reports linking him with the race for Nigeria’s presidency in 2027.
Reacting to the report on his X handle yesterday, following a recent interview with Arise TV, the AfDB boss said his quotes were misrepresented and misinterpreted in several Nigerian media reports.
However, the AfDB president denied the media reports, stating that he never said that he wanted to contest for President.
“A segment of my recent interview on @Arise TV has been both misinterpreted and misrepresented in several Nigerian media outlets. What I said was, “I will be available to serve in any capacity, globally, in Africa, anywhere, including my own country.”
“A listen to the substantive and robust interview, which is available online, will show this to be the case. For clarity and for the record, I did not say that I am running for the office of President of Nigeria,” Adesina said.
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