On Friday afternoon, elderly women, mainly widows, protested in the capital city of Lafia, Nasarawa State, to voice their dissatisfaction with the Supreme Court’s ruling upholding Governor Abdullahi Sule of the All Progressives Congress. Sule’s 2023 election victory was contested in court by David Ombugadu, the Peoples Democratic Party’s candidate for governor. The governor was removed from office by the state election petition tribunal, which also proclaimed Ombugadu the victor of the March 18, 2023 election. However, the appellate court upheld Sule’s reinstatement and declared that the tribunal had erroneously depended on the testimony of eight PDP witnesses, whose sworn…
Author: Mathew Aremu
Biodun Oyebanji, the governor of Ekiti State, cautioned local government representatives on Thursday not to use his name as cover for illicit activity. “Sometime around December 2023, I learned local government officials in each of the councils deducted N1m out of the money approved for Christmas celebration and claimed they wanted to give it to me,” the speaker stated, explaining why the guidance was required. The governor declared, “I didn’t ask anybody to deduct any money for me.” This could be accurate or it could be false. I didn’t get paid if that was accurate. To be clear, I didn’t…
Mr. Chidiebere Ihediwa, a cyber-security expert, has recommended that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission come up with strategies for reorienting educated internet fraudsters (also known as Yahoo Boys) who have been jailed and turned into information technology specialists. This approach, in his opinion, is preferable to letting them rot in jail or experience catastrophic disintegration. Ihediwa, a well-known software developer as well, made the announcement on Wednesday at the Police Officers Mess, GRA Ikeja, Lagos, at an award ceremony in his honor. Ihediwa asserts that knowledge is divided into two categories: positive and negative. “Even though the cyber fraudsters…
The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, Federal Inland Revenue Service, Nigeria Customs Service, and other revenue-generating organizations split N53.5 billion in revenue collection expenses in November. Based on data supplied by the National Bureau of Statistics, the Federation Account Allocation Committee distributed N1.35 trillion to the three levels of government in November 2023 out of the total revenue earned in October 2023. Distribution of funds to the three levels of government during the review period: the Federal Government was given N323.35 billion, the 36 States and the Federal Capital Territory contributed N307.72 billion, or an average of N8.32 billion, and…
Churchill, a Nigerian comedian, is said to have passed away while recording a stunt for one of his videos. Churchill’s effort to touch a basketball net was captured in a widely circulated video of the incident that was posted online on Thursday, or today. He was seen in the PUNCH Online video tripping and hitting his head on the floor. Churchill was allegedly taken to the hospital by eyewitnesses, where he sadly died. In a conversation with PUNCH Online, a woman going by the Instagram name #LadyResa disclosed that Churchill was a classmate of hers at Nasarawa State University and…
The appeal against the election of All Progressives Congress candidate Inuwa Yahaya as governor of Gombe State, filed by the Action Democratic Congress and its candidate Nafiu Bala, was denied by the Supreme Court. This comes as the highest court scheduled a Friday ruling in the appeal against the governor that Muhammad Barde of the People’s Democratic Party filed. The Gombe governor’s election was upheld by the Court of Appeal in Abuja as well as the Election Petition Tribunal. The two parties and their candidates went to the highest court because they were dissatisfied with the decisions made by the…
A driver in Odeomu, Osun State, whose identity could not immediately be established, smashed to death a teacher, simply known as Okunola. He was reportedly driving from Ibadan to Osogbo, the capital of Osun State. Following the Tuesday collision, the driver allegedly left the scene while enraged neighbors destroyed the vehicle he was driving. The deceased had gone to the market to purchase cassava peels, according to a statement released on Wednesday by Kehinde Adeleke, the spokesperson for the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps’ Osun State Command. Adeleke continued, saying that while the teacher was attempting to board a…
Nigeria produced 1.418 million barrels of crude oil per day in December 2023, according to an Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries estimate. Nigeria’s crude oil output grew by 100mb/d from 1.319mbpd in November, according to secondary sources cited by OPEC in its Monthly Oil Market Report for January 2024. According to direct communication, OPEC revealed in the report published on January 17 that the country’s oil production in December was 1.335 million barrels per day, down from 1.250 million barrels per day in November. According to the report, during the time under consideration, the oil output of OPEC nations…
Nigeria’s integrated energy provider Eterna PLC announced that it has been authorized to distribute the new Dangote Petroleum Refinery products domestically. According to The PUNCH, the Dangote refinery began producing aviation fuel and diesel on Friday. Eterna stated that it has reaffirmed its commitment to enhancing product supply by emerging as one of the nation’s principal distributors of Dangote domestic petroleum. “The company’s established reputation for excellence is demonstrated by this appointment,” the statement read. Speaking about the collaboration, Mr. Benjamin Nwaezeigwe, Managing Director of Eterna Plc, stated: “We are honored to have been designated as an official distributor of…
At the end of 2023, Infinity Trust Mortgage Bank Plc’s profit after taxes nearly quadrupled to N1.002 billion, from N633.477 million at the end of the same period in 2022. The unaudited financial statements for the quarter ended December 2023, which were submitted to the Nigerian Exchange Limited on Wednesday, made this clear. The mortgage bank’s turnover increased by 38.50 percent to N2.903 billion from N2.096 billion, it was disclosed. This increase was attributed to increases in interest income and comparable revenue, as well as net fees and commission income, which were N2.539 billion and N103.002 million, respectively. As evidenced…
Oxygen X Finance Company Limited, Access Holdings Company Plc’s consumer lending subsidiary, has been approved by regulators. This was disclosed in a corporate notice that was submitted on Wednesday to the Nigerian Exchange Limited. According to Access Holdings, it has the approval of the Central Bank of Nigeria in principle. “By offering creative and seamless digital lending solutions to address specific challenges faced by individuals and businesses in our rapidly changing world, the proposed subsidiary will positively impact the financial landscape.” After receiving a final operating license from the Central Bank of Nigeria, the proposed subsidiary will start business. A…
In Delta State, a junior coworker named Corporal Chinonso Okafor was unintentionally shot and killed by a police inspector known only as Afang Luke. It was learned by our correspondent that the incident happened on Tuesday at approximately 4:30 p.m. PUNK Metro discovered that several people they thought might be cultists were apprehended by the Delta State Police Tactical Squad as they were conducting a regular patrol in Mosogar, Sapele. It was said that the males attempted to flee upon seeing the police squad. Our correspondent was informed by a police source that Luke unintentionally shot Okafor in the back…
On Wednesday, the Kano police announced that they had detained five people on suspicion of causing a disturbance and inciting violence during the celebration of the Supreme Court’s ruling on the state’s governorship election. The Supreme Court’s decision on Friday, which upheld Kano State Governor Abba Yusuf’s victory in the March 18, 2023, governorship election, was met with wild jubilation. The All Progressives Congress candidate, Nasiru Gawuna, was proclaimed the victor of the elections by the Court of Appeal, which had dismissed the governor of Kano earlier. The tension in the old city was caused by his sacking, but his…
Shell PLC has refuted rumors that it was planning to leave Nigeria following the sale of its Niger Delta onshore operations. According to The PUNCH, Shell declared on Tuesday that it and Renaissance Africa Energy had “reached an agreement to sell its oil business in the Niger Delta, the Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited.” Since then, the statement has sparked a range of responses on social media, with many people believing that Shell was leaving Nigeria. The SPDC’s disposal was in line with the company’s previously stated intention to “exit onshore oil production in the Niger Delta and…
The Independent National Electoral Commission will hold nine by-elections on February 3 in which 74 candidates are expected to compete. Following the passing of a few members of the national and state Houses of Assembly, by-elections were required. Two senatorial districts in Yobe East and Ebonyi South would see by-elections. Four federal constituencies would also hold elections: Surulere I in Lagos State; Jalingo/Yorro/Zing in Taraba; Akoko North East/Akoko North West in Ondo State; and Shanga/Ngaski/Yauri in Kebbi. Additionally, candidates would run for the state assembly seats that are up for grabs in Guma I, Benue; Chibok, Borno; and Chikun, Kaduna…
Mrs. Ify Njoku, 50, left her house for a job interview and never came back, sending her family into a state of fear. PUNK According to information obtained by Metro, on September 1, 2023, the mother of five left her house for a chef interview at the Deluxe Premium Hotel in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, but she never came back. One of her children, Chioma, described their plight to our correspondent, saying that her mother had left the hotel in accordance with the CCTV footage that was provided to them, gone missing before she could go home, and gone for…
Police in the Ukemberegya council ward of the Logo Local Government Area of Benue State have repulsed an attack by local bandits on Tse Gaagum community. One of the robbers who broke into the area in the early hours of Wednesday was reportedly shot and killed by the security personnel. One of the locals claimed that the bandits ambushed the people after storming the village at four in the morning. The unnamed source claimed that the residents quickly called the security personnel in distress, and they swiftly arrived and began pursuing the criminals. “The bandits stormed the village at about…
In the Kudu village in Toto Local Government Area, Nasarawa State, a violent confrontation between the Gbagyi and Bassa ethnic groups over a land dispute has resulted in seven fatalities and numerous injuries. PUNK According to information obtained by Metro, the conflict started when the Gbagyi people’s farming hamlet was purportedly invaded by the Bassa ethnic group. In addition to individuals who suffered varying degrees of injuries, a community member who begged to remain anonymous informed our correspondent in Lafia on Tuesday that the fighting also destroyed numerous homes and agricultural products valued at millions of naira. Attacks are becoming…
Seyi Makinde, the governor of Oyo State, announced on Wednesday that initial security agency investigations had shown that explosive devices kept by unauthorized miners were the cause of Tuesday’s explosion that shook the Bodija Area of Ibadan, the state capital. Following the explosion, which also damaged parts of the governor’s office, secretariat, Oyo State House of Assembly, Chief Bola Ige’s residence (the former attorney general and minister of justice), and several buildings in Ologuneru, Apete, New Garage, Bashorun, Akobo, Sango, and Eleyele, at least ten people were believed to have died and fifteen more were hospitalized. Visiting the site of…
An IED went off in Mafa town, Mafa Local Government Area on Tuesday, killing two members of the Borno State Civilian Joint Task Force and wounding eight more. On Wednesday, eyewitnesses in Maiduguri informed reporters that the incident occurred while the quasi-military personnel were conducting routine operations in the Mafa/Konduga LG axis when they ran over an IED that was allegedly planted by terrorists from Boko Haram. According to a CJTF official in Maiduguri who spoke with The PUNCH, “it happened around 4pm when the CJTF members were out on their routine operation driving in their vehicle through a bush…