Month: August 2024

Police finally reveal identity of Male Cross-dresser found dead on Katampe-Mabushi Expressway

Lukman Laleye Babalola

Sequel to a case of culpable homicide and discovery of an unidentified male corpse earlier mistaken for a female on August 8, 2024. The operatives of the FCT Command began a discreet investigation as ordered by the Commissioner of Police FCT, CP Benneth C. Igweh. Preliminary investigations revealed the deceased to be one Ifeanyi Chukwu-Agah Benedict, a ‘33’ year old man who hailed from Afikpo North Local Government Area of Ebonyi State and reside at Dapé in Karmo Area of Abuja. The family of the deceased have also been contacted,…

Chinese investors take over Nigeria’s guest houses in UK …. Set to sell them on eBay for N3.4bn

Emporium Reporters

A Chinese investment group, Zhongshang Fucheng Industrial Investment Ltd is set to list two residential structures it confiscated from Nigeria for sale on global online marketplace eBay. According to a report from Peoples Gazette, Zhongshang is racing to recover up to $70 million in arbitration awards from Nifwei. The group took possession of two buildings linked to the Nigerian government in Liverpool, United Kingdom, in June 2024, years after Nigeria failed to settle an arbitration judgement handed down in 2021. The properties, 15, Aigburth Hall Road, Liverpool and Beech Lodge,…

Appeal Court orders Yahaya Bello to appear for trial

Emporium Reporters

The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja has ordered former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, to present himself for arraignment.   The court in its verdict on Tuesday, August 20, also restrained him from taking further action until he is arraigned. The court further set aside the judgment previously delivered by the Kogi State High Court.   Bello’s whereabouts have been unknown since the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, attempted to arrest him during a raid from his residence in Abuja, a few months ago.   Governor Usman Ododo…

EFCC’s bid for whistleblowers’ protection,by Tunde Rahman

Emporium Reporters

Delivering a paper on the “Impact of the whistleblowing policy on public sector accountability and transparency” on Thursday July 11, 2024 at the Inter-agency Task Team (IATT) conference in Abuja, the executive chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Olanipekun Olukoyede, reopened the debate about the imperative of effective engagement of whistle-blowers in the battle against corruption. Restarting the conversation, perhaps unwittingly, he identified some of the perceived weaknesses of the whistle-blower policy, which should be addressed, including the need for adequate safeguards for whistle-blowers to shield them…

FG inaugurates 10-Man Committee to enforce Supreme Court ruling on Local Government Autonomy

Emporium Reporters

The Federal Government of Nigeria has inaugurated a 10-man inter-ministerial committee with the mandate of enforcing the implementation of the Supreme Court judgment on local government autonomy.   The committee which was inaugurated by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, will enforce the Supreme Court judgment delivered on July 11, granting financial autonomy to local governments in Nigeria.   Members of the committee include Secretary to the Government of the Federation, who is the Chairman; Minister of Finance & Coordinating Minister of the Economy;…

Appeal Court affirms Philip Shaibu as Edo Deputy Governor

Emporium Reporters

The Abuja Court of Appeal on Tuesday upheld the reinstatement of Philip Shaibu as Edo State’s Deputy Governor, dismissing an appeal by the Edo State House of Assembly to overturn the lower court’s judgment.   The appellate court’s decision affirms the earlier ruling that nullified Shaibu’s impeachment.   The Federal High Court in Abuja, presided over by Justice James Omotosho, reinstated Shaibu as the Deputy Governor of Edo State in July, declaring his impeachment by the Edo State House of Assembly as unlawful and unconstitutional.   The court ruled that…

Kwara female student found dead after being hired to act as girlfriend for N15000

Emporium Reporters

A 21-year-old student from the Kwara State College of Health Technology, Mojisola Awesu, has been found dead at a refuse dump in the Aleniboro area of Ilorin.   Mojisola had been reported missing since August 9, 2024, and her remains were found on August 12, 2024, by a local resident, Mr. Olorunoje, around 7:30 a.m.   According to reports, Mojisola had received a phone call from a friend, Miss Timileyin, on August 9, inviting her to an event supposedly organized by students of Summit University, Offa, and Al-Hikmah University, Ilorin.…

Documents reveal Dangote’s brother, Sayyu Dantata, among importers of petroleum products from Malta

Emporium Reporters

More facts have emerged on the identities of companies and individuals behind the importation of substandard petroleum products from Malta, with Sayyu Dantata, the half-brother of the president of Dangote Group Aliko Dangote as one of the importers. In July, Aliko Dangote alleged that some officials of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company, NNPC Limited and oil traders have blending plants in Malta, where they produce and import off-spec petroleum products that are brought to Nigeria for consumption.   Dangote made the revelation while reacting to the claim by the managing…

Fund Utilisation: House and Senate Committees advocate for delisting of NSITF from FRA Schedule 1

Lukman Laleye Babalola

The House Committee on Labour, Employment, and Productivity, alongside its Senate counterpart, has advocated for the delisting of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) from Schedule 1 of the Fiscal Responsibility Act (FRA), 2007.   This advocacy followed a decision by the National Assembly and the NSITF to strengthen their collaboration, aiming to enhance the NSITF’s capacity to provide a social safety net for workers across both the public and private sectors.   These developments were discussed during a recent two-day retreat in Lagos, organised by the NSITF for…

RG dismisses alleged case of Defamation,offensive publication against CAC, Others by Nigeria Law Society ….. Affirms Commission’s stand on NLS status

Lukman Laleye Babalola

The Registrar General Corporate Affairs Commission CAC,Hussaini Ishaq Magaji, SAN has dismissed the claim by the Nigeria Law Society through its Lawyer,Chief Bolaji Ayorinde SAN that the commission made defamatory publication on its status through This Day and Leadership Newspaper .   NLS in a letter signed by its Lawyer asked RG and the commission to retract the publication or face N5 Billion suit after 7 days ultimatum.   A reply sighted by Emporium Reporters ,CAC RG, Hussaini Ishaq Magaji in a letter addressed to the NLS Lawyer,Chief Bolaji Ayorinde,SAN…